Benefits
Medical, Prescription & Behavioral Health Benefits
Penn currently offers four medical plan options. All plans include prescription drug and behavioral health coverage. Visit the Medical Plan Options website for information about the plans, including a chart detailing the employee cost for each plan. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236).
Dental Benefits
Penn currently offers two dental plan options. Visit the Dental Plan Options website for information about the plans, including a chart detailing the employee cost for each.
Vision Benefits
Penn currently offers two vision plan options. Visit the Vision Coverage Options website for information about the plans, including a chart detailing the employee cost for each.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are designed to save Penn employees money when paying for eligible expenses not covered by other benefit plans. Contributions may be made to a Health Care FSA for health care expenses that are not eligible to be paid by insurance, and/or a Dependent Care FSA for dependent care (daycare, elder care) expenses. Flexible spending accounts allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars from your earnings, which can mean a substantial tax advantage. ADP Benefit Services administers Penn’s FSA accounts. Visit the Flexible Spending Account website for more information about eligibility, contribution limits, and more.
Annual Benefits Open Enrollment
Each year faculty and staff have the opportunity to make changes to benefits elections during the annual Open Enrollment period in mid-April. Changes made during this period become effective for the following plan year (July 1-June 30). The elections made during Open Enrollment stay in effect for the entire plan year unless you experience a qualifying life event change.
Qualifying Life Event Changes
If you experience a change in family or employment status, you may be eligible to make changes to your benefit elections outside of the Open Enrollment period. Qualifying events include the birth or adoption of a child, marriage or domestic partnership, divorce or separation, death of a dependent, and change in your dependent’s eligibility for benefits. Keep in mind that the IRS limits the types of changes you can make for such events. If you experience a qualifying life event, log on to Workday@Penn to change your coverage. Full instructions for changing your coverage due to a qualifying event can be found here. Changes must be made within 30 days of the event; otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the next Open Enrollment period.
Life Insurance
The University provides full-time staff with basic group term life insurance equal to their benefits base salary (to a maximum of $300,000) at no cost to the employee. They also offer a variety of dependent and supplemental insurance plans for purchase. Visit the Life Insurance Options website for information about all of the available plans.
Retirement
Visit the Saving for Retirement website for information about plan choices, eligibility, maximum contribution amounts, and more. The Penn Retirement Call Center can help with questions regarding retirement plans and can be reached at 1-877-PENN-RET (1-877-736-6738).
Tuition
Penn provides tuition benefits to full-time staff, their children, and/or their spouse/partner.
Tuition Benefits for Yourself
Through June 30, 2020 full-time staff are eligible for tuition benefits immediately upon hire. Effective July 1, 2020 eligibility begins after six months of service. The tuition benefit covers 100% of the tuition and certain fees for up to two course units per term. It can be used for undergraduate or graduate coursework at Penn.
Tuition Benefits for Your Children
Full-time faculty and staff are eligible for tuition benefits for their family after three years of service. The tuition benefit for dependent children covers 75% of the tuition and technology fees for an undergraduate degree at Penn, or up to 40% of Penn’s tuition for an undergraduate degree at another accredited college or university.
Tuition Benefits for Your Spouse/Partner
Full-time faculty and staff are eligible for tuition benefits for their spouse/partner after three years of service. The tuition benefit for your spouse/partner covers 50% of the tuition and technology fees for an undergraduate degree at Penn.
Staff must formally apply and be admitted to an academic program in order to take courses. The only exception is the Summer Session program through Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies. Staff who wish to pursue an undergraduate degree can apply to one of Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies Bachelor’s degree programs. Undergraduate programs are tax-free.
Staff who wish to pursue a graduate degree can apply to any of the University’s graduate programs. Penn has 12 graduate schools and offers over 100 graduate programs (including full-time and part-time). Applications must be made directly through the school. (Some schools/centers at Penn require full-time participation in a graduate degree program and don’t allow part-time study.)
Pursuant to Penn's Tuition Policy 406 and Job Responsibility Policy 406.3, staff who elect to take courses and receive tuition benefits under the Tuition Benefits Program may attend classes during their normal working hours provided they have received prior approval from their supervisor and have arranged to make up the work and time away from regular business hours.
To request a schedule accommodation pursuant to the above policy, staff must complete a schedule accommodation request form and email the completed form to their supervisor and Donna Burdumy prior to course registration. Please allow sufficient time for review. An email with approval or denial of the request will be returned within three business days. A new form must be submitted each semester in which a schedule accommodation is needed. While the Annenberg School encourages and makes every effort to support the educational advancement of its staff, requests to attend classes during normal working hours may be denied if it's determined that the staff member's presence during those hours is essential to the job or the needs of the department.
Visit the Tuition Benefits website for more information.