Abstract:
A method and system for managing, assessing, and optimizing tuition reimbursement for an employee by an employer and optimizing financial outcomes for an employee relative to tuition reimbursement programs. Employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information is entered into a computer system and the computer system determines whether the employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement by comparing the employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information to tuition reimbursement eligibility criteria for the employer. Furthermore, if the employee is determined to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement, entering employee financial aid eligibility information into the computer system. Determining a financial aid award that is generated from the employee financial aid eligibility information of the employee and determining an amount of tuition reimbursement based on the financial aid awards and/out of pocket costs incurred by the employee. Potential adjustments to tuition reimbursement eligibility are made, in one example, based on financial aid eligibility possibilities determined through modification of input parameters.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Many employers provide an array of benefits as part of a compensation package offered to their employees. Some examples of benefits include health and dental insurance, retirement plans, disability pay, paid vacation days, company stock purchasing plans, subsidies for health club memberships, or subsidies for using public transportation, to list a few examples. 
         [0002]    Similarly, many companies offer tuition reimbursement for a variety of reasons. For example, tuition reimbursement is offered to attract potential employees, to allow current employees an opportunity to gain training and experience, to prepare younger employees to replace retirees, or simply as an incentive for current employees to remain with the employer. 
         [0003]    Offering tuition reimbursement benefits can be expensive for the employer, yet the employer may not want to decrease the value of the benefit to the employees since it functions a tool for keeping good employees at the company. On the other hand, often the tuition reimbursement provided by the employer only covers a small part of the employee&#39;s tuition costs. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the cost of higher education has been increasing considerably faster than wages. 
         [0004]    Most employees who apply for tuition reimbursement do not avail themselves of financial aid available from federal or state governments or from the schools they attend. Employees may not have an incentive to apply for financial aid if they are being fully reimbursed for the costs of their education. Employees may also be unaware of various options available that would qualify them for financial aid, or for additional financial aid. If an employee were to solicit financial aid and/or structure his academic career in a manner that would enable him to maximize available financial aid, the employer could save considerable amounts in tuition reimbursement and potentially offer tuition reimbursement programs to a broader employee population as a result. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A problem with current practices is that employees typically do not maximize the amount of financial assistance from different potential sources because of the lengthy, confusing, and disparate application processes and the plethora of federal, state, military and institutional aid programs. Moreover, employees who are receiving full reimbursement from their employer may not have an incentive to apply for financial assistance. Employees may also be unaware that decisions they make may impact both the availability and the amount of financial aid for which they may qualify. 
         [0006]    An employer wants to deliver as much guidance and support as possible to employees relative to aid eligibility in order to provide a valuable service to employees, minimize the employer&#39;s cost for the tuition reimbursement benefit on an individual basis with the potential of expanding the benefit to a broader group of employees, or utilize limited tuition reimbursement program resources more efficiently. With current systems, neither employees nor employers are well-positioned to prospectively assess the net cost of the employees&#39; educational ambitions, or minimize those costs through the planning and execution of strategies to maximize financial aid. Tuition reimbursement is typically granted based on the top line tuition cost rather than the employee&#39;s net cost after accounting for the possibility of financial aid, and employers typically do not provide resources to promote the maximization of financial assistance from government and institutional sources. 
         [0007]    Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive computer system and associated method that helps employers streamline the administration of tuition reimbursement benefits while minimizing the cost of the benefit to the employer as well as the cost of the educational program to the employee. Furthermore, there is a need for a comprehensive tuition reimbursement management system that helps employees complete the entire financial aid application process prior to qualifying for a tuition reimbursement benefit and obtain the maximum amount of tuition assistance from all the different financial aid resources available to the employee while enabling the employer to account for that financial aid in administering the tuition reimbursement benefit. There is also a need for a comprehensive computer system and associated method that assists the employee to make informed educational decisions that optimize the availability of financial assistance. 
         [0008]    Typically, the computer system is either a separate third party system or an additional system integrated into the company&#39;s existing data management infrastructure. The computer system is capable of screening candidates to determine eligibility for tuition reimbursement by the employer. The computer system allows an employee to answer a series of questions organized as a cohesive application. The computer system gathers information entered by the employee and then parses and loads the data into various financial aid and tuition reimbursement applications. 
         [0009]    One result is that employees experience a single, streamlined application process from inception through completion of educational objectives. The computer system then prepares the different applications on the employees&#39; behalf. Likewise, the computer system benefits employers because it is scalable as the company grows, reduces manpower requirements to administer benefits, and helps the employers maximize financial aid benefits available to the employee to thereby reduce the cost of the tuition reimbursement benefit to the employer and reduce educational costs for the employee, since the benefit can now be administered based on the employee&#39;s net cost after accounting for financial aid from the different sources. 
         [0010]    In general, according to one aspect, the invention features a computerized method for managing tuition reimbursement for an employee by an employer. The method comprises entering employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information into a computer system, determining whether the employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement based on tuition reimbursement eligibility criteria, if the employee is determined to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program entering employee financial aid eligibility information into the computer system, and submitting an application for financial aid that includes the employee financial aid eligibility information obtained from the employee. 
         [0011]    In aspects of embodiments, the method also includes entering into the computer system financial aid awards that were generated from the application for financial aid of the employee and the computer system determines an amount of tuition reimbursement based on the financial aid awards. In this way, the value of the benefit is informed by the net cost of tuition to the employee, which accounts for the value of any financial aid that the employee receives. 
         [0012]    Usually, the employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information includes employment status and tenure of employment. The tuition reimbursement eligibility criteria for the employer includes whether a program includes appropriate funds for reimbursement of expenses of the employee. Preferably, at least some of the employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information is transferred from a human resources computer system. In some examples, the computer system actually generates a tuition reimbursement check amount that is determined in part based on the financial aid awards. 
