Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) is a benefit provided to full benefits-eligible employees or their qualifying dependents to receive reduced tuition at any of the three Arizona public Universities: the University of Arizona (including Global Campus), Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.
QTR for Domestic Partners
The Domestic Partner Tuition Program (DPTP) extends the tuition reduction benefits to employees’ qualified domestic partners and dependents. DPTP is available only for courses at the University of Arizona.
Complete and submit a Qualified Domestic Partner Affidavit before each semester your partner or dependent applies. For more information, review the eligibility guidelines (below).
Eligibility for DPTP does not extend to university affiliates, employees affected by reduction in force/layoff, employees on long-term disability, or the surviving domestic partner/dependents of a deceased employee.
QTR Eligibility
Employees whose employment is at least .50 FTE and who are full benefits eligible (in a position anticipated to continue at least 6 months) may receive the QTR/EAP benefit for themselves, their spouse/partner, and their dependent children.
Employees must be in active status on the first official start date of the semester in which they wish to apply for QTR/EAP benefits, regardless of the date any specific class begins. For all summer sessions, employees must be active on the first day of the summer pre-session. Visit the University academic calendar for specific dates.
Key IRS Requirements for Eligibility: Children must be claimed on an eligible parent’s tax return to be eligible for the QTR benefit. To be claimed on your tax return, the child must be:
- Your son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, adopted child, or foster child for whom you have legal guardianship, and
- Living with you (except for school), and
- Dependent on you for at least half of their support, and
- Under 30 years of age.
A child age 24 or older also must not earn more than $5,200 in income during the calendar year in which QTR/EAP is applied. This may mean that graduate and medical students are ineligible for their last semester.
Please review the Dependent Child Tuition Reduction Eligibility (PDF) questions carefully before submitting a QTR application for a child.
The university is required to conduct random audits at the end of the tax year to ensure that children who received QTR do qualify as dependent children/relatives. If the audit reveals your child was not your dependent, the QTR benefit will be retroactively withdrawn and you will owe tuition.
The employee must be legally married or have a domestic partnership established prior to the start of the semester in which they want to apply on their spouse/domestic partner's behalf. We verify this by requesting marriage certificates or the domestic partner's affidavit.
Retirees: Employees who retire from the University with Official Retirement Status remain eligible for QTR/EAP benefits for themselves, their spouses, and their dependent children. To remain eligible, retirees must take a distribution from their retirement plan within 31 days of their retirement date.
Employees on Leave of Absence: Employees on an approved leave of absence, their spouses, and eligible dependent children continue to be eligible for the QTR/EAP benefits for the duration of the approved absence.
Former Employees: Classified Staff and University Staff employees separated from university employment through reorganization/reduction in force following at least five consecutive years of satisfactory service, along with their spouses and dependent children, remain eligible for QTR/EAP benefits for 12 months following layoff.
Spouses and dependents of deceased employees may remain eligible for QTR/EAP benefits. Please consult the Qualified Tuition Reduction policy.
Affiliate DCCs: Some affiliates and their qualifying dependents are eligible for QTR/EAP. To determine eligibility, please consult the Approved Affiliate Institutions table.
What is Discounted
Use Financial Service’s Tuition Calculator to calculate total tuition before and after applying QTR.
Note: QTR only applies to tuition; it does not apply to housing, books, or other fees.
|
Employees |
Spouse |
Dependent Child |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuition Reduction U of A, NAU, and ASU only |
Tuition is reduced to $25 per semester/term. | Tuition is reduced to $25 per semester/term. | Tuition is reduced to 25% of in-state tuition amount. |
|
Tuition Reduction |
|
Includes qualified domestic partners. |
Tuition is reduced to 25% of tuition. |
| Credit Hours Covered by QTR and DPTP |
Credits above these ranges are charged at the in-state per-credit resident tuition rate. |
Credits above these ranges are charged at the in-state per-credit resident tuition rate. |
No Limit |
| Undergraduate Degree Tax Impact* | Tuition savings are not taxable | Tuition savings are not taxable | Tuition savings are not taxable |
| Graduate Degree Tax Impact* | Tuition savings up to $5,250/year are not taxable. Savings over $5,250 will be taxed as employee income. | The full amount of the QTR benefit is taxed through Payroll Services and comes out of your paycheck. | |
*Tuition Benefits Taxation Guidelines
The Tuition Benefits Taxation Guidelines page provides a general overview of the tax liability of the QTR and DPTP benefits.
This does not constitute tax advice. We strongly encourage you to discuss all tax liability questions with a tax advisor.
How to Apply
QTR applicants must be admitted as students at their respective universities and have a student ID to apply. UAGC does not require a student ID.
Employees
Complete the online application in UAccess Employee each semester/session. After logging in:
- Select the Benefits tile.
- Select Qualified Tuition Reduction.
- Choose QTR Application Form.
For detailed guidance, select one of the following:
Retirees and Certain Employees
Certain retirees and employees on long-term disability must complete:
Affiliates
Once you log into UAccess, select the compass (diamond in a circle) in the top right corner. Then navigate to Self Service > Qualified Tuition Reduction > QTR Application Form.
Employees of the University of Arizona Applied Research Corporation and Campus Research Corporation
Complete the Component Unit Application Form (PDF) and submit it directly to your department for approval, as the departments verify eligibility and then the employee will submit the form to HR to record and submit to the appropriate university.
QTR Application Deadlines
Apply for QTR in UAccess during the following application timeframes. These deadlines apply to all University of Arizona employees, whether using QTR at ASU, NAU, or University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), regardless of class start dates. Medical school applications are also subject to these dates and deadlines. Note: You must submit a separate application for each semester or session. However, only one application is required for all summer sessions.
