Professional Development

Classified Staff Waiver Program

Classified Staff Waiver Program for SMC Courses - Policy & Procedures

The District encourages the professional growth of employees. To support ongoing professional development, SMC class tuition will be waived for eligible employee enrollments in District classes. In addition, reimbursement is for required instructional materials ONLY and may be provided to classified employees on a first-come, first-served basis, provided all program eligibility requirements are met and all required procedural steps and deadlines, outlined below, are followed. (District-CSEA Bargaining Agreement, Article 11.13)

What is eligible for waiver?

  • Tuition for SMC classes.

What is eligible for reimbursement?

  • Costs of required instructional materials for SMC classes. Please check the class syllabus and the required course materials listing. Optional materials will NOT be reimbursed.

Is there a maximum amount that can be reimbursed for required instructional materials?

  • There is a limited amount of funds available for reimbursement and available funds are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, as stated above, only the cost of required instructional materials, as designated in the syllabus and/or required course material list for the class, will be reimbursed, provided all program eligibility requirements are met and all required procedural steps outlined herein are followed.  Optional materials will not be reimbursed.

Who is eligible for reimbursement?

  • Any employee represented by CSEA.

To be eligible for tuition waiver, follow the process below:   

Step 1:

Step 2:

  • Once your Classified Staff SMC Waiver form is processed by Admissions & Records and Human Resources, you will receive a signed copy of your approval for your records.  You may then enroll in the SMC course and purchase any required materials.  
IMPORTANT REMINDER:  To be eligible for reimbursement for required materials, you must follow the steps in the order outlined above.  In addition, tuition payment deadlines will be adhered to as outlined on the Admission web site (Admissions Dates and Deadline Website). Please review and adhere to the deadlines applicable to your Waiver request.

How do I get reimbursed for required instructional materials?

Step 3:

  • After your SMC Tuition Waiver is processed by Admissions & Records and the Department of Human Resources and returned to you, please purchase the required instructional materials out-of-pocket.

Step 4:

  • To be reimbursed for the required instructional materials, please attach the required course-material list highlighting the required materials section, proof of course completion, and the original bookstore receipt to the Classified Staff SMC Tuition Waiver Form within 1 month of completing your course.  Please allow up to 4 weeks for your reimbursement payment to be processed.

Classified Staff SMC Tuition Waiver Form

Classified Staff SMC Tuition Waiver Form  

Application for Waiver of SMC Class Tuition & Reimbursement of Required Instructional Materials

For additional information or questions, please contact
Office of Human Resources
310-434-4415 / ProfDevelopment@smc.edu