Educational Assistance Program (EAP) and Professional Development Assistance Program (PDAP)

All college employees are encouraged to engage in continuous learning and professional development. To support this, the College offers a variety of programs and services, including financial assistance for professional development activities and related travel.

The information below outlines the Educational Assistance Program (EAP) for full-time faculty, staff, and administrators, and the Professional Development Assistance Program (PDAP) for eligible bargaining part-time faculty. Please scroll below to view helpful Training, Resources, and Key Information.

All professional development and EAP/PDAP-related travel expenses must be pre-approved in accordance with College Policy 35001, Compensation Programs (PDF, ) . All non-EAP/PDAP travel expenses (i.e., for regular college business) must be submitted through department budgets with supervisor approval.

Important Changes Effective January 2025 – Please Read!

The following changes will improve EAP and PDAP processing going forward. Updated job aids are available below and new demo videos will be available by the end of the month.

Streamlined One-Step Process: Direct payment requests and non-travel reimbursement requests will require just one step. Direct payments will no longer require a 2-step process of a Requisition and a Receipt, and will transition to use of a Supplier Invoice Request only. Non-travel reimbursements will no longer require a 2-step process of a Spend Authorization and an Expense Report, and will transition to an Expense Report only. Approved EAP and PDAP Travel will still require a Spend Authorization in advance of the travel before an Expense Report can be processed. No new Requisitions or non-travel Spend Authorizations should be submitted in Workday after Monday, December 16.
Annual Acknowledgement Form: Acknowledgement forms will be required once per fiscal year instead of per EAP/PDAP request, which now includes eligible wellness expense reimbursements. This form ensures that employees understand key aspects of the College policy and procedures that govern EAP/PDAP, including consequences when the event is not attended or completed satisfactorily, and also confirms the tax liability the employee owes for applicable benefits or receives reimbursement for eligible wellness expenses. Existing acknowledgement forms submitted since July 1, 2024 will satisfy the requirement for any new requests through June 30, 2025.

Read the December 11, 2024 memo (PDF, ) for additional details and reminders.

Understanding and Accessing Your EAP and PDAP Benefits: Remember the 3 Ps

To help guide employees' learning and ability to correctly access EAP and PDAP benefits, please use the Plan, Prepare, Process Framework:

PLAN

Confirm your eligibility
Learn about the program's benefits and rules
Understand the difference between entitlement and eligibility
Discuss your professional development goals with your supervisor and how EAP and PDAP can support your growth
Engage with resources to learn the process to request funds

PREPARE

Register for webinars and conferences, enroll in courses, sign up for memberships, etc. that contribute to your professional development
Collect and organize your invoices and/or receipts
Complete your Acknowledgement Form(s) (required) and/or Travel Cover Sheet(s) (optional)
Review resources to make sure you know how to correctly process your request(s)
Complete your Annual Acknowledgement Form (required only once per fiscal year) and/or Travel Cover Sheet(s) (optional)
Review resources to make sure you know how to correctly process your request(s), including approximately how long it will take to process payment

PROCESS

Process your request(s) based on what you are doing and how you wish to pay – have the College pay on your behalf or pay yourself and be reimbursed
Check your Workday inbox for any requests for missing or insufficient information; your request will be delayed until all required information is provided, so please read comments carefully and be responsive to keep the process moving
Remember, EAP Travel and Wellness expenses are always reimbursement only and Cash Advances are not allowed
Remember, all PDAP requests, including Wellness expenses, are always reimbursement only and Cash Advances are not allowed

Supervisor Training

EAP Training, Resources, and Key Information

EAP Resource Guide

FY25 EAP Resource Guide - Updated guide pending!

Job Aids and Demo Videos

Job Aid: Create a Supplier (PDF, )
Demo Video: Create Suppliernew window (total time 3:32)
Job Aid for EAP Direct Payments: Create Supplier Invoice Request (PDF, )
Demo Video for EAP Direct Payments: Create Supplier Invoice Requestnew window (total time 16:01)
Job Aid for EAP Reimbursements: Create Spend Authorization and/or Expense Reports (PDF, )
Demo Video for EAP Non-Travel Reimbursement: Create Expense Reportnew window (total time 11:34)
Demo Video for EAP Travel Reimbursements: Create Spend Authorization and Expense Reportnew window (total time 21:45)
Job Aid for EAP Wellness Reimbursements: Create Expense Report – Coming Soon!
Demo Video for EAP Wellness Reimbursement: Create Expense Reportnew window (total time 12:04)

