Staff Study Assistance Policy

effective from 1/1/2022, please email mailto:policy@jcu.edu.au for previous version

Intent

The Staff Study Assistance Policy is designed to encourage personal and professional development of staff and to benefit James Cook University (JCU) as a whole.

Scope

This policy applies to continuing and fixed-term staff members appointed for 12 months or more at JCU Australia. It does not apply to casual staff or short-term academic visitors.

Definitions

Australian Tropical Campuses (ATC) – JCU campuses in Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Mount Isa and Thursday Island, and courses offered online, excluding third party partnerships (eg. KeyPath) courses.

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) – a place where JCU or another tertiary educational institution receives Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding and the student pays a student contribution amount (previously known as HECS).

Student Contribution Amount – a payment that a Commonwealth supported student pays towards their education. This payment can be paid upfront or deferred through the HECS-HELP scheme. The Student Contribution amount is a contribution to the total cost of tuition, with the balance paid by the Australia Government through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme.  

Tuition Fee – the fees payable to a University to undertake a course of study. For Commonwealth supported students this is equivalent to the Student Contribution amount, for fee paying students, this is equivalent to the full tuition fee amount. Tuition fees exclude the cost of field trips, workshops, equipment, books, placements and other education expenses.

Policy

JCU is committed to encouraging eligible staff to undertake tertiary study by providing assistance to complete a formal qualification at JCU.

1. Principles

1.1  Staff Study Assistance is to support undergraduate and postgraduate coursework study undertaken at JCU Australia Tropical Campuses (ATC) only.

1.2  Staff Study Assistance will be approved on an annual basis.  To be eligible for study assistance to continue, the staff must undertake at least 1 subject per calendar year.  Where a staff member is on extended leave (6 months or more) there will be no requirement to study during the period of the leave; however, study must resume within a 12 month period following the leave.

1.3  Study must be completed, and any reimbursement made, prior to the end of the staff member’s employment.

1.4  Study Assistance granted to staff members who are less than full time will be provided on a prorata basis, calculated according to the proportion of full time hours they work.

1.5  Where a staff member commences a new role impacting the Study Assistance approval, the staff members application must be re-assessed in consideration of the new role, which may result in a change of category of study, and/or changes to the Study Assistance approved, or cessation of the Study Assistance.

1.6  Study Assistance approval is immediately void where the staff member ceases employment.

1.7  Any tax incurred as a result of participation in Study Assistance will be the responsibility of the staff member.  The staff member should seek their own tax / financial advice.

2. Eligibility to Apply

2.1  Applicants will:

• be employed on a continuing basis; or
• be employed on a fixed term basis greater than 12 months duration

2.2  The application is for future study in an undergraduate bachelor level program, postgraduate coursework diploma or masters programs, or the Graduate Certificate of Academic Practice.

2.3  The application is for study undertaken at JCU ATC campuses, or online programs undertaken out of JCU ATC campuses (ie. excludes study at JCUS, JCUB and Keypath).

2.4  The application must be submitted at least one month prior to the commencement of the relevant study period.  Retrospective approval will not be granted.

Related policy instruments

Staff Study Assistance Scheme Procedure

Schedules/Appendices

Application for Staff Study Assistance

Staff Study Assistance Scheme Application for payment

Administration

Approval Details

Revision History