Fall programs highlight tuition-related employee benefits

Contact: Jeanne Baron

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Informational sessions being held this semester will help Western Michigan University employees and their eligible children take advantage of the University's tuition-related benefits.

Brown-bag sessions for employees who are considering enrolling at WMU are set for noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; Wednesday, Nov. 11; and Wednesday, Dec. 9; in the President's Dining Room of the Bernhard Center.

Sessions for employees' children who are considering enrolling are set for 8:15 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, in the President's Dining Room of the Bernhard Center. Students and parents are welcome to attend these sessions, which are being held just before regularly scheduled admissions office open houses.

About the sessions

The brown-bag sessions will include presentations by Human Resources, the Office of Admissions, the Graduate College, Extended University Programs, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Center for Academic Success Programs, and the University Studies degree-completion program.

During the sessions for employees' children, the prospective students and their parents will be able to obtain information about the tuition-related benefits open to employees as well as about getting admitted to the University. Immediately afterward, they will be able to attend the admissions office open house. For details about the open houses, visit wmich.edu/admissions/openhouse.

Future dates for both types of programs have also been set and can be found, along with more information about tuition-related benefits for employees, at wmich.edu/admissions/guest/employees. WMU units that would like this information presented to their staffs should contact Scott Hennessy in the Office of Admissions at scott.hennessy@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2011.

About WMU's tuition benefits

WMU covers 100 percent of tuition and required fees for full- and part-time, benefits-eligible nonbargaining employees when they take a graduate or undergraduate class at the University for academic credit.

In addition, with certain restrictions, nonbargaining employees with full-time benefits eligibility may elect to have WMU cover 75 percent of tuition and required fees for undergraduate classes taken for academic credit by a spouse, dependent child or other designated eligible individual.

"We want to help people explore all their options, regardless of whether their focus is on the educational goals of an eligible individual or themselves," says Scott P. Hennessy, associate director of admissions.

"WMU has hundreds of quality programs in addition to a generous tuition-and-fee discount. That's a winning combination for employees who want to finish a degree or to take classes for personal enrichment, for professional development or as a way of checking out different degree fields."

More information

WMU's website at wmich.edu/admissions/guest/employees is dedicated to providing information to employees and their eligible dependents who are considering enrolling at the University.

Direct questions about the upcoming information sessions or admissions open houses to Scott Hennessy at scott.hennessy@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2011. Those who have specific questions about graduate studies should contact Tony Dennis in the Graduate College at tony.dennis@wmich.edu or (269) 387-8214.

WMU employees with suggestions about academic areas they'd like to see covered in future information sessions also should contact Hennessy.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.