         [0013]    In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a computer system for managing tuition reimbursement for an employee by an employer. The computer system receives employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information and determines whether the employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement based on tuition reimbursement eligibility criteria. If the employee is determined to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement, the computer system receives employee financial aid eligibility information and generates and submits an application for financial aid that includes the employee financial aid eligibility information obtained from the employee. 
         [0014]    In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a computerized method for managing tuition reimbursement for an employee by an employer. This method comprises receiving employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information, determining whether the employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement based on tuition reimbursement eligibility criteria, if the employee is determined to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement, determining if financial aid eligibility of the employee will improve with changes in status, and then determining financial aid eligibility based on a new status. 
         [0015]    In embodiments, the new status is a fulltime status and/or an increased number of credit hours. In some cases, available tuition reimbursement is limited if the employee is unwilling to transition to a new status. 
         [0016]    In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a computer system for managing tuition reimbursement that performs this method. 
         [0017]    The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    In the accompanying drawings, reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Of the drawings: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  schematic diagram illustrating the interrelation between an employee, a call center advisor, and the inventive computer system. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 2 and 2A  are flow charts illustrating the steps for managing tuition reimbursement for an employee by the employer&#39;s computer system. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  shows the graphical user interface and online tuition reimbursement application completed by an employee during the application process. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the relationship between the computer system and the billing and reporting system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates the relationship between an employee  10 , a call center advisor  30 , and the computer system  40 , billing system  600 , and human resources computer system  50 . Further, the computer system  40  preferably interfaces with the Department of Education  60  to enable the submission of financial aid forms and ascertain the status of financial aid requests by the employees. 
         [0024]    In a typical implementation, an employee  10  uses an employee or personal computer  12  to connect to the computer system  40  via the Internet or other public or private computer network  20 . The employee  10  uses a browser to navigate to a website hosted by the computer system  40  in the preferred embodiment. A graphical user interface is presented to the employee  10  on the employee computer  12 . The interface presents information, instructions, and questions that the employee must complete as part of the application process. That employee-entered information is transmitted to the computer system  40 . 
         [0025]    Alternatively, in a different implementation, the employee contacts an advisor  30  in a call center. The advisor  30  uses an advisor computer  32  that communicates with the computer system  40 . The advisor asks the questions to the employee that are presented by the graphical user interface and then enters the responses from the employee into fields within the graphical user interface displayed on the advisor computer  32 . This information is then transferred to the computer system  40 . The advisor computer  32  is typically connected to the computer system  40  via a private network or via a public network such as the Internet  20 . 
         [0026]    Typically, the computer system also communicates with a billing and reporting system  600  and an employer human resources computer system  50 . The billing and reporting system  600  stores and analyzes statistical information related to the tuition reimbursement program offered by the employer. The employer human resources (HR) computer system  50  typically manages employees&#39; personal information for the employer. 
         [0027]    In some examples, the HR computer system  50  is actually managed by a third party that functions as an agent for the employer of the employee  10 . This occurs in the situations where the company/employer outsources some or all of the various HR processes, which may include tuition reimbursement management. Thus, in this example, the computer system  40  actually directly interfaces with the vendor and not the employer. 
         [0028]    In a similar vein, the computer system  40  is owned and operated by the employer in some examples. In other case, the computer system is operated by a third party that brands the user interface such that it appears to be operated by the employer. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the steps for managing tuition reimbursement for employees  10  by the computer system  40 . 
         [0030]    In the first step  102 , an employee  10  and usually a representative of the employer discuss the employer&#39;s benefits and the tuition reimbursement program. Typically, the discussion is between the employee and a supervisor. If the supervisor approves the employee for the tuition reimbursement program, then the employee is provided access to an informational website generated by computer system  40  containing further information about the tuition reimbursement program and any policies, rules, or regulations of the tuition reimbursement program in step  106 . In a typical implementation, the website is a private website and only available to employees of the employer/company. In an alternative embodiment, the website is available to the general public. In yet another embodiment, the website is restricted to authorized employees only or employees that have been prescreened for tuition reimbursement eligibility. 
         [0031]    Typically, an employee begins the tuition reimbursement process by accessing the computer system  40  at the employee computer  12  via the Internet  20 . Alternatively, the employee also has the option to speak with the advisor  30  in a call center to discuss the tuition reimbursement (TR) program in step  108 . In step  110 , the computer system  40  determines if the employee has an existing account within the computer system  40 . If the employee does not have an account, then one is created in step  126 . This includes the employee&#39;s name and possibly other identifying information such as social security number and employee ID number. 
         [0032]    Then the employee completes the employee tuition reimbursement eligibility questions in step  112 . In a preferred embodiment, tuition reimbursement eligibility information is entered by the employee at their computer over the Internet  20 . A graphical user interface guides the employee through a series of screens or windows with information, directions, and questions that need to be completed by the employee and entered into the computer system  40 . 
         [0033]    In an alternative embodiment, advisor  30  working at the call center uses the advisor computer  32  and views a graphical user interface that is similar to the graphical user interface presented to the employee to guide the advisor  30  (and thus the employee) through the tuition reimbursement eligibility questions and obtain the eligibility information from the employee over the phone. The advisor  30  enters information obtained from the employee  10  into the computer system  40 . 
         [0034]    Generally, tuition reimbursement eligibility questions include:
       What is the employee&#39;s full time or part time status?   What is the employee&#39;s tenure?       
 
