Tuition Assistance Program at Valdosta State

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TAP eligibility approval does not guarantee admission into University System of Georgia degree programs. Some programs may have restrictions or limited-slot enrollment for TAP participants. For questions regarding program limitations or restrictions, please contact the program of study for details.

TAP Information:

  • TAP is an employee supplemental educational assistance program that fosters the professional growth and development of eligible employees.
  • USG Employees can attend any USG institution under the TAP program.
  • An employee may seek approval to enroll in up to nine (9) academic semester credit hours for each of the three designated semester periods: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Semester.
  • The following fees, if applicable, are waived for TAP attendees: tuition, student late registration fee, student technology fee, student activity fee, student athletic/recreation fee and VSU online course fees. This includes all mandatory VSU student fees. Other fees and charges at VSU not waived include those required by the course or institution such as transcripts, graduation, exam/testing fees, lab fees, and student health insurance fees. TAP students are required to complete the student health insurance waiver each semester to have the student health insurance charge waived.  Any remaining balance not covered by TAP must be paid by the fee payment deadline to avoid cancellation of course schedule.
  • Scholarship and grant money awarded to TAP participants will be applied to your balance before TAP is applied. TAP is a supplemental educational assistance employee program.  In addition to all scholarships and gift aid being applied to your balance before TAP, an employee who is eligible for Pell Grants must apply his/her Pell Grant monies toward tuition and fees before receiving a TAP waiver. 
  • The federal government currently allows up to $5,250 annually, in employer-provided educational assistance benefits, to be “tax free” to TAP participants. This only applies to graduate-level courses (students taking UG classes do not have an annual taxability limit). An employee must generally pay taxes on employer-provided educational assistance benefits in excess of $5,250 unless a graduate tax waiver form is approved.  If applying for the graduate tax waiver, the TAP participant will submit this to the TAP coordinator of the home institution each semester (tap@valdosta.edu).  If you are not approved for the tax waiver or choose not to submit a waiver form, the taxed amount will be included in your wages (Box 1 of your Form W-2). A tax professional should be consulted for further information concerning taxable tuition. 
  • Employees participating in TAP are encouraged to monitor their tuition charges within the student portal each semester and promptly contact the Bursar’s Office at their school of enrollment for an explanation of tuition amounts.
  • If you are a VSU employee and taking classes at VSU, as a TAP participant, you are eligible to apply for the COSA Blazer Book Award Scholarship! Click here to submit an application for the Blazer Book Award Scholarship. If you have questions, please contact the Blazer Book Award Committee at cosa@valdosta.edu. 

Eligibility:

  • Must be employed as a full time benefits-eligible employee of the USG for at least (6) months prior to the TAP application deadline.
  • If your employment status changes from active full-time benefits eligible, 1.0 FTE, during the semester that you are utilizing TAP, then you must notify the TAP Coordinator so that they can determine if you are still eligible. Please note that being out on certain leave categories may make you ineligible for the TAP program. 
  • Have approval from your supervisor. 
  • Apply for admission to the teaching institution through the normal student admission process. If you have not been accepted as a student at the teaching institution or into your desired program prior to the TAP application deadline, you will still need to submit your TAP application by the application deadline date. Notify the TAP Coordinator upon submitting your application that you are awaiting word on your admission acceptance.  You must still complete the TAP application by the applicable deadline.
  • Submit a new TAP application to your home institution (employer) by the designated deadline for each semester in which the TAP waiver is