STAP Frequently Asked Questions

• $800 for eligible employees not covered by the SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreement
• $700 for eligible employees covered by the SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreement
  • $100 worth of STAP funds for SEIU-represented staff are reallocated for a leadership, training, and educational program known as the Apprenticeship Program

The university’s fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31. STAP balances are reset on an employee’s STAP accounting page on September 1.

STAP funds are available to eligible staff during the university’s fiscal year, between September 1 and August 31. Any unused STAP funds will not roll over into the next fiscal year. All submitted requests will be charged against the STAP balance based on the class start date.

To be eligible for the Staff Training Assistance Program, an employee must meet all the following criteria:

• Be a current and continuing regular or fixed-term staff employee (including a bargaining unit employee). See Admin Guide Memo 2.2.1 for the definition of regular staff or fixed-term employees.
• Receive no financial assistance from other sources that would duplicate STAP assistance (departmental funds may augment but not duplicate STAP assistance).
• Academic Staff-Teaching: Senior lecturers, lecturers, and artists-in-residence who work at least 50% of the time are also eligible for the Staff Training Assistance Program.

STAP funds are available to each eligible staff member on the first date of employment.

Log in to Axess. Select Employee Center, and the employee STAP Balance will be at the top of the page. View the screenshot below to find your current balance.

Postdoctoral scholars are not eligible for STAP.

Faculty, students, temporary employees, retirees, and other non-staff university affiliates are not eligible for STAP assistance.

Clinician educators are eligible for STAP. For all other roles, please contact a local HR Administrator.

Family members of eligible employees are not eligible for STAP assistance, even if they attend a course with eligible staff.

STAP funds are available to eligible staff during the university’s fiscal year (between September 1 and August 31). Unused STAP funds do not roll over into the next fiscal year.

All submitted requests will be charged against the STAP funds based on the class start date, not the registration or payment date.

The university’s fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31. All reimbursement requests must follow the university’s reimbursement policies on the financial year-end close calendar. The employee must submit reimbursement requests to the university with necessary receipts within 20 days of incurring the expense. However, during the university’s financial year-end, expense reimbursements will have to follow university guidelines closely, and expenses that are submitted after 10 days of the financial year-end close will not be reimbursed.

STAP will only cover an employee’s existing balance in their STAP funds. When covered costs exceed the employee’s current STAP limit, the employee’s department may partially or fully reimburse the excess cost. Reimbursement using departmental funds is at the department's sole discretion and should be discussed prior to such class/training.

• Tuition and registration fees
• Required course textbooks and other eligible media 
• Stanford Technology Training courses
• Stanford Healthy Living Courses (where designated as STAP-eligible)
• Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) courses
• Stanford Talent Management & Workforce Strategy (TM&WS) courses
• Stanford Career Counseling Network (CCN) up to $500
• Stanford Children’s Health (LPCH) parenting and prenatal courses (only employee’s portion of the course fee; not family members, if a joint course)
• Courses, workshops, webinars (e.g., Coursera or SkillPath)
• Registration fees for seminars, professional conferences, and symposiums may also be eligible

• Test preparation courses (i.e., GMAT, LSAT, GRE, and MCAT)
• Exam or testing fees
• Retreats (i.e., staff or group retreats, conference retreats, wellness retreats are some examples)
• Courses and other education involving sports, games, or hobbies
• Training to meet minimum educational requirements of the current job or to qualify the employee for a new trade or business
• Professional membership fees, dues, or subscriptions
• Travel expenses, parking, lodging, and meals
• Rosetta Stone Language CDs or similar programs
• An employee may not receive reimbursement under STAP and reimbursement under the Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP) for the same course or program. For example, an employee cannot use STRP for tuition and STAP for books, supplies, and equipment for the same course or program.

An employee cannot use STAP funds for the same course or program if they are signed up and receiving any funds from (STRP). For example, an employee cannot use STRP for tuition and STAP for books, supplies, and equipment for the same course or program.

Please follow the reimbursement process guidelines available on Cardinal at Work.

Eligible employees can use a personal credit card to pay for a course and then get reimbursed by the university. The university will reimburse based on the current STAP balance in the employee’s account.

The employee must submit all reimbursement requests to the university with any necessary receipts within 20 days of incurring the expense but no later than 60 days after incurring the expense. In accordance with IRS guidelines, any expenses submitted more than 60 days after they were incurred will be reported as additional income to the individual.

Complete and correct reimbursements may take approximately 10 business days for STAP office approval. Upon approval of the reimbursement, an employee’s STAP balance in Axess will be updated.

If a department’s PCard is used to register and pay for the course, please work with the departmental PCard verifier to provide the information they need to process the payment. Follow the instructions provided by the departmental PCard verifier. 

STAP balances are charged based on the course start date, not the course registration date. For example, if an employee registered for a course in July 2023 that started in September 2023, their 2024 STAP account would be charged when it becomes available.

STAP funds cannot be used to pay off any subsidized or unsubsidized loans.

Yes, as long as the employee is a regular benefits-eligible employee and their employment at Stanford is still current, they are eligible for STAP.