Human Resources Mission, Vision, and Strategic Goals For You

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

  • The education benefit will cover textbook fees for Purdue University employees and their immediate family members who are enrolled in Undergraduate programs. All books for Graduate programs are the sole responsibility of the student.
  • Purdue University employees and their immediate family members will be responsible for all technology fees. Technology fees are assessed at the beginning of each and every term.

    Eligible immediate family members are responsible for the one-time application fee where applicable (this fee is waived for employees).

    Eligible Purdue University employees and immediate family members are responsible for all other fees including administrative fees, drop fees, program-specific fees, and lab and clinical fees.

Yes, if you choose to file a FAFSA, you will be able to utilize the approved packaged financial aid to cover the fees and book expenses related to your program.  As an employee, you can then elect any additional excess aid to be returned to avoid a reduction of your Employee Education Benefit.
Department head approval is needed so supervisors are aware of the professional development efforts of their direct reports. Knowing someone is pursuing additional education can help the supervisor envision a career path that takes advantage of the professional development and opens opportunities for the employee. This also allows the opportunity for the Department Head or supervisor to review the credit hour commitment and any potential impact to your daily schedule.
As a Purdue University West Lafayette, PNW, or PFW adjunct faculty member you will qualify for the Employee Educational Benefit which will cover 100% of tuition. Unfortunately, you will not qualify for the immediate family educational benefit, similar to the Purdue University Campus Remission policy.
  1. Tuition discounts for eligible full-time and part time employees will be 50% of current tuition rates (see “Fees” section for additional information), subject to eligibility requirements set forth in these guidelines.
  2. Tuition discounts for immediate family members of employees who have met their eligibility period will be 25% of current tuition rates.
  3. If the employee or dependent is an Indiana resident, the tuition discount will be applied to Indiana resident tuition rate. 
Due to the intensive faculty-student interaction associated with doctoral education, we offer these degrees at a reduced rate, rather than tuition-free.
Currently, there is no limit to the number of immediate family members that can participate in the program. They are eligible to complete 1 degree or certificate.
Currently, there is no credit limit per term for the Purdue Global Education benefit. 

There would be no additional tuition costs based upon the number of credits taken per term for the Employee Education Benefit. However, there may be additional course related fees or book expenses depending on your program of study.

It is important to note that per Purdue Global policy registering for more than 18 credits per term requires approval from the Purdue Global Dean. A credit overload may result in changes to tuition charges and financial aid awards. Certain programs have specific policies governing student course loads; refer to the individual school sections for more information.

PROOF OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION: Purdue Global requires students to attest to proof of graduation from high school or its equivalent. If selected for verification, students must provide official proof of graduation within 30 days; if Purdue Global is required to obtain this proof on your behalf, there will be a $10.00 nonrefundable fee charged to your account. If Purdue Global previously received official proof of high school graduation, the student will not be selected for verification as a returning student.

If a student is selected for verification, they will be contacted with instructions on how to submit their HS transcript to the Purdue Global Office of the Registrar.

For official college transcripts, the official must be electronically sent (utilizing one of the ways mentioned below) to document@purdueglobal.edu by the school, not a student, or sent via mail to the address below if the school is not part of the electronic process. Your college or University should have instructions on how they distribute transcripts.

Purdue University Global
OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
550 West Van Buren, 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60607

Common electronic transcript vendor services are:

The Purdue Global Commitment program provides you a 3-week introductory period, during which you’ll get exposed to the Purdue Global curriculum, faculty, and classroom or online platforms. If at any point during the 3-week introductory period you decide Purdue Global is not the right fit for you or family situation, you can opt-out with no tuition cost or other financial obligation to Purdue Global, except for the application fee. Also, if you have not participated in the classroom, Purdue Global has the option of dropping you from the program for lack of interest.

Purdue Global takes financial literacy very seriously. We want to ensure you are well aware of potential costs and on-going commitments tied to various forms of financial aid. This is a brief process and the webinar only takes seven minutes to complete.

It is also important to review our financial aid disbursement process as this differs from your Purdue University Campus processes. In the case of the 100% Employee Education Benefit, taking out excess aid could reduce your educational benefit. Therefore, it is important to fully understand this process and commitment.

Tax-related Questions

Under current Federal laws, all or some portion of the Purdue Global Education benefits may be subject to income or FICA taxes. It is the policy of Purdue University to comply with Federal and State laws requiring the reporting of such income and withholding of such taxes. The University’s Human Resources Service Center will deduct the required tax withholdings from the employee’s regular paycheck during the semester period. An appropriate information return may be issued to an official retiree or to the Qualifying Surviving Spouse/Dependent of a deceased employee.

