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Consistent with Section 127, the following items are not eligible for exclusion from an employee’s gross
               income under the Section 127 Plan:
                         costs  or  payments  for  education  or  training  in  sports,  games,  or  hobbies,  unless  directly
                          related to the employee’s work responsibilities for APUS; and
                         costs or payments for, or the provision of, either (a) tools or supplies that may be retained
                          by  the  employee  after  completion  of  a  course  of  instruction;  or  (b)  meals,  lodging,  or
                          transportation.

               The Section 127 Plan is intended to benefit APUS’s employees in general; and shall not discriminate in
               favor of officers or highly compensated employees of APUS. The Section 127 Plan will not be considered
               discriminatory merely because any educational assistance that is available under the Section 127 Plan to
               a non-discriminatory class of employees is utilized to a greater degree by officers or highly compensated
               employees included in that class.

               Separate  from  the  Section  127  Plan,  it  is  APUS’s  general  intention  that,  to  the  extent  that  benefits
               provided in this document cannot be excluded from the employee’s gross income under Section 127,
               whether because they exceed $5,250 or are benefits that cannot be provided under Section 127, they
               will  be  separately  provided  as  benefits  that  can  be  excluded  from  the  employee’s  gross  income  as
               working condition fringe benefits. The decision as to whether such benefits can be excluded as working
               condition  fringe  benefits  will  be  made  by  APUS,  including  based  on  the  APUS  Continuing  Education
               Questionnaire  and  Continuing  Education  Application.  The  analysis  of  whether  educational  expenses
               qualify  as  working  condition  fringe  benefits  will  be  done  on  a  course  by  course  basis,  and  not  on  a
               program  level  basis.  Generally  speaking,  educational  expenses  for  specific  courses  may  qualify  as  a
               working  condition  fringe  benefit  where  (i)  the  education  maintains  or  improves  skills  needed  in  the
               employee’s job, or (ii) the education is required by the employer or by law for the employee to keep his
               or her present salary, status, or job, and serves a bona fide business purpose of the employer. However,
               even if the education meets one or both of those tests, it is not qualifying education if it is needed to
               meet the minimum educational requirements of the employee’s present trade or business, or is part of a
               program of study that will qualify the employee for a new trade or business.

               To the extent  that  any  employee  receives  from  APUS  any educational  assistance  benefits  under this
               document that cannot be excluded from the employee’s gross income under Section 127 or as working
               condition  fringe  benefits,  such  benefits  shall  be  subject  to  federal  income  tax  and  payroll  tax
               withholding  in  accordance  with  federal  and  state  law  unless  another  specific  exemption  applies.  An
               employee shall be responsible for any income tax liability arising from his or her receipt of educational
               assistance benefits under this document, whether or not APUS withheld tax on those benefits.

               An employee seeking educational assistance under this document must comply with all applicable rules
               and  procedures,  including  but  not  limited  to  eligibility  rules  and  approval  and  reimbursement
               procedures, as set forth in this document and other applicable policies and procedures of APUS.

               Legal Dependents & Spouses
               Legal  dependents  and  spouses  of  full-time  APUS  employees  are  eligible  for  the  established  tuition
               discount of 50%. However, per IRS regulations 100% of the tuition discount utilized is taxable to the
               employee, regardless of the amount.



               Employee Handbook, Revised January 2019       12
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