         [0037]    Other information including further tuition reimbursement eligibility information covers the employer qualifying specifics for the employee. These questions/information include?
       What is the employee&#39;s degree choice?   What is the employee&#39;s college/institution status?   What is the employee&#39;s employment status/standing with company?   Does the employee have a recommendation from other employees?   What is the employee&#39;s previous G.P.A./grade performance?   Is an employee&#39;s family member eligible based on the application questions?   What is the employee&#39;s home/mailing address (including state, country)?   What is the employee&#39;s qualifying specifics?   What is the employee&#39;s previous schooling and credits?   What is the employee&#39;s citizenship (US citizen, work visa, other)?       
 
         [0048]    In still another alternative embodiment, employee tuition reimbursement eligibility information is transferred from an employer human resources computer system  50  to the computer system  40  in step  128 . The transferred tuition reimbursement eligibility information is parsed and loaded to the appropriate sections of the tuition reimbursement eligibility questions in step  130 . As a result, the employee needs only to supply missing information and confirm the accuracy of the other information. 
         [0049]    In the next step  114 , the computer system  40  determines if the employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement by comparing the tuition reimbursement eligibility information of the employee with the reimbursement eligibility criteria of the employer. The eligibility determination is a pre-screening process to determine if the employee meets the requirements of the employer for tuition assistance. Criteria, in one example, are that the employee must be full time and have been with the employer for longer than 2 years. Generally, the employer will have eligibility requirements that correspond to the tuition reimbursement eligibility information obtained from the employee as outlined above. For example, the employer may require a minimum GPA for previous coursework and have a list of acceptable degree choices. 
         [0050]    Typically, additional reimbursement eligibility criteria of the employer includes:
       Does employer have an available program for potential students/employees to take advantage of?   Does employer subscribe to “first in, first out”? This refers to whether the employer has a cap on the total yearly amount it pays for all of the employees&#39; tuition reimbursement. In such cases, when there is a cap, the timing of the submission often matters in the qualification process.   Does employer have appropriate funds available to provide the employees with tuition reimbursement options?       
 