 

Taxable items
Applicant* Enrollment Tax Implications
Regular Employee applying for PG Education Benefit Undergraduate Tax-Free
Graduate / Professional Tax Benefits are taxable per IRS
regulations after the first $5,250
Staff Spouse applying for PG Education Benefit Remission or Qualifying Surviving Spouse Remission Undergraduate Tax-Free
Graduate / Professional All remission benefits are taxable
Dependent Child / Step-Child applying for PG Education Benefit (up to age 24) Undergraduate Tax-Free
Dependent Child / Step-Child applying for PG Education Benefit (up to age 24) Graduate / Professional All remission benefits are taxable
Non-Dependent Child / Step-Child applying for PG Education Benefit (or over age 24) Undergraduate, Graduate, or Professional All remission benefits are taxable
Surviving Child, Dependent of Staff/Official Retiree in Year of Death up to Age 24 Undergraduate Tax-Free
Surviving Child, Non-Dependent of Staff/Official Retiree in Year of Death Undergraduate, Graduate, or Professional All remission benefits are taxable
* For purposes above, any reference to Staff shall include an individual whose University status is “official retiree”.

Section 127 of the IRS tax code requires that employee tuition benefits provided by an employer must be taxed when the value of the benefit exceeds $5,250, unless an exemption applies. Accordingly, any GOK benefit value above the $5,250 exclusion is added as compensation to your paycheck and is subject to all applicable federal- and state-specific tax. Purdue University Global (PG) will report this imputed income on your W-2 at year-end. Limited exemptions to the tax rule exist, such as when
the education is job- related. In such cases, the GOK benefit may be fully tax-exempt.

For undergraduate programs, tax exemptions only apply to an employee’s dependent children (under 24 years of age) or a spouse. Graduate programs are not tax exempt for dependent children or a spouse. 

There is no tax exemption for tuition benefits received by other family members (as described in the GOK policy). If the GOK benefit received for any eligible family member is taxable, it will be reported as imputed income on your W-2.

In addition to confirming a GOK enrollee’s eligibility, Human Resources will evaluate the employee’s education program of interest and current job responsibilities to determine if the program qualifies for tax exemption, based on the job-related conditions outlined by Section 127 of the IRS tax code.

The taxable GOK benefit is considered imputed income, which is a non-cash transaction. Your student account at Purdue Global will be credited with the GOK benefit, which pays for PG program costs on your behalf. The taxable portion of the GOK benefit will then be shown as imputed income on your payslip, with the applicable taxes withheld and remitted to federal, state, and local taxing authorities as required. 

Typically, the required withholdings will be 22% for federal income tax, 7.65% for FICA tax, and your state income tax rate. 

Taxable GOK benefits for the previous three months will be included as earnings in your bi-weekly paycheck, based on the schedule below. The additional imputed earnings and applicable tax withholdings will be deducted from your paycheck in three installments over six weeks.

Here is the tax reporting schedule for GOK benefits:

Reporting Period Final Calculations First Pay Date Reported
Q1 Nov - Jan February March
Q2 Feb - Apr May June
Q3 May - July August Septemeber
Q4 Aug - Oct November December

GOK benefits are compiled and reported every three months, starting in November, based on the term the GOK benefit is posted to the student’s ledger. This November to October schedule allows institutions time to include the GOK benefits in annual earnings for the calendar year.

Taxable GOK benefits for the previous three months will be included as earnings in your bi-weekly paycheck. The additional imputed earnings and applicable tax withholdings will be deducted from your paycheck in installments.

The specific taxable amount is dependent on a number of factors, including the Fair Market Value of the program and any tax exemptions that may apply to your unique enrollment situation. However, current withholding rates are generally 22% for federal income tax, 7.65% for FICA, plus your state and/or city income tax rate
Because your family member received the GOK benefit as a result of your employment, the IRS deems this benefit taxable to you, the employee, even though you didn’t actually receive the benefit. Purdue Global is required to report the benefit as taxable income according to IRS regulation.
Your annual salary will not be changed; however, your taxable wages, which include your salary and other compensation deemed taxable by the IRS, will increase by the taxable GOK benefit. More specifically, the total amount reported in your annual W-2, box 1 (“wages, tips and other compensation”), will increase by the taxable GOK benefit. The taxes withheld on the additional taxable income created by GOK are reflected in Box 2 (Federal), Box 4 (Social Security), and Box 6 (Medicare).
This is treated the same as any taxable wage withholding.
No. Benefit premiums (specifically medical, dental, and insurance) are based on actual base salary—not “earnings."