The Educational Assistance Program is available for BellSouth employees as a means to support employees in their efforts to enhance their personal growth and build job skills within and outside of BellSouth. Educational assistance is not intended to replace departmental training. All regular, active full-time and regular part-time employees with six months net credit service are eligible for educational assistance regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Any course taken through Educational Assistance must be taken during non-work hours at an accredited educational institution. Accreditation means that the school is accredited regionally or nationally by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. All documentation must reflect the accredited school (grades, receipts, invoices, etc.). Employees may contact the Educational Assistance office to validate accreditation or check this Web site:

Annual Allowance
Employees pursuing a degree either company or non-company related may be approved through the Educational Assistance Program for a maximum amount of $4,000 in a calendar year. A $600 per course allowance is covered for tuition and an associated lab fee. Miscellaneous fees and books are not covered and must not be embedded in tuition. Employees who are participating in a Sabbatical or Transitional Leave of Absence are eligible for a maximum of $3,000 Educational Assistance per year. (For leave eligibility employees should consult with the Human Resources Department in their respective company.) Tuition and lab fees are covered. Other fees and books are not covered. Combining the amount of tuition used while on leave and tuition amount used while an active employee cannot exceed the annual maximum of $4,000 per year.

Non-Company Courses or Certificate Programs
Courses taken for personal/career development which are non-company related may be approved up to a maximum of $500 per year provided they result in college credits or CEUs and are administered by an accredited institution as part of a certificate program. Courses in sports, games, or hobbies (unless required as part of a degree program) are not eligible for Educational Assistance. Certificate programs (A+, MCSE, etc) are eligible for $500/year maximum.

Pre-pay Approval Process
Pre-pay is the preferred method for Educational Assistance for eligible employees.The RF-1806, (BellSouth Educational Assistance Program Application) must be received in the Educational Assistance Office at least three (3) weeks prior to the beginning date of the class but not more than 90 days prior to the class beginning date. A fax is not acceptable because the RF-1806 must have an original signature when received. If the application is not received three weeks prior to the beginning date of the class, the course will be disapproved. The course should be scheduled at a later date and a new RF-1806 must be submitted for prior approval. Failure to complete all sections of the form may delay approval and possibly warrant the application being disapproved. Upon approval, a copy of the approved Form RF-1806, along with a Tuition Voucher for the amount approved will be returned to the employee. The Tuition Voucher and RF-1806 must be presented to the school at registration or prior to beginning a course.

The school will invoice BellSouth directly and BellSouth will make payment directly to the school on the employee's behalf after the start date of the course. Subsequent changes that result in increased tuition or lab fees will require submitting a new application (Form RF-1806) by the employee prior to the start date of the course. The new application must indicate "corrected copy" and the reason for the correction. Subsequent changes that do not increase the tuition (course name change, etc) do not require that a new RF-1806 be submitted; these changes can be handled over the phone with the Educational Assistance Office prior to the start date of the course. Charges for courses or corrections not submitted to the Educational Assistance office prior to the start date of the course will not be paid and will be the responsibility of the student.
Note: Employees covered under the .Net Working Agreement are not eligible for Pre-pay.

Course Completion
Employees are responsible for submitting satisfactory evidence of completion, such as a grade report or proof of completion, to the Educational Assistance Office within 60 days following the ending date of the course as shown on Form RF-1806. Failure to do so will cause course to change to a drop status if tuition has been paid and will result in suspension from further participation in the program for a period of time. When a course is in a "drop" status the employee is responsible for providing proof of completion to Educational Assistance to change the course status. If BellSouth is required to make payment to the school for a dropped course, the employee may be required to reimburse BellSouth.

Lump Sum
A lump sum of $50 will be paid to you upon submitting evidence of satisfactorily (letter grade "C" or better) completing a PARTNERSHIP approved (paid) course of a quarter or semester in length (30 contact hours). Approved customized courses are eligible for lump sums. One day workshops or seminars are not eligible. This amount is considered earned income and will be taxed. You must request the lump sum within six months of course completion. You must submit to Educational Assistance a signed request (including SS#) for payment. Proof of completion must be provided at the time of the request in the form of an official school document.
Note: Employees covered under the .Net Working Agreement are not eligible for $50 Lump Sum.

