PIPRAMS

GREATER NOIDA

SUBJECT – NURSING EDUCATION

ASSIGNMENT ON STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Ms. Nikita Sharma Pooja
Associate Professor [Link]. 1st Year
CONTENT

1. The Staff Development Program (SDP)

2. Eligibility
3. Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP)
4. Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP)
5. STAP - Job-Related Training
6. STAP - Career Development Training
7. STRP - Degree Program Eligibility
8. STRP - Release Time/Time Off Without Pay
9. STRP - Tuition Payment
10. Allowable Expenses
11. Reimbursement
12. Departmental Reimbursement
13. Employee Obligation
14. Evidence of Satisfactory Completion
15. Repayments
16. Application Process
17. Departmental Review
18. STRP Application Process
19. Tuition & Training Programs Review
20. Termination of Employment
21. Tax Implications
22. Status and Duration of Staff Development Program
23. Conclusion
24. References
The Staff Development Program (SDP)

 SDP supports employee development by providing partial or full reimbursement of

the cost of courses, seminars, and workshops that enable employees to improve
performance in current jobs, prepare for career development, or meet requirements of
degree programs related to current performance or planned career development.

 The SDP consists of two parts: The Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP) for
job-related or career-enhancing courses and seminars, and the Staff Tuition
Reimbursement Program (STRP) providing partial to full tuition payment for
individuals enrolled in a degree program.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Staff Development Program, an employee must meet all the following
criteria:
 Be a continuing regular or fixed-term staff employee (including a bargaining unit
employee).
 Receive no financial assistance from other sources that would duplicate SDP
assistance (scholarships, grants, and departmental funds may augment but not
duplicate SDP assistance).

Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP)

 STAP assistance funds are available to each eligible staff member on the first date of
employment.
 Academic Staff-Teaching: senior lecturers, lecturers, and artists-in-residence who
work at least 50% time are also eligible for the Staff Training Assistance Program.
 Faculty, students, temporary employees, retirees, and other non-staff University
affiliates are not eligible for STAP assistance.

Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP)

 Available after an eligible employee has completed one year in a continuing benefits-
eligible position at 50% Full Time Equivalent (FTE) or greater.
  The amount provided is pro-rated if eligible staff works less than full-time, but at least
50% part-time.
 Faculty, students, and other temporary workers are not eligible for STRP assistance.

Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP)

STAP assistance may be requested for job-related training, career development, STAP-
approved Healthy Living offerings through Be Well, and academic pursuit through the
Stanford Continuing Studies Program.
a. Job-Related Training
Training must be directly related to performance requirements of the employee's current
assignment, and either maintain or improve job skills; be required by law; or respond to
organizational or operational need as defined by the employee's supervisor, including training
required to respond to organizational or operational need as defined by the employee's
supervisor or the university. STAP does not cover training to meet educational requirements
of the current job, or qualify the employee for a new trade or business.
Training may be a formal course given for academic credit or certificate of completion by an
accredited college, university, technical/vocational school or institute, special skills school, or
adult education school; a seminar, workshop, or special emphasis short-duration program
presented by an approved provider; or training obtained at a conference or professional
organization. Online training may be allowable if it meets the requirements outlined in
Section 2.a. The employee’s supervisor must approve the training in advance. Questions
about whether the training or the provider is eligible for STAP should be directed to the
Stanford STAP administrator prior to the start of the training course or activity.
Release Time/Time Off with Pay for Required Training
An eligible staff employee's supervisor must approve in advance the course as job-related
training and approve the release time, if any, to attend the training. Such time off must be
compatible with the work schedule of the department and consistent with requirements of
contracts and grants regarding time worked. The department funds time off with pay for
training.
Reimbursement
Requests for reimbursement of allowable expenses through STAP must be made within 60
days of satisfactory completion of the training, with the supervisor's approval. Submitted
requests will be charged against the STAP funds based on the class start date. When
employees are reimbursed in advance of course completion, the employee must provide
evidence of satisfactory completion to the supervisor. (See Section 5 for the procedure).

