The program, managed by EdAssist, provides reimbursement for tuition and other related out-of-pocket expenses. The maximum reimbursement amounts per calendar year are: 

• Corporate: $5,250 for undergraduate coursework, $10,000 for a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses, or $10,000 for graduate coursework. 
• Retail: $5,250 for undergraduate coursework or graduate coursework. 

The Tuition Assistance Program covers courses and degree programs, both in-person and online, at regionally and nationally accredited institutions recognized by the US Department of Education for college-level credit. The program also covers English as a Second Language (ESL) and American Sign Language (ASL) courses at accredited institutions. 

Reimbursable Business-Related Tuition

Reimbursable business-related tuition out-of-pocket expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Tuition fees for courses and certifications that earn college level credit  
• Required books, including applicable tax (standard shipping and handling fees for books are covered; expedited shipping and handling fees are not covered) 
• Mandatory registration fees 
• Required lab fees, technology fees, online fees, course fees, registration fees, and distance learning fees 
• Software required for coursework, as mandated by the professor 
• College Level Examination Preparation (CLEP) testing 
• Challenge exam options (DANTE and UEXCEL) 
• Out-of-state fees and surcharges 
• Thesis and dissertation fees 
• Graduation fees 

Non-Reimbursable Tuition Expenses

Non-reimbursable tuition expenses include, but are not limited to: 

• Courses that assign Continuing Education Units (CEUs) rather than college-level credits 
• Courses that don't assign college-level credits 
• Courses that provide college-level credits through a transcript service 
• Testing fees (for example, the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT tests) 
• Room, board, transportation, and meals 
• Study guides and optional study aids 
• Application fees for installment loans, finance charges, late fees, or deferred payment fees 
• Seminars, workshops, continuing education credits, and certificates of completion 
• Certification, certificates, and licensing courses 
• Non-graded courses including incompletes, for example, audit 
• Assessments 
• Thesis editing fee 
• Any other non-tuition expenses 
• Any other special and/or non-recurring fees  

Ineligible coursework

The program does not cover continuing education courses (CEU), professional certificates, seminars, conferences, or courses that do not assign college-level credits. You may be able to get reimbursement for these through your group's training budget, if your manager approves. Transcript services that award college-level credit from a non-accredited college or university also don't qualify for the program. 

Quick tip Ensure your request is not available already for free via Viva Learning with 10,000+ courses to choose from  (e.g. New York Times, Wallstreet Journal, Harvard Business Review, Financial Times). And don't forget you can submit Personal Development and Skills Development to Perks+. 

Tax considerations

Undergraduate and graduate coursework is tax-free if it is related to your current job. You may have to pay tax on tuition reimbursement if the coursework is categorized as unrelated to your current job. This is based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules. Courses are categorized as follows: 

• Non-taxable: Courses that maintain or improve the skills used or required by your present job 
• Taxable: Courses that qualify you for a new position 

To determine if a course/expense is job-related and therefore not subject to taxation, you will be asked one job-related question during application submission. If the coursework is taxable, Microsoft will withhold taxes on the same paycheck as the reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement is supplemental income and is taxed at the supplemental rate per IRS regulations (typically 22%). 

Within 30 days of the start date for your course(s), go to EdAssist where you can apply for assistance and get manager approval. Submit one application for up to 5 courses per term/semester. Only include courses with the same start and end dates on the same application. 

If you need to make a change to your application, contact EdAssist at (855) 500-8878.

Enrollment requirements

To enroll in the Tuition Assistance Program, you must certify that I (employee) meet the following eligibility criteria:

• I have obtained written confirmation from my manager that we have discussed my participation in the program and have developed a plan to support both my learning and work requirements.  
• My hire date is prior to the course start date.  
• I am a regular, active employee and meet the eligibility requirements.
• I have met performance expectations for my role and have not received the Lower Impact than Expected (LITE) indicator in my last Connect. 
• I certify the above degree/course is directly related to my current work assignment and career development at Microsoft, and it is a part of my development plan as discussed with my manager.  
• I understand that the documentation I provide to support tuition reimbursement must be true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. Provision of untrue, inaccurate, or incomplete information, or falsification, misrepresentation or omission of facts or information may, at the company's sole discretion, result in the denial or repayment of tuition reimbursement benefits and discipline, up to and including termination.

Requesting reimbursement

After you complete your course(s), upload passing grades and receipts to EdAssist and request reimbursement within 60 days of the course end date. Be on the lookout for email notifications about the status of your application.  

Tuition reimbursement is applied to the year when it is processed, not when you take the course. This affects your tax and benefit cap. You have two options for courses that end in December: 

• Option 1: To have your reimbursement count for the current calendar year, upload receipts before December 5. You'll receive your reimbursement in the December payroll. 
• Option 2: To have your reimbursement count for the next calendar year, upload your receipts after December 5 and within 60 days of the course end date. You'll receive your reimbursement within 2 pay periods. 

For assistance, contact EdAssist at (855) 500-8878 between 5:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Pacific Time (PT), Monday through Friday. You can also schedule a free education coaching session with EdAssist or view discounts ranging from 5-20% from eligible schools through the EdAssist Education Network.