         [0054]    Generally, employers have specific reimbursement eligibility criteria that employees must meet to be eligible. For example, the employee must have worked at the company for a specific length of time, the employee must be a full time employee, the employee must not be on probation or have violated any companies policies, the educational course must be in an approved area of study, the courses must be from an approved institution, and the employee must receive at least a passing grade. There are often additional reimbursement eligibility criteria that must also be satisfied but that are outside the control of the employee. 
         [0055]    If the computer system  40  determines that the employee is eligible for the tuition reimbursement, then the computer system  40  completes a tuition reimbursement application in step  116 , which is submitted to the employer human resources data system  50 . The application is completed using the employee supplied information along with any information provided directly from the employer human resources data system  50 . As mentioned previously, in some examples, the HR data system  50  is actually owned/operated by a third party in situation that the HR function for the employer is handled on an outsourced basis. 
         [0056]    Once completed, a tuition reimbursement application form is printed and mailed to the employee in step  124  by the computer system  40 . The tuition reimbursement form provides a physical copy of the tuition reimbursement application process that the employee keeps for their personal records. In an alternative embodiment, the tuition reimbursement form is delivered electronically to the employee in the form of a downloadable document. An email containing a link to a document downloader is sent. When the employee arrives to the document downloader they are asked to verify last name before the application is made available for download and print. 
         [0057]    If the employee is not eligible for tuition reimbursement through the employer, then the computer system  40  presents additional services offered to the employee in step  118 . The additional services are services or products that help the employee continue their educational goals, but without tuition reimbursement from the employer. Typically, the additional services offered to the employee include general information about applying to schools, information about attending schools, and helping the employee complete applications for federal, state, or school financial aid. Likewise, the services encompass alternative funding options like military aid, scholarships, or grants. The additional services are free or pay-per-use by the employee or subsidized by the employer. 
         [0058]    In an alternative embodiment, these additional services are offered by the advisor in the call center if the employee called the call center and was found to not be eligible for the employer&#39;s tuition reimbursement program. 
         [0059]    In step  142 , the computer system  40  determines if the employee has already completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by checking an online database on the employee&#39;s behalf to determine if a FAFSA has already been completed (or filed) by the employee. The FAFSA is the required federal student aid application that must be completed on a yearly basis by all students as a condition for receiving any federal student financial aid. It is also typically used submit financial aid eligibility information to enable the apportionment/allocation state, military and college-specific aid awards. 
         [0060]    An online database of FAFSA filings is accessed by the system by interfacing with the Department of Education&#39;s  60  filing status interface. If the employee has already completed the FAFSA, then the computer system  40  creates an “advice only” FAFSA document in step  156 . In this scenario, the computer system  40  only helps track the progress of the FAFSA and provide assistance. 
         [0061]    If the employee has not started or not completed the FAFSA, then the computer system  40  automatically starts the FAFSA using the tuition reimbursement eligibility information and financial aid eligibility information acquired during the application process in step  146 . The employee will also be required to provide supplemental financial aid eligibility information to complete the FAFSA. The computer system  40  displays additional questions via the user interface to collect the required information, which is entered by the employee. These questions include:
       What is the employee&#39;s marital status?   What is the employee&#39;s military service/veteran status (active, reserve, etc)?   Does the employee have dependents? If so, how many?   What is the type degree or certificate will the employee be working on?   What types of aid is the employee interested in receiving (grants, work-study, loans)?   What is the employee&#39;s criminal record?   What taxes were paid by the employee and/or their parents?   Additional school information, what was the highest level of education completed?   Does the employee have a diploma or GED?   What is the employee&#39;s high school GPA and ranking&#39;?   What are the employee&#39;s previous SAT/ACT scores?   What advanced placement exams has the employee taken and what were the scores?   What is the employee&#39;s asset information, including non retirement investments, real estate value, farm ownership, and total asset values?   What were employee&#39;s gross earnings for the last tax year and what type of tax return was filed?   What is the number of people in household?   What was the employee&#39;s total taxable income, total deductions, actual adjusted gross income reported to IRS, taxes paid?       
 
