Employee Reimbursement Program

The purpose of the Educational Reimbursement Program (ERP) is to encourage, through financial assistance, full-time employees who want to maintain and to improve their skills and capabilities through approved courses of study for the mutual benefit of themselves and the Company.

The ERP provides substantial financial assistance to eligible employees who, with prior written management approvals, voluntarily enroll in and satisfactorily complete courses of study seen by management as:

• Helping an employee improve performance on the employee’s present position; and/or
• Preparing an employee for more challenging responsibilities in the Company to which the employee can reasonably aspire and for which education or training would enhance the employee’s qualifications.

All full time employees are eligible after completing two full months of employment.

Employees classified as part-time, intermittent, or summer hires and employees on approved leaves are not eligible to participate.

Educational assistance will normally be limited to courses taken at an accredited educational institution listed in the most recent edition of “Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education” published for the American Council on Education.
Institutions lacking overall accreditation may be approved if they have obtained recognized professional accreditation for specific courses.

• Courses must have a bearing on the employee’s present position or position in the Company to which the employee may progress in the future.
• All courses considered by an accredited educational institution for a non-degree certificate program or for an undergraduate or graduate degree program are eligible for reimbursement when the course of study is of mutual benefit to the employee and the Company, and an approved Degree Application is on file.
  1. For elective courses, management reserves the right to require job-related courses. If an employee chooses to take elective courses for personal reasons, such courses are not eligible for reimbursement.
  2. Prerequisite courses are eligible for reimbursement ONLY if the employee has been accepted on an approved degree program and an approved Degree Application is on file.

Courses which may be approved for reimbursement under this Plan are those in which the employee has enrolled:

1. As a candidate for an advanced degree (master’s or doctoral);
2. As a candidate for an undergraduate degree (associate or bachelor’s);
3. As a candidate for a high school diploma;
4. Where deemed necessary by the Company, to participate in non-degree continuing education courses required to maintain a professional certificate, or license.

1. Reimbursement is limited to 50% of the costs paid in advance by the employee for tuition. This is limited to the cost paid for tuition hours (no other fees will be reimbursed).
   1. The course Course Approval Request Form listing all courses and estimated costs for tuition must have been approved by all required levels of management before enrollment in order to be eligible for reimbursement.
   2. Reimbursement must be requested within sixty (60) days after satisfactory completion of the course(s) by resubmitting all copies of the approved Application showing actual costs for tuition, grade(s) received, and be approved by all required levels of management.
   3. Satisfactory completion is a grade of “C” (or equivalent if letter grades are not given) or better in the course(s). An official grade report issued by the educational institution must be submitted with the Application. Employees are not eligible for reimbursement if an incomplete is received in the course(s) until the incomplete is removed from the transcript and a grade of “C” (or equivalent) or better is earned.
   4. Itemized receipts issued by the educational institution showing payment of costs for tuition must be submitted with the Reimbursement Approval. Canceled checks and credit charge slips are not acceptable for reimbursement documentation.
   5. Reimbursement of costs received from any Federal, State or local Government Agency or from any private source must be deducted from the requested reimbursement. Veterans qualifying for Veterans Administration Educational Benefits under various G.I. Bills are expected to enroll under the Bills and will not be reimbursed under the ERP until all G.I. Educational Benefits have been exhausted.
   6. Employees are responsible for the accuracy of costs charged by an educational institution, and only correct costs will be reimbursed. Management reserves the right to verify required costs with any educational institution.
   7. Employees not completing course(s) due to military service, approved leave of absence, approved transfer to another geographical location, or other company action such as layoff for lack of work, or a substantial increase in job responsibilities, will be eligible for reimbursement to the extent of that portion of the costs for tuition not refunded by the educational institution.
2. Reimbursement will not be made to employees under the following circumstances:
   1. If they voluntarily withdraw from course(s) before completion; or
   2. If they are discharged for cause by the Company before completion of course(s) or before reimbursement is made; or
   3. If they voluntarily terminate employment with the Company before completion of course(s) or before reimbursement is made, unless a commitment has been made to the contrary by management; or
   4. If the costs were incurred for course(s) begun before employment by the company. All requests for reimbursement should be submitted to your Division Human Resources Representative.

Contact your division's Human Resources staff listed below for information and forms.

Carey Human Resources
Milton Human Resources
Paragould Human Resources
Spartanburg Human Resources