b. Career Development Training

Training must be related to an identified and planned training objective for career
development. Such training may be a formal course given for academic credit or certificate of
completion by an accredited college, university, technical/vocational school or institute,
special skills school, or adult education school; or be a seminar, workshop or special
emphasis short-duration program presented by an approved provider. Career development
must only be for training activities that will assist the employee in qualifying for a new job.
Release Time/Time Off Without Pay
An eligible staff employee may be granted a maximum of 24 hours per month of release time
without pay for approved training for career development purposes if no comparable course
is offered during non-work hours. Time off for eligible part-time staff should be pro-rated
based on the percent time worked. Approval of time off is at the department's discretion and
must be compatible with the work schedule of the department and consistent with
requirements of contracts and grants regarding time worked.

Reimbursement
Requests for reimbursement of allowable expenses through STAP must be made within 60
days of the satisfactory completion of the training with the supervisor’s approval. Submitted
requests will be charged against the STAP funds based on the class start date. When
employees are reimbursed in advance of course completion, the employee must provide
evidence of satisfactory completion to the supervisor (see Section 5 for procedure). For
University IT, Healthy Living and Continuing Studies courses, the STAP allowance will be
deducted from the fee when employees register for classes.

Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP)

Eligible employees may request STRP support for courses that fulfil undergraduate or
graduate degree requirements at a fully accredited college, university, technical/vocational
school or institute, special skills school, or adult education school when the employee is
admitted to the degree program (certificate programs excluded). Courses must be taken at, or
online through, a regionally-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of
education in order to be eligible for reimbursement. The employee’s supervisor must approve
the request if release time/time off (with or without pay) is requested.

Covered degree programs:

 Associate
 Bachelor
 Master
 Doctoral
Programs that are not covered:
 Individual courses
 Certifications
 Graduate Certificate
 Degree program entrance exams, such as SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT
 Challenge exams or credit by exam, such as CLEP, UEXCEL and DSST

Release Time/Time Off without Pay

An eligible staff employee may be granted a maximum of 24 hours per month of release time,
without pay, for an approved undergraduate or graduate course, if no comparable course is
offered during non-work hours. Time off for part-time regular staff should be pro-rated based
on the percent time worked. Approval of time off is at the department's discretion and must
be compatible with the work schedule of the department and consistent with requirements of
contracts and grants regarding time worked.

Tuition Payment
Payment of tuition and covered fees through STRP will be made directly to the institution
before attendance each quarter or semester.

Allowable Expenses

An employee may not receive reimbursement under STAP and reimbursement under STRP
for the same course or program. For example, you cannot use STRP for tuition and STAP for
books, supplies and equipment for the same course or program.
STAP Expenses

 The current maximum STAP reimbursement is:

o $800 for eligible employees not covered by the SEIU Collective Bargaining
Agreement

o $700 for eligible employees covered by the SEIU Collective Bargaining

Agreement

 $100 of STAP funds for SEIU-represented staff are reallocated for a

leadership, training and educational program, known as the
Apprenticeship Program. (For additional information, refer to the 2014
Collective Bargaining Agreement between SEIU Higher Education
Workers Local 2007 and The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford
Junior University, Side Letter 7: Leadership, Training and Educational
Fund).

 Allowable for reimbursement:

o Costs of tuition, registration fees, and required textbooks, CDs, e-books, or

tapes (up to a maximum determined each fiscal year).

 Not allowable:

o Travel expenses, parking, lodging, meals, professional memberships, testing

and exam fees, reference books, and professional subscriptions.

STRP Expenses

 The current maximum annual STRP benefit amount is $5,250, granted to the eligible
employee at the beginning of each fiscal year. Payments and reimbursements are pro-
rated for part-time eligible staff working at least 50% time.

 Covered fees are limited to the cost of tuition, registration fee, lab fees, course fees,
and eLearning fees.
 Covered expenses are limited to required books, CDs, DVDs, and other published
materials, supplies, and equipment, including software. Supplies, equipment, and
 software that the employee may keep after the course is completed are not a covered
expense.
 An employee may not use STAP and STRP funds for the same course or program.

Reimbursement

Timing of STAP Reimbursement

Requests for reimbursement of allowable expenses through STAP must be made within 60
days of satisfactory completion of the training, with the approval of the supervisor. Submitted
requests will be charged against the STAP funds based on the class start date.