         [0078]    After the FAFSA is complete, the computer system  40  performs two operations. First, the computer system generates a personal report (one in embodiment) called the College Cost and Planning Report (CCPR) based on the financial and academic aid eligibility information entered into the computer system  40  by the employee. The CCPR includes an awards estimate that details the costs associated with attending specific educational institutions desired or of interest to the employee including such information as tuition, fees, room and board, books, activities, and other cost of living expenses. Additionally, the CCPR includes financing options, predicted financial aid awards, expected family contributions, expected out of pocket costs, and the amount of tuition reimbursement that is available from the employer, to list a few examples. 
         [0079]    In one embodiment, the system also provides a credit hour calculator advisory function to assist the employee in maximizing available financial aid. Especially when taking classes part-time, some sources of financial aid may not be available due to the part-time status or additional aid might be available if additional credit hours are taken or a degree declared. One example is a Pell Grant. The credit hour calculator function enables the employee to test and the computer system to provide advice on the types of aid that are available with increases and decreases in credit hours taken. 
         [0080]    This process which is a part of step  146  is illustrated in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0081]    In step  310 , the computer system  40  determines whether aid would increase with more credit hours or transition to full time status. 
         [0082]    The advisor under the guidance of the computer system  40  or the computer system directly asks the employee whether they are willing to change their status (part-time to fulltime) or increase the number of credit hours taken so that they would be eligible for aid, such as a Pell grant in step  312 . 
         [0083]    In one embodiment, if the employee is unwilling to change their status, then the computer system  40  instructs the employee or instructs the advisor  30  to notify the employee that tuition reimbursement is only available from a partnership academic institution in their situation in step  314 . Such partner institutions provide discounted tuition for the employees of the employer and such arrangements are typically negotiated by the Learning and Development Department within the employer with the university or school. 
         [0084]    On the other hand, if the employee is willing to change status, then Pell Grant tables are reviewed to determine the increase aid that is now available in step  318 , and the computer system  40  provides the employee with new aid estimates, and adjusts the tuition reimbursement and FAFSA applications to reflect credit hour or status change in step  320 . 
         [0085]    Returning to  FIG. 2 , in the next step  154 , the CCPR is then printed and mailed to the employee by the computer system  40 . In alternative embodiments, the CCPR is made available as a downloadable document. 
         [0086]    Second, the computer system  40  determines if the FAFSA is able to be immediately filed in step  158 . The United States Department of Education only begins accepting applications for the subsequent school year on January 1. Furthermore, some federal, state, and school aid financial is generally given out on a “first come, first serve” basis. Thus, it is advantageous to file the FAFSA as close as possible to the first day the applications are accepted to maximize potential financial aid. 
         [0087]    If the FAFSA is completed prior to the January 1 acceptance day, then the computer system  40  stores the FAFSA until The United States Department of Education begins accepting application on January 1 in step  160 , the files the application as close as possible to the January 1 acceptance day. If the FAFSA is completed on or after the January 1, then it is submitted to the United States Department of Education  60  immediately in step  162 . 
         [0088]    In the next step  166 , a status check process is performed by the computer system  40  to determine the status of the FAFSA by interfacing with the Department of Education&#39;s  60  filing status interface. The status check allows the computer system  40  to track the progress of the application. Some examples of statuses are pending, completed, incomplete, missing information, or incorrect information. Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the computer system  40  generates a warning message or email to notify the employee  10  or an advisor  30  about deficiencies with the application. 
         [0089]    In the next step  168 , the computer system determines if the FAFSA has been fully processed. If the FAFSA has not been fully processed, then the status check process is repeated to ensure the application does not contain errors that would delay consideration of the application by The United States Department of Education  60 . 
         [0090]    In the next step  170 , the follow up strategy is primarily via email, but outbound calling is also used in some examples. Generally, the computer system  40  sends an email to the employee when the FAFSA application is submitted to Department of Education  60  to let the employee know their FAFSA has been submitted. The email also instructs the employee to sign their FAFSA. In the alternative, the computer system  40  also sends email reminders periodically, until the application is fully processed. In the preferred embodiment, the computer system  40  also generates an estimated award letter. This outlines the expected award that the student will receive from the colleges to which the student is applying. 
         [0091]    In step  172 , the employees receive the award letter from college(s) to which they applied. 
         [0092]    The employee submits the awards letter and any other required materials to the employer or through the third party entity that is handling the tuition reimbursement for the employer in step  174 . This financial aid award information generated from the employee financial aid eligibility information is entered into an employee data management system and the computer system  40 . In one embodiment the employee data management system is the employer human resources computer system  50 . In alternative embodiments, the employee data management system is a separate computer system. From the financial aid award, the computer system  40  calculates the amount of tuition reimbursement. Since the system has provided for the submission of federal and state financial aid, in many cases the amount of tuition reimbursement are decreased since the employee&#39;s costs are reduced by virtue of the financial aid. 
         [0093]    In one example, the computer system  40  calculates a tuition reimbursement to only cover the amount of employee&#39;s tuition that is not otherwise covered by financial aid, also termed the employee&#39;s net cost, up to the total amount of tuition reimbursement that is offered by the employer. 
         [0094]    In another example, the computer system calculates a tuition reimbursement to cover a percentage of the employee&#39;s net cost, up to the total amount of tuition reimbursement that is offered by the employer. This approach ensures that the employee will always directly bear some of the tuition costs. 
         [0095]    The following shows some specific examples of how the cost of the tuition reimburse (TR) benefit and/or the employee&#39;s costs are reduced by the TR system: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Example A: 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s annual TR 
               