UAGC Note: The UAGC academic calendar is continuous rather than on the semester system. QTR is applied within a benefits period that may not align with semester dates. However, to apply QTR for UAGC courses, an employee must:
- Be active on the first day of the semester during which their desired UAGC course occurs, regardless of when it starts.
- Meet the semester’s QTR application deadline if their desired UAGC course occurs anytime during that semester.
Learn more about UAGC's QTR benefits periods and using QTR at UAGC.
Applications can be submitted online up to three months before the beginning of the semester for which the tuition reduction is requested. However, submitting an online application does not guarantee the continuation of this benefit if the employee's status changes before the first day of the semester. UAGC students can expect to complete the QTR application process 3 times per year.
**If you or your dependent attend ASU or NAU, you must submit a screenshot of your approved application directly to that university’s tuition office. Please see the FAQs below for more information.
| SEMESTER | APPLICATION OPENS | APPLICATION DEADLINE | MUST BE AN ACTIVE EMPLOYEE ON |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | May 31, 2024 | Sept. 30, 2024 | Aug. 26, 2024 |
| Winter 24/25 | Sept. 22, 2024 | Jan. 14, 2025 | Dec. 23, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Oct. 15, 2024 | Feb. 19, 2025 | Jan. 15, 2025 |
Verifying Application Status
Once you have submitted your application online, you can view its eligibility status in UAccess Employee at any time.
- After logging in, select Main Menu > University Benefits > Qualified Tuition Reduction > View QTR Applications.
- To view a specific application, enter your transaction number and click "Search." If you do not know your transaction number, you may click "Search" to view all submitted applications.
Once Human Resources has approved the application, the Bursar’s Office will adjust student account balances within 48–72 hours. Please contact the Bursar’s Office for more information about tuition and student accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Qualifications
Guidance is available on the Internal Revenue Service website in Publication 501: Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information. See the section on "Exemptions for Dependents."
Important: If your child is 24 or older, there are income limits on how much the child can earn and still qualify as a dependent. (The amount is $5,200 per calendar year for 2025; check the QTR application for future adjustments.) This means children age 24 and older may not be eligible for QTR in their last semester or session. If the child secures a job after graduation, all income earned for the remainder of the calendar year is applied to the income limit. Consequently, an end-of-year audit may reveal that the child has retroactively become ineligible for QTR, and you may be required to reimburse the value of the QTR benefit the following year.
No. Student workers and graduate assistants/associates are excluded from QTR eligibility.
Yes. The Graduate Tuition Waiver may offset any portion of the base tuition that QTR does not cover. QTR is applied first, and the Tuition Waiver award will apply to the remaining balance.
No. GAs who are entitled to tuition benefits through QTR must choose between the two benefit options.
Your Account
If the student is registered for classes and tuition has posted, the tuition reduction will post once it has been entered by the Bursar’s Office. The student will be able to see it in his/her student account in UAccess Student.
If your employment status changes before the first day of the semester or session you have applied for, your application will be automatically deactivated.
If your employment status changes after the semester or session begins, the tuition reduction that was applied to your student account remains in place for the remainder of that semester or session. That means you can complete the course (or courses) you are already enrolled in.
Log in to UAccess Employee. Open the "Benefits" tile, then open the "Qualified Tuition Reduction" drop-down and select "View QTR Applications." Leave the Search Criteria blank and hit "Search." All the QTR applications you have previously submitted will appear, and you can select the one you need.
Yes, you can verify the status of your QTR application in UAccess Employee. After logging in to the Employee Main Homepage select the Benefits tile > Qualified Tuition Reduction > View QTR Applications. Once your eligibility is approved, it is sent to the Bursar's Office for processing. Once processed, the student will be able to see the QTR applied in his/her student account in UAccess Student.
Yes, random audits are conducted every semester. If you are audited, you will be required to submit documentation supporting your application.
Where to use QTR
Yes, if you are enrolled in courses at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, or Northern Arizona University, you can simultaneously receive the QTR benefit at each university. QTR credit limits still apply. To apply for QTR at two different universities, you must complete the application process twice in UAccess by applying first for one university and then for the other. QTR applications for courses taken at NAU or ASU must be sent directly to those institutions for processing.
No, QTR is not valid for study abroad.
Complete the online QTR application in UAccess Employee. When the online application is approved, there will be a prompt to print a confirmation. The printed confirmation must be turned in at the university where the student will be attending classes. You are responsible for submitting your approved application confirmation to the university (ASU or NAU) you are attending. Check with that university's service center for waiver processing requirements and deadlines.
ASU: Student Accounts Office
Tel: (480) 965-6341
Fax: (480) 965-9242
Email: tuitionreduction@asu.edu
NAU: Office of Student Financial Aid
Tel: (928) 523-4951
Email: EARPform@nau.edu
Applications
Yes, if you (or your dependent) are planning to take any courses during a semester, submit a QTR application before the deadline for that semester. It is important to submit the application prior to the deadline, even if the class has not started yet (or in some cases acceptance to the University of Arizona may be pending).
An application will be in a "pending" status if supporting documentation verifying the relationship of that dependent has not previously been submitted to the Division of Human Resources. Once documentation is submitted to and approved by Human Resources, the application status will be changed to "approved."
An application will be declined if:
- You did not meet the eligibility requirements for QTR.
- Responses to dependent eligibility questions did not qualify the dependent as eligible (either as a qualifying child or a qualifying relative).
If you have questions about why your application was declined, please contact HR Solutions:
Phone: 520-621-3660
Email: hrsolutions@arizona.edu