Timing of STRP Payment

Payment of tuition and covered fees will be made directly to the institution by the program
administrator before attendance each quarter or semester. If the employee makes payment
directly to the institution, the employee must submit the invoice to the program administrator
through a Direct Bill request. The program administrator will make payment directly to the
institution, and the institution will issue a credit or reimbursement to the employee.

Departmental Reimbursement
When covered costs exceed the current STAP/STRP limit, the excess cost may be partially or
fully reimbursed by the employee's department. Departmental reimbursement is at the
department’s discretion and is determined based on available departmental funds for training.
Reimbursement for work-related or career development training may be taxable if the total
exceeds $5,250 in one tax year (see Section 7a), regardless of the source of university funds.
Departmental reimbursements have the same tax consequences as STAP/STRP
reimbursements.

Employee Obligation
When the university reimburses an employee for training costs through STAP prior to
completion of the activity, the employee assumes an obligation to complete the supported
training in a satisfactory manner. An employee who does not complete university-reimbursed
training must repay the university the total amount of the reimbursement.

Evidence of Satisfactory Completion

Employees utilizing funds for training expenses through STAP must provide the supervisor
with evidence of satisfactory completion as soon as possible—but no later than 60 days after
the training activity is completed. For STRP, evidence of satisfactory completion must be
provided to both the supervisor (if supervisor approval was required) and to EdAssist, the
STRP administration vendor, within 60 days of the course end date. Such evidence may be an
official grade card or transcript from the institution or provider of the course. Failure to
submit evidence of course completion within 60 days will require the employee to repay the
tuition/fee/expense amount to Stanford and could result in the denial of all future requests for
tuition assistance. Refer to the STRP Guidelines for details on the Evidence of Satisfactory
Completion submission process.

 For undergraduate academic courses using STRP funds, a grade C or better, or pass
grade in a pass/fail course is required. A grade of C- or less will not be accepted as a
satisfactory grade.
 For graduate academic courses, using STRP funds, a grade B or better, or pass in a
pass/fail course is required. A grade of B- will not be accepted as a satisfactory grade.
 If a course may be taken for either a letter grade or a pass/fail grade, the employee
must take the course for a letter grade to be eligible for STRP funds for this course.

Repayments
Staff members who have utilized STRP are required to repay tuition and fees that were paid
to STRP to an institution for coursework if:
 Employee withdraws from a course after the tuition was paid
 Employee fails to submit proof of satisfactory completion
 For undergraduate course work, the employee receives a grade of C- or lower or Fail
(if a Pass/Fail course)
 For graduate course work, the employee receives a grade B- or lower or Fail (if a
Pass/Fail course)

Application Process

STAP
An employee planning a training or development activity should discuss development and
performance objectives with their supervisor before registering for the course or program.
Decisions regarding the applicability of training and issues regarding release time should be
made at this time. The employee and the supervisor should review career development plans
before registration. No application form is needed.

Departmental Review
The supervisor should review the staff training assistance request and evidence of satisfactory
completion, confirming the following:

 Employee eligibility (see Section 1)

 Program applicability (see Section 2 and 3)
 Covered fees and expenses (see Section 4)
 Course completion (see Section 5)
Healthy Living offerings or Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) courses are
not subject to supervisor approval unless release time is required.

STRP
The employee must submit an application for each term (quarter or semester) no earlier than
90 days prior to the start of classes and no later than 30 days after the start of classes. If a
supervisor’s signature is required for release time/time off with pay, the employee must
complete the Supervisor Approval Form. The Supervisor Approval Form can be found and
printed from the Stanford My Learning Centre website and must be sent to the Stanford
STRP office with the employee and supervisor’s signature within five business days of
application submission. Failure to submit the Supervisor Approval Form will result in a
denial of the application.