               
                 Benefit $2,500 
               
               
                 Employee receives Pell and additional grant aid 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 *Without TR system 
                 With TR system 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 XYZ University Cost 
                 $12,000 
                 $12,000 
               
               
                 Grants Paid 
                 $0 
                 $10,000 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s TR benefit 
                 $2,500 
                 $2,000 
               
               
                 Employee pays 
                 $9,500 
                 $0 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *Assumes FAFSA was not filed 
               
               
                 Results: 
               
               
                 Savings to employer $500 
               
               
                 Savings to employee $9,500 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0096]    The following scenario will only happen when a TR program first begins and there is the opportunity to receive retroactive aid. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Example B—Retroactive Aid 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s annual TR Benefit $5,250 
               
               
                 Employee is partially Pell eligible 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 *Without TR system 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 XYZ University cost per semester 
                 $3,000 
               
               
                   
                 Grants Paid 
                 $0 
               
               
                   
                 Employer&#39;s TR benefit 
                 $3,000 
               
               
                   
                 Employee pays 
                 $0 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 *Assumes FAFSA was not filed 
               
               
                   
                 1. After employee is reimbursed from the employer, the TR system is used. 
               
               
                   
                 2. Employee files a FAFSA through TR system 
               
               
                   
                 3. Employee receives a retroactive Pell award for the amount of $1,800 
               
               
                   
                 Results: 
               
               
                   
                 Grant paid to employee $1,800 
               
               
                   
                 Employer receives $0 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Example C: Savings to employer 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s annual TR Benefit $4,000 
               
               
                 Employee is fully Pell eligible 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 *Without TR system 
                 With TR system 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 XYZ University Cost 
                 $2,300 
                 $2,300 
               
               
                 Grants Paid 
                 $0 
                 $2,300 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s TR benefit 
                 $2,300 
                 $0 
               
               
                 Employee pays 
                 $0 
                 $0 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *Assumes FAFSA was not filed 
               
               
                 Results: 
               
               
                 Savings to employer $2,300 
               
               
                 Savings to employee $0 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Example D: Savings to employer and employee 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s annual TR Benefit $4,000 
               
               
                 Employee is fully Pell eligible 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 *Without TR system 
                 With TR system 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 XYZ University Cost 
                 $6,000 
                 $6,000 
               