Cheat Sheets

Supplier List for MD Colleges and Universities (PDF, )
Where do I Submit my EAP? (PDF, )
Required Documentation (PDF, )
Most Common Mistakes (PDF, )
Tech Tips (PDF, )
Travel Guidance (PDF, )

Forms

Annual EAP Acknowledgment Form (PDF, ) (required once per fiscal year)
MC Courses, Fees, and Books Form (PDF, )
EAP Travel Cover Sheet for Facultynew window (Excel)
EAP Travel Cover Sheet for Staffnew window (Excel)
EAP Affidavit Form for Course Completion (PDF, ) (if event did not provide proof)

Note: Wellness expenses are now included in the annual Acknowledgement Form, which is required for all employees once per fiscal year. A cover sheet is not required for wellness expenses and they should always be processed separately from other eligible EAP expenses.

FY25 EAP Allocations

Current FY Allocation with Utilization as of December 31, 2024
	Full-time Faculty	Bargaining Staff	Non-Bargaining Staff
EAP per Employee Max:	$3,120	$2,800	$2,800
EAP FY25 Budget Max:	$453,522	$400,000	$803,798

EAP Utilization:	$175,199	$104,127	$340,742
	39%	26%	42%

EAP Travel per Employee Max:	$1,800	$1,250	$1,250
EAP Travel FY25 Budget Max:	$221,850	$50,000	$141,650

EAP Travel Utilization:	$44,620	$3,387	$48,181
	20%	7%	34%

Tuition Benefits for Credit Courses
Bargaining and nonbargaining full-time staff, department chairs, full-time faculty, and administrators enrolled in graduate or undergraduate coursework beyond the associate degree level are permitted to exceed the maximum EAP benefit noted above.

The additional allowance is the amount equal to the University of Maryland College Park rate for in-state tuition and fees for graduate or undergraduate coursework for each credit, up to a maximum of 12 credits.

The benefit for regular part-time staff working at least 20 hours per week is pro-rated.

Taxable EAP Tuition Benefits

Montgomery College will cover the cost per credit taken equal to the University of Maryland, College Park credit rate for in-state tuition and fees for undergraduate or graduate coursework, not to exceed twelve (12) credits in a fiscal year.

For current UMD undergraduate and graduate Tuition and Fees, visit https://billpay.umd.edu/costsnew window.


	In-State Tuition,up to 12 Credit Hours	Mandatory Fees for 9+ Credits (flat rate)	Total FY EAP Tuition Limit/ Overall Max EAP FY25 Limit	2025 Calendar Year Additional Taxable Income
Undergraduate	$5,043.50	$861.00	$5,904.50	$654.50
Graduate/Doctoral	$10,134.72	$692.50	$10,827.22	$5,577.22

Employees can receive up to $5,250 in tax-free tuition benefits for 2025. Employees who receive more than the applicable IRS limit for educational benefits during the calendar year must pay taxes on the amount over the applicable limit. This applies to all employees regardless of position or salary.

HRSTM will track EAP tuition payments on a quarterly basis and add the amounts above the IRS to your taxable wages for deduction over the next two (2) pay dates following the end of the quarter. This way, the taxable income is properly included on an ongoing basis in the employee’s pay, and will also be captured accurately in the annual tax statement (Form W-2, box 1). We will also send regular reminders about this requirement and communicate directly with employees that have taxable tuition each quarter.

For more information, please visit the IRS’s Tax Benefits for Education: Information Centernew window.

Title
Taxable Reimbursement/Payment Type	Schedule for Reporting	Pay Date Schedule for Deductions
EAP Tuition over $5,250	Quarterly through the last day of the month – March, June, September, and November*	The two (2) immediate pay dates following the quarterly report - April, July, October, and December*

*Requests for tuition payments should be made no later than November 30 of each year to allow employees two (2) full pay periods to pay any applicable tax liability by December 31 for amounts over the $5,250 maximum.

However, if an employee must submit an eligible tuition request on or after December 1, he or she understands that they may only have one (1) pay period to pay the taxes, due to the timing of the payment and/or other end of year HR and payroll processing schedules.

Taxable EAP Wellness Reimbursements and Prizes

EAP benefits used for eligible wellness expenses up to $50 per month are always taxable and will be processed on a quarterly basis. Any wellness prizes/incentives are also taxable and will be added to applicable taxable wellness reimbursements.