Payment of Tuition and Covered Fees

The Direct Bill option should be used to request payment of tuition and fees directly to the
employee’s school by following the four-step application process in My Learning Centre,
located on the STRP website.
Expense Reimbursement
The Expense Reimbursement option should be used if the employee has paid for tuition
and/or allowable fees and/or expenses. The employee must make the request and submit
documentation as proof of payment within 60 days of the course end date. Detailed
information about the application, payment, and reimbursement process can be found on the
STRP website.
Tuition & Training Programs Review
The Tuition & Training Programs office monitors and periodically audits applications for
conformance with standards of eligibility, applicability, and allowability as outlined in this
Guide Memo. The Tuition & Training Programs office has final approval over any disputes,
of application denial or denial of payment and reimbursements for approved applications. A
decision by the Tuition & Training Programs office concerning approval or disapproval of
applications, payments, or reimbursements is not subject to review under any grievance
procedure. Appeal of a decision by the Tuition & Training Programs office may be made in
writing to the Director of Tuition & Training Programs in University Human Resources.

Termination of Employment

New Applications

No applications will be accepted after employment with the university or SLAC National
Accelerator Laboratory ends.

Expense Reimbursement

If employment with the university or SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory ends before a
request for reimbursement of covered expenses has been submitted, an employee may submit
a manual request for reimbursement if the reason for termination is for any of the following
reasons:

 Layoff

 Layoff to Retirement

 Retirement

 Military Service

 Transfer from the University to SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

 Transfer from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to the university

If employment with the university or SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory ended for any
other reason, an employee will not be eligible to request or receive reimbursement for
expenses after the date employment ended. However, if an application was submitted and
approved, and tuition and fees were paid directly to the employee’s school prior to the date
employment ended for any reason, they will not be required to repay that amount.
8. Tax Implications

SDP is intended to provide benefits that are, to the extent possible, excluded from taxation
under federal and state laws. Accordingly, this Guide Memo constitutes a separate written
plan for the exclusive benefit of employees under sections 127 and 132(d) of the Internal
Revenue Code and its regulations, to provide such employees with educational assistance.

a. General Rule

In general, an employee may exclude up to $5,250 received for graduate or undergraduate

education under STRP and up to $800 received under STAP from their gross income each tax
year for allowable tuition and covered fees and expenses.

b. Tax Year

Employees should note that STRP provides reimbursements of up to $5,250 for each Stanford
fiscal year. Because Stanford’s fiscal year runs from September 1 through August 31, an
employee could be eligible to receive reimbursements in excess of $5,250 for the employee’s
tax year.

c. Other Situations

Amounts paid to an employee in excess of $5,250 may also be excluded if they are payments
for certain job-related training, when such training maintains or improves the skills of an
employee. However, if the training is necessary for the employee to meet the minimum
educational requirements for employment, or if the training will qualify the employee for a
new trade or business, the payments will not qualify for this additional exclusion.

d. Getting Help

Employees should consult their personal tax advisor with any questions.

9. Status and Duration of Staff Development Program

a. Administration
SDP is administered by the university. The university has the discretionary authority to
determine all matters with respect to SDP, including, without limitation, eligibility issues,
benefit amounts, evidentiary matters, and tax treatment. Its decisions shall be final and
binding on all persons.
b. Amendment and Termination
The university reserves the right to modify SDP in any respect, or to discontinue SDP, at any
time.

CONCLUSION

The Staff Development Program (SDP) plays a vital role in enhancing the capabilities and
competencies of healthcare staff, particularly within the nursing profession. By offering
structured assistance through the Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP) and the Staff
Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP), it not only supports job-related skill development
but also empowers individuals to pursue academic growth and long-term career advancement.
The comprehensive approach ensures that staff are better equipped to deliver high-quality
patient care, adapt to the ever-evolving demands of healthcare, and remain professionally
motivated. In essence, SDP fosters a culture of continuous learning, self-improvement, and
organizational excellence.

References
1. Taneja, N. (2018). Nursing Education. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical
Publishers.
2. Bhatia, K.K. (2019). Principles and Methods of Teaching in Nursing. New Delhi:
Kalyani Publishers.
3. American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing Professional Development: Scope and
Standards of Practice. 3rd ed. Silver Spring, MD: ANA.
4. Bastable, S. B. (2020). Nurse as Educator: Principles of Teaching and Learning for
Nursing Practice. 5th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.