               
                 Grants Paid 
                 $0 
                 $5,550 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s TR benefit 
                 $4,000 
                 $450 
               
               
                 Employee pays 
                 $2,000 
                 $0 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *Assumes FAFSA was not filed 
               
               
                 Results: 
               
               
                 Savings to employer $3,550 
               
               
                 Savings to employee $2,000 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Example E: Savings to employee 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s annual TR Benefit $4,000 
               
               
                 Employee is partially Pell eligible 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 *Without TR system 
                 With TR system 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 XYZ University Cost 
                 $6,000 
                 $6,000 
               
               
                 Grants Paid 
                 $0 
                 $1,500 
               
               
                 Employer&#39;s TR benefit 
                 $4,000 
                 $4,000 
               
               
                 Employee pays 
                 $2,000 
                 $500 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *Assumes FAFSA was not filed 
               
               
                 Results: 
               
               
                 Savings to employer $0 
               
               
                 Savings to employee $1,500 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0097]    Based on predefined employer policies, the computer system  40  approves some, all, or none of the tuition reimbursement for the employee in step  176 . In an alternative embodiment, the employer may make additional determinations of whether to approve the tuition reimbursement and for how much. In the next step  178 , a reimbursement check is generated by the computer system  40  and mailed to the employee. Alternatively, if the tuition reimbursement is not approved by the employer, then no reimbursement is provided to the employee in step  177 . In some examples, the computer system  40  interfaces with the employer&#39;s payroll system so that the tuition reimbursement funds are included with the check that the employee receives for payroll. 
         [0098]    Lastly, data are transmitted by the billing and reporting system  600  of the computer system  40  to the employer&#39;s databases in the human resources computer system  50  to update the employer&#39;s records in step  180 . 
         [0099]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example of the graphical user interface and online tuition reimbursement application  500  completed by an employee  10  during the application process. 
         [0100]    The tuition application  500  is customizable based on the employer/company&#39;s predefined rules and policies governing tuition reimbursement. The employer is able to decide which tuition reimbursement eligibility questions to ask the employee as well as the necessary minimum requirements for tuition reimbursement. 
         [0101]    In the example application for tuition reimbursement, an employee must enter personal information such as name  502 , ID number  504 , office location  506 , mail code  508 , whether they are a full time employee  510 , and date of hire  512 . Further, the employee must enter school information such as where they will be enrolled  514 , type of degree  516 , term start date  518 , term end date  520 , and how many classes the employee plans to take  521 . Depending on the number of classes selected, a corresponding number of course information sections  523 ,  525  will be generated. Thus, the employee must also include course information such as course name  524 ,  528  and credit hours  526 ,  530 . 
         [0102]    Because the tuition reimbursement application is customizable, the information within the application could include more questions, less questions, or could be modified as by the employer. Additionally, the employer could have location specific application for employees in different office locations. 
         [0103]    Additionally, the tuition reimbursement eligibility information collected by the computer system  40  during the application process can be incorporated into the CCPR. 
         [0104]      FIG. 4  illustrates the billing and reporting system  600  that communicates with the computer system  40 . 
         [0105]    The billing and reporting system  600  enables the employer, employee, and computer system  40  to record, store and analyze the collected data related to the administration of the tuition reimbursement program. 
         [0106]    For example, a billing report  604  is able to be generated by the computer system  40 . The billing report  604  includes details such as cost to administer benefits to the employer, total available funds for the tuition reimbursement program, number of employees enrolled in the program, outstanding balances owed to each employee, to list a few examples. 
         [0107]    The billing reconciliation report  606  provides details about: 
         [0108]    the number of applications initiated by phone, 
         [0109]    the number of pending applications, 
         [0110]    the number of completed applications, 
         [0111]    the number of applications approved, 
         [0112]    the number of applications denied, and 
         [0113]    the number of applications ineligible. 
         [0114]    The tuition reimbursement usage report  608  provides details such as the amount of tuition reimbursement provided to each employee, amount distributed to date, the amount of grant or scholarship aid received by the employees, and a projected amount of tuition reimbursement expected to be paid. The report can be an annual report (either fiscal or academic), quarterly, or semi-annual. 
         [0115]    Eligibility reconciliation reports  610  are also generated. 
         [0116]    While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.