Title
Taxable Reimbursement/Payment Type	Schedule for Reporting	Pay Date Schedule for Deductions
Recurring EAP Wellness Reimbursement	Quarterly through the last day of the month – March, June, September, and December**	The immediate pay date following the monthly report
Wellness Prizes/Incentives (e.g., holiday, dinners, gift cards, etc.)	Ad hoc, added to report manually	The immediate pay date following the monthly report; added to any regular EAP Wellness taxable reimbursement

**Request for EAP Wellness reimbursements should be made no later than December 15 of each calendar year to ensure employees can pay any applicable tax liability by December 31.

However, if an employee must submit an eligible EAP Wellness request on or after December 15, he or she understands that it will not be processed until the following calendar year and included in the next quarterly report for taxation.

Need Assistance? Contact us!

We are here to help! Please email EAPRequests@montgomerycollege.edu or HRSTM@montgomerycollege.edu for questions about your EAP request. We recommend emailing us BEFORE you submit your request if you are unsure about expense eligibility.

Use videos, job aids, and resources on this page BEFORE you attempt to process your request in Workday.

Requests are processed in the order they are received. If you have already successfully submitted your request in Workday, please do not email us to check on the status unless it has been more than five (5) business days.

FAQs

Please refer to the list of EAP FAQs (PDF, ) for additional guidance.

We update these on a regular basis. Please email EAPRequests@montgomerycollege.edu if you have questions that should be added to this list.

PDAP Training, Resources, and Key Information

PDAP Resource Guide

FY25 PDAP Resource Guide - Updated guide pending!

Job Aids and Demo Videos

Job Aid for PDAP Reimbursements: Create Spend Authorization and/or Expense Report (PDF, )
Demo Video for PDAP Non-Travel Reimbursement: Create Expense Reportnew window (total time 15:37)
Demo Video for PDAP Travel Reimbursement: Create Spend Authorization and Expense Reportnew window (total time 23:21)
Job Aid for PDAP Wellness Reimbursements: Create Expense Report – Coming Soon!
Demo Video for PDAP Wellness Reimbursement: Create Expense Reportnew window (total time 14:03)

Cheat Sheets

Forms

Annual PDAP Acknowledgement Form (PDF, ) (required once per fiscal year)
PDAP Travel Cover Sheetnew window (Excel)
PDAP Affidavit Form for Course Completion (PDF, ) (if event did not provide proof)

FY25 Allocation and Utilization


Current FY Allocation with Utilization as of December 31, 2024
PDAP per Employee Max:	$1,250
PDAP FY25 Budget Max:	$54,000

PDAP Utilization:	$11,670
	22%

Taxable PDAP Wellness Reimbursements and Prizes

PDAP benefits used for eligible wellness expenses up to $50 per month are always taxable and will be processed on a quarterly basis. Any wellness prizes/incentives are also taxable and will be added to applicable taxable wellness reimbursements.

Taxable PDAP Wellness Reimbursements and Prizes
Taxable Reimbursement/Payment Type	Schedule for Reporting	Pay Date Schedule for Deductions
Recurring EAP Wellness Reimbursement	Quarterly through the last day of the month – March, June, September, and December**	The immediate pay date following the monthly report
Wellness Prizes/Incentives (e.g., holiday, dinners, gift cards, etc.)	Ad hoc, added to report manually	The immediate pay date following the monthly report added to any regular PDAP Wellness taxable reimbursement

**Request for PDAP Wellness reimbursements should be made no later than December 15 of each calendar year to ensure employees can pay any applicable tax liability by December 31.

However, if an employee must submit an eligible PDAP Wellness request on or after December 15, he or she understands that it will not be processed until the following calendar year and included in the next quarterly report for taxation.

Need Assistance? Contact us!

We are here to help! Please email PDAPRequests@montgomerycollege.edu or HRSTM@montgomerycollege.edu for questions about your PDAP request. We recommend emailing us BEFORE you submit your request if you are unsure about expense eligibility.

Use videos, job aids, and resources on this page BEFORE you attempt to process your request in Workday.

FAQs

Please refer to the list of PDAP FAQs (PDF, ) for additional guidance.

We update these on a regular basis. Please email PDAPRequests@montgomerycollege.edu if you have questions that should be added to this list.

Zoom Office Hours

Educational Assistance Program (EAP) and Professional Development Assistance Program (PDAP)

Important Changes Effective January 2025 – Please Read!

Understanding and Accessing Your EAP and PDAP Benefits: Remember the 3 Ps

Zoom Office Hours will be every Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Zoom Office Hours will be every Monday and Wednesday from
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.