Office of Faculty & Staff Benefits
Office of Faculty & Staff Benefits

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Georgetown University offers tuition benefits to eligible employees and their children through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

Employees may use their TAP benefit for undergraduate or graduate studies depending on their employment category. Dependent children may use these benefits for undergraduate studies only (certain exceptions apply). You must apply for TAP benefits every semester. Lifetime maximums apply, and this benefit will pay “tuition” only; it does not cover deposits, university fees, late fees, or room and board.

Tuition Assistance Application Submissions

GU360 TAP Application Schedule:

GroupTiming
Student attends Georgetown University (Employee/Dependent Children)Spring semester: Submit Nov 16 – Dec 1
Summer semester: Submit April 1 – June 1
Fall semester: Submit June 1 – Aug 1
Student attends outside school (Dependent Children only)Rolling Submissions
Employee enrolled in GU non-credit certificate coursesRolling Submissions

TAP Resources

Eligibility

To gain eligibility for the Tuition Assistance Program, an employee must:

When Can I Use the TAP Benefit?

TAP benefits begin the semester following fulfillment of the service requirement eligibility rules outlined above.

Who Can Use the TAP Benefit?

Eligible Georgetown employees and their natural children, adopted children, children under legal guardianship as evidenced by official court documentation, or stepchildren dependent for support may use TAP. Children must be under the age of 30 to utilize the TAP benefit. Please see the complete details on benefits for dependent children for more information. 

Where Can I Use the TAP Benefit?

Employee TAP benefits covers 90% of tuition costs (no fees) and can only be used for up to six credit hours per semester* for classes taken at Georgetown University.

*Effective July 1, 2022: For degree programs that require more than six (6) credit hours in a given semester, as specified by the program’s official curriculum structure, the University may grant an exception to this limitation.

Child TAP benefits may be used at Georgetown University or at any institution in the United States and at international schools that meet the following two criteria:

  1. The institution must be accredited in the country in which the school is located, and
  2. Payment of tuition must be made directly to the institution by Georgetown University. Schools that are not already in the University systems may often take longer than anticipated to set up and pay.

When Eligibility Ends

If you terminate employment or move to a benefits ineligible position in a semester in which your TAP benefits have already been disbursed, you will not be required to reimburse Georgetown for that semester. However, you will not be eligible for TAP benefits for any subsequent semester. Retirees of the University may continue to use their benefits in retirement, but are subject to the same rules and maximums as active employees.

TAP Application Process

You are required to apply for TAP benefits every semester in GU360. There is no advantage to applying for your TAP benefit prior to enrollment and course registration.

For Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies: Staff using benefits for non-credit certificate programs at the School of Continuing Studies should note that withdrawal and refund policies also apply to TAP students. For more information, review the policy

Questions? Email tapbenefits@georgetown.edu.

FAQs

I worked in a benefits-eligible role for 8 years, terminated employment for 13 months, and was recently rehired. Am I eligible for TAP benefits?
Not immediately. You must satisfy the eligibility requirements as if you were a new employee if your employment gap exceeds 12 months.

I worked in a benefits-eligible role for 20 years and am now working part-time in a benefits-ineligible role. Am I eligible for TAP benefits based on my prior, full-time years of service?
No, you must be currently benefits-eligible to receive this benefit.

I worked in a benefits-eligible role for 10 years, switched to a part-time, benefits-ineligible status for 9 months, and then resumed full-time employment. Am I eligible for TAP benefits?
You will be eligible once you have completed 9 months of benefits-eligible service. If you become benefits-ineligible (for any reason) for less than one year, your waiting period for TAP benefits equals the time of your gap.

I worked in a benefits-eligible role for 10 years, switched to a part-time, benefits-ineligible status for 12 months and 1 week, and then resumed full-time employment. Am I eligible for TAP benefits?
Not immediately. You must satisfy the eligibility requirements as if you were a new employee if you become benefits-ineligible for more than 12 months. Note that this answer is the same for employees who terminate employment or switch to a benefits-ineligible status for more than 12 months. (Refer to question #1.)

I worked in a benefits-ineligible role for 3 years, and now work in a benefits-eligible position. Do any of the 3 years of service count for TAP benefits?
No.

I have worked at Georgetown University for 5 years and was eligible for TAP benefits last year, but did not realize it and paid for my child’s tuition. Can I apply for TAP benefits retroactively?
Yes, but with a few important caveats. A retroactive TAP payment may only be remitted through June 30, within the current academic year. GU must pay the academic institution directly. We do not abolish the documentation requirements. TAP benefits cannot be remitted without proper supporting documentation.

