The Fund provides an educational benefit program to help you pay the cost of tuition at accredited universities, colleges, community or junior colleges, vocational schools, and trade schools.  If you are eligible for tuition benefits from any other source, you must use those benefits before the Fund will make any payments. 

Benefit Maximum

As a Fund participant, you are eligible to receive up to $1,000 per calendar year toward the payment of the balance of your tuition expenses, after taking into account any grants and scholarships that you are not obligated to re-pay. 

Important note:  The $1,000 education benefit is for tuition only.  You may not use this benefit to pay registration or activity fees, to buy books, or for room and board.

If you have completed 10 or more years of service, you are also eligible to receive up to $300 per calendar year toward the cost of tuition only for each unmarried dependent child  under age 24 who attends a post-secondary educational institution. 

Using the Education Benefit

There are two ways to use your education benefit—the voucher system and the reimbursement system.  Under the voucher system, the Fund Office will issue a voucher for you to take to your school at the beginning of the semester.  In most cases, the school will accept the voucher in lieu of payment and will bill the Fund directly.  Upon completion of your course(s), you must submit a copy of your final grade report to the Fund Office. 

If your school does not accept the voucher as payment or if you have already paid your tuition, you may use the reimbursement system.  Under the reimbursement system, upon completion of your course(s), you must submit a copy of the final grade report, along with an itemized paid tuition bill which indicates the semester for which the payment was made and the items covered by the payment (i.e. tuition, registration fees, books, etc.), to the Fund Office.  The Fund will then reimburse you directly for tuition only, up to the maximum of $1,000 per calendar year.

For the education benefit for your dependent children, you must use the reimbursement system, as explained above, in order to receive education benefits of up to $300 per calendar year for each eligible dependent child.  Vouchers are not issued for dependents.

Each course must be completed with a passing grade, and you must remain employed throughout the duration of the course.  If you withdraw from a course, receive a failing grade, terminate employment, or do not submit the required information to the Fund Office upon completion of the course(s), you will be responsible for reimbursing the Fund for any tuition paid on your behalf.  Claims for reimbursement and grade reports must be submitted no later than June 30^th immediately following the calendar year in which the semester ends.

For more information about your educational benefit, please contact the Fund Office.