For Teachers: The Tuition Credit Bank

The School of Education at Indiana University-Bloomington has agreements with the administrators of local school corporations and agencies to participate cooperatively in a Tuition Credit Bank system, which rewards school corporations and agencies with IU tuition credits based on the participation by their professional employees (teachers and administrators) in the early field experience program. Responsibility for recording, tallying, and reporting the tuition credit points lies with the university. Award of the graduate tuition credits earned shall be the responsibility of the school corporation based upon criteria established internally. Verification of awarded tuition credits will be a joint university/corporation responsibility. 

Guidelines for the calculation of tuition points have been established, based on a formula which considers students' assigned "time" and "type of experience" in particular categories. Since early experience student participation in the classroom requires more from classroom teachers than student observation, participation is recognized at twice the rate of observation activities.  In an addendum to the original agreement, point values have been updated to recognize the tuition rate increases and are variable.  For example, in 2007-2008 point value=$1.87 graduate tuition rate=$269.05; For 2008-2009 point value=$2.11 tuition rate=$304.03, etc. 

The schedule that has been established is as follows:

Hours Activity Tuition Points	Activity	Tuition Points
1 day or less	Observation	1
7-10 hours	Observation	2
11-20 hours	Observation	3
9 hours or less	Participation (may include some observation)	2
10-19 hours	Participation (may include some observation)	5
20-29 hours	Participation (may include some observation)	7
30-39 hours	Participation (may include some observation)	10
40 hours or more	Participation (may include some observation)	15
60 hours or more	Participation (may include some observation)	20

 Award of tuition points is conditional upon completion by teachers of all necessary records (e.g., timesheet, evaluation) concerning early experience students.

Evaluations and timesheets are completed by cooperating teachers. Points are awarded to the corporation based on these by Early Field Experience Office following the field experience. Semester reports of the Credit Bank will be submitted to the school corporation. Awarded credits must be used within two academic years.

Time Line/Process

Teacher Requests are returned to the Early Field Experience Office by principal, agency director, and/or IU liaison instructor.

The Office of Early Field Experiences sends cooperating teachers Student Placement Forms, Evaluations, and Time Sheets. The Evaluations and Time Sheets should be returned to the office promptly when students complete their field experiences.

The Early Field Experience Office generates a Tuition Credit Bank Report for each school corporation and agency. It indicates building participation by individual schools, total points earned, and number of graduate tuition credits earned.

The school corporation or agency determines the professional employee to whom tuition credits are awarded. It notifies the Early Field Experience Office of each employee's name, school, local address, the phone number, and number of credits awarded.

The Early Field Experience Office sends awardees a letter outlining how to have their Bursar Account credited when they are ready to register for a class (simply notify the Office of Early Field Experiences when you are taking the class and the number of credits to apply to your account).

The Early Field Experience Office generates regular Credit Bank Reports to indicate usage of awarded credits. Awarded credits expire if they are not used within two years.

Further information or questions concerning the Tuition Credit Bank should be referred to Tyna Hunnicutt, Director of Field Placements, thunnicu@indiana.edu, 856-8541.