How is my TAP benefit affected if my position changes from Staff to AAP or Faculty? 
The 120 GU credit hour lifetime TAP maximum applies to all eligible Staff, Faculty and AAPs. There is no impact to your benefit when you change from one TAP-eligible position to another.

My spouse and I both work for Georgetown. May we both receive Dependent TAP benefits for the same child? 
As with all of our benefits, you may only receive one Dependent TAP benefit per child, availing of a maximum of eight undergraduate semesters by age 30. If both parents are TAP-eligible, only one parent may submit a GU360 TAP request.

The school to which I am applying requires a deposit prior to my registering for classes. Can I submit this deposit to the TAP program for payment?

No, the TAP program will not pay deposits. The TAP program is designed to assist you with your (or your child’s) educational expenses. It is not designed to pay for all the expenses associated with attending a college or university.

If I am enrolled at Georgetown University and I add or drop courses, does my TAP benefit automatically adjust?
Please send an email to tapbenefits@georgetown.edu to alert our office of changes to your student account record so we may adjust your TAP disbursement accordingly.

Please Note: Employees using benefits for non-credit programs at the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) should note that SCS withdrawal and refund policies also apply to TAP recipients. For more information, contact your SCS program administrator or email SCS Certificate Programs at  pdcprograms@georgetown.edu .
 

If my child is enrolled at an external institution, and I add or drop classes, how is my TAP benefit affected? 
If your child adds classes, you may submit a second GU360 TAP request for the difference in tuition charges, as long as they do not exceed your maximum TAP benefit. 

If your child reduces their course load or withdraws, most institutions will return the excess TAP payment to our office. Specific to Child TAP, if any portion of the TAP disbursement is retained by the school, that partial disbursement still counts against the eight (8) semester maximum.

Are TAP benefits taxable to me?
Generally, TAP benefits are not taxable with several important exceptions. TAP benefits are taxable:

  • if you are receiving benefits for your child’s graduate school education; or
  • to the extent that these benefits exceed $5,250 for your graduate school education, with very limited exceptions.

To learn more about these exceptions, go to tuition tax facts.

If you are receiving this benefit because your child is attending graduate school at GU there is no exception to the taxability of this benefit. 

What schools or programs are not covered under TAP?

The following schools/programs are not covered under TAP:

  • Public schools that offer night programs;
  • GED programs, certification exams, or prep classes
  • Private high schools, elementary schools, and pre-schools;
  • Non-college credit certificate programs, other than Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies; and 
  • Courses that are not part of a degree-granting program and are not job related, except for courses offered through the GU School for Continuing Studies (SCS).


Is a temporary study abroad program or four-year enrollment in an international school allowed?
Students temporarily studying abroad as part of their school’s global education offering is allowed under TAP. Four-year enrollment at an international school must be approved in advance. The school and the degree program must be vetted to determine if it meet’s comparable U.S. accreditation standards.  The international school must also be added in Workday and the payment details confirmed in advance. Notify tapbenefits@georgetown.edu  immediately if your child intends to study abroad or enroll full-time at an international school. The required supporting documentation for international enrollment is never waived.
 

What charges are not covered under TAP?
All non-tuition fees are not covered, such as:

  • Mandatory fees
  • Lab fees
  • Application fees
  • Room & board, and meal fees
  • Books
  • Late fees
  • Student health fees
  • Gym/recreation/activity fees
  • Library fees
  • Damage fees
  • Fines of any type

I meet the eligibility requirements for TAP benefits two days after classes begin for the semester for which I want to apply. Can I be granted an exception to the eligibility requirements due to the fact that I do not meet the service requirements by such a short period of time?
No, to protect the integrity of the program, we do not waive the eligibility requirements, even for participants who miss the service requirements by a short period of time. You must meet the service requirements for eligibility by the first day of classes. If you miss the deadline, even by a small period of time, you can apply for TAP benefits for the next semester of study.

Are there any situations in which Georgetown University will pay the TAP benefit directly to me, instead of paying the school I attend?
No, for IRS-compliance purposes we always pay the school directly, even if you have already paid the tuition bill. If you have already paid the school, you should ask them to reimburse you after we have made payment to them. Please note that we have no control over any other institution’s policies with respect to refunds. Therefore, you should verify with the school that they will reimburse you if you choose to pay them directly prior to our processing your TAP benefit.
            
Can I take a leave of absence and receive TAP for myself or my child? 
Certain leaves of absence are TAP-eligible and some are not. Please contact tapbenefits@georgetown.edu  to discuss your situation.       

If I have received, or am receiving, TAP benefits, and I resign from my position at the University, would I ever be required to reimburse Georgetown for the value of my tuition benefits?
No. If you terminate employment, you will may no longer be eligible to receive the future benefits unless a Retiree, but you will not be required to reimburse the University for the benefits you have already used.