Fayetteville Policies and Procedures  420.0 

Employee Educational Development Incentive

In order to increase the degree completion rate among employees and to develop the University’s human capital, the University of Arkansas will provide an employee educational development incentive for job-related degree completion, subject to the following provisions.

1. Qualifications (all are required)
   • University benefits-eligible staff
   • Must be employed a minimum of 6 months prior to date of the degree conferral.
   • Newly attain, after beginning employment with the U of A, a bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist,  or doctorate degree from a college or university with accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
   • Employee must be rated satisfactory or higher on most recent performance evaluation.
   • Must be employed by the University on the date the incentive is paid.
     
     
2. Participation Requirements
   • Complete an application (Complete the Application for Educational Differential).
   • Obtain approvals from the appropriate supervisor, dean/associate vice chancellor, unit business officer, and vice chancellor.
   • Submit the form and required documentation as required within 6 months of degree conferral date.
     
     
3. Documentation
   1. Completed application from a qualified employee meeting the participation requirements.
   2. Final official transcript showing degree conferral date that is subsequent to the employee’s date of hire with the U of A, from an accredited college or university; the date of degree attainment shall be the date that the degree is conferred by the college or university, as shown on an official transcript.
      
      
4. Effective Date for an Employee’s Incentive
   Effective date for the incentive is determined by Human Resources after documentation is received and confirmed, but in no event prior to the date the degree has been conferred, and full documentation has been submitted and accepted.
   
   
5. Incentive Payment
   One-time lump sum payment (subject to applicable withholding) in the amount of:
   
   Degrees:
   Bachelor’s Degree   $1,000
   Master’s Degree  $3,000
   Education Specialist  $3,000
   Doctoral Degree   $5,000  
   
   
6. Exclusions/Limitations
   1. The maximum educational development incentive payment is $5000.
   2. Limited to one educational development incentive per qualified employee per degree level.
   3. The degree cannot be included as a special requirement or minimum qualification established for the position held at the effective date.
   4. The degree cannot be an additional degree of the type already held by the employee; for example, an employee would not be eligible for the incentive for attaining a second bachelor’s degree or a second master’s degree.
   5. Payment of an educational development incentive is only available to the extent the payment does not exceed the line-item maximum (LIM) for the employee’s regular position.
   6. This policy is subject to change in accordance with Arkansas law.

University reserves the right to modify, suspend or discontinue this policy at any time in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to, due to financial constraints.  This policy does not guarantee availability of the incentive payment, regardless of the status of an employee’s degree progress.  

Revised September 15, 2025
Revised July 27, 2023
Revised May 9, 2022
Revised March 19, 2020
Revised July 11, 2019
Revised June 18, 2018
Revised June 9, 2017
Revised July 1, 2015
July 1, 2014