CWA 1180 - Benefits and Forms

•	You are employed in a covered title before the first day of class and you remain employed in a covered title for the term.
•	You are an active, full- time, per annum employee. Part-time employees and employees on leaves of absence are not eligible.
•	You work for an employer whose contract with CWA Local 1180 provides for contributions to the Local 1180 Education Fund.

New York City Housing Authority employees and employees of private not-for-profit organizations are not eligible for reimbursement. Housing Authority workers may apply to the Housing Authority, Office of Staff Development, for separate educational benefits.

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THIS FUND?

The benefits from this Fund cover the wide range of educational programs described below.

College Tuition Reimbursement

The College Tuition Reimbursement Program provides reimbursement of up to $ 200 per semester for tuition and/ or registration fees if you successfully complete courses for which you earn college credit at any accredited college or for remediation courses given at a college or university. If you complete your course(s) with a passing mark and submit the required claim form, you will be reimbursed at the end of the term. The program will pay benefits for a maximum of three terms per year.

Book Reimbursement

If you are enrolled in a course covered by the College Tuition Reimbursement Program, you can be reimbursed up to $ 25 each semester for books related to the courses you are taking.

Queens College Urban Leadership Program

Graduate and Undergraduate students covered by CWA Local 1180 Education Fund are eligible to participate.

A major advantage of this program is that New York State resident tuition and fees are completely waived for up to eight designated three-credit courses in Urban Studies. One or two courses each semester may be taken on a tuition- waived basis. This benefit is in addition to the College Tuition Reimbursement Benefit.

Undergraduate Study

Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree include courses in the humanities, arts, sciences, and social sciences. These are designed to improve the student's writing and critical thinking skills and to provide students with a well- rounded liberal arts background. In addition, students are expected to major in a department or program. A total of 128 credits is necessary to complete the Bachelor's degree.

Undergraduates may take two Urban Leadership courses on a tuition-waived basis in a semester if they:

1. have completed at least 64 credits, whether at Queens College or transferred from other colleges;

2. have completed at least one semester at Queens College; and

3. do not have any incomplete or absent grades pending in any Urban Leadership course.

Admission: Applicants must submit a completed application form; a copy of their high school diploma or GED certificate and an official high school transcript; and official transcripts from all accredited colleges they may have attended.

Graduate Study

Urban Leadership graduate students enter the Masters of Arts in Urban Affairs program of the Urban Studies department. The college can waive New York State resident tuition and fees for up to 24 of the 36 credits required for the Master's degree if the student takes any eight designated courses in such areas as public policy, public administration, and specific topics.

Graduate students may take two Urban Leadership courses on a tuition-waived basis in a semester if they:

1. have completed at least 6 credits as a graduate student at Queens College; and

2. have at least a 3.0 grade point average; and

3. do not have any incomplete or absent grades pending in any Urban Leadership course.

Admission: Depending on their previous academic record, applicants may be admitted either on a matriculated or non-matriculated basis. Those applying for matriculated status must submit a completed application, letters of recommendation, an official transcript, and an essay. Applicants for non-matriculated status must complete a shorter application and submit proof of a college degree.

For further information call: Queens College LEAP Office, (718) 997-3060.

New York City Reimbursable Courses

The New York City Reimbursable Courses Program provides reimbursement for tuition for a maximum of 2 courses up to $ 100 per year for eligible members who successfully complete courses offered by the New York City Reimbursable Courses Program. Reimbursement will be made at the conclusion of the term to each eligible member who has applied to the program and has completed the course(s) and received a certificate.

New York City Reimbursable Courses Program is provided by the CWA Local 1180 Education Fund for full-time municipal employees in covered titles.

Adult Education Program Tuition Reimbursement

If you successfully complete courses in a job-related area in an Adult Education Program, you can receive full reimbursement of the tuition, up to a maximum of $ 100 for three courses in a calendar year. The reimbursement will be made at the conclusion of the term.

Career Development Conferences

If you attend a conference in a job- related area for Career Development, you can receive reimbursement up to a maximum of $ 100.

NOTE: Combined reimbursement for Adult Education Courses, New York City Reimbursable Courses and Career Development Conferences can not exceed $ 100 for all such benefits in a calendar year.

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NO DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS

You cannot receive duplicate benefits from the Education Fund. For example, you cannot receive tuition reimbursement from the College Tuition Reimbursement Program and the Adult Education Program for the same expense.

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EXAM PREP COURSES

The Fund develops and administers courses for Local 1180 members to assist them in preparing for civil service examinations for titles covered under the collective bargaining unit or for promotional titles into management.

Program offerings are announced through the Communiqué.

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WORKPLACE LITERACY PROGRAM

The Fund develops and administers courses to enable Local 1180 members to upgrade and expand their skills in order to function more effectively on their jobs.

These courses are designed to assist the member in improving workplace skills in such areas as management, supervision, communications, computers, and personal improvement in assertiveness training, self-esteem, and time management.

Program offerings are announced through the Communiqué.

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HOW DO YOU APPLY FOR BENEFITS?

If you want to take advantage of any of the benefits provided by the CWA Local 1180 Education Fund, call or write to the following address for a claim form:

CWA Local 1180 Education Fund
6 Harrison Street
New York, NY 10013-2893
(212) 966-5353

You can also download claim forms by clicking here.

You must submit a separate claim form for each semester. You must submit:

•	your claim form
•	your bursar's receipt and/or financial statement showing tuition and registration fees paid
•	a letter from your supervisor verifying that the course is job-related, in the case of Adult Education Program Tuition Reimbursement claims or career development conferences
•	your grade report, and
•	receipt from other educational benefits you received (e.g., a financial aid statement such as TAP, Pell, etc.)

These items must be submitted to the Fund within 90 calendar days after your course ends.

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AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF BENEFITS

The benefits provided by this Fund may, from time to time, be changed, modified, augmented or discontinued by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees adopts rules and regulations for the payment of benefits and all provisions of this booklet are subject to such rules and regulations and to the Trust Agreement that established the Fund and governs its operations.

Your coverage will stop on the earliest of the following dates:

When the Fund is terminated.

When you are no longer eligible.

When the Employer ceases to make contributions on your behalf to the Fund.

Benefits under this plan have been made available by the Trustees and are always subject to modification or termination in the exercise of the prudent discretion of the Trustees. No person acquires a vested right to such benefits either before or after his or her retirement. The Trustees may expand, modify or cancel the benefits for active members and retirees; change eligibility requirements; and otherwise exercise their prudent discretion at any time without legal right or recourse by an active member, retiree or any other person.

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RIGHT TO APPEAL

The Board of Trustees may change the benefits provided by this Fund. The Board of Trustees adopts rules and regulations for the payment of benefits and all provisions of this booklet are subject to such rules and regulations and to the Trust Agreement that established and governs the Fund operations.

The Fund Office uniformly applies all rules. The action of the Fund Office is subject only to review by the Board of Trustees. A member may request a review of action by submitting notice in writing to the Board of Trustees, CWA Local 1180 Education Fund, 6 Harrison Street, New York, New York 10013. The Trustees shall act on the appeal within a reasonable period of time and render their decision in writing, which shall be final and conclusive and binding on all persons.

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