Financial Assistance
BellSouth policy requires all financial assistance, such as scholarships, grants, military (Ex: Montgomery GI Bill, Chapter 30, VA Education Benefits, etc.) assistance, discounts or any other financial assistance other than loans to be reported. Financial assistance is deducted from the tuition charged by the school prior to calculating the $600 per course allowance that is authorized under the Educational Assistance Program. If financial assistance is received, either by the school or the student directly, the amount of such assistance MUST be reported on the RF-1806. If the amount is not known at the time the application is submitted, the employee must reimburse BellSouth for the assistance that is later received, by

1. either sending a personal check in the amount of the financial assistance, payable to BellSouth, to the address of the Educational Assistance Office, or
2. When the employee will be attending the next school term by declaring thefinancial assistance on the next application and reporting it thereafter on that application.

Should the employee for some reason not attend school during the next session, then reimbursement should be made by check in accordance with #1 above.
Note: If a student receives other financial assistance that is applied to educational expenses that are not categorized as qualifying educational expenses under the Educational Assistance Program, such financial assistance will not be counted against the employee's annual allowance cap.

Reimbursement Option
The reimbursement option may be used after completion of the course and payment has been made to the school by the student. Complete Form RF-1806 and place a check mark next to the reimbursement block. This formmust be received within six months of completing the course. Reimbursements can only be approved in the Educational Assistance Office. Required documentation for reimbursement includes proof of satisfactory (letter grade "C" or better) course completion, showing college credit or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) received. Include proof of payment with a detailed invoice of tuition, fees, and other costs. If an employee uses the reimbursement option without prior knowledge of course approval, they may be at risk due to course eligibility requirements changing or the annual authorized dollar amount having been exceeded. All reimbursement requests must be submitted within six months following course completion and must be received in the Educational Assistance Office by 12/31 if the amount is to be applied towards the calendar year in which the course was taken. Employees participating in the Educational Assistance Program are expected to exercise ethical standards consistent with our Corporate values. Employees are responsible for ensuring all items, amounts, and explanations submitted for approval are true and correct.

Questions may be referred to the Educational Assistance Office by calling 404-320-2101.

Correspondence should be addressed to:
Educational Assistance Office
675 West Peachtree Street, Suite 26T30
Atlanta GA 30375.

Career Counseling
Possible career or job change? Individual career counseling and assessment is available to you, as a BellSouth Represented Employee, on company time. In addition, follow-up counseling is now available on your own time. Schedule an appointment by contacting PARTNERSHIP at 888.507.2287.

Career/Educational Counseling will help address these issues:

• What options are available to me?
• What are my values, skills, and interests?
• What type of job will best meet my needs and interests?
• How can I set clear career goals?
• A resume critique, if desired.
• What type and how much training do I need for a particular career? (company-related or non-company-related)
• Where can I get this training, and is it close to home?
• What other options do I have? Is home study available?

Computer Training through PARTNERSHIP
End-user Training Company-related, end-user training has been defined as Word, Windows, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Intro to Internet Explorer. PARTNERSHIP now has available self-paced software in many of the company-related applications for use at your home or office. Self-paced training allows you to choose when and at what pace you will move through the course. These courses are like all other PARTNERSHIP Courses, and failure to send in a completion results in a six-month penalty from the PARTNERSHIP program. Courseware that runs on the company standard application packages of the Microsoft Office Suite is available on diskette or CD Rom. This courseware is the method most often used by PARTNERSHIP to provide PC training. In some instances, PARTNERSHIP may approve end-user company-related training through a PC training supplier. Payment for coursework will not be made without prior written approval of the "PC Training Application" from this office. To register for end-user training, complete a "PC Training Application," which can be obtained through the toll-free PARTNERSHIP Hotline 888.507.2287 and follow the menu for PC Training.

Non-Company-Related Training
Non-company-related computer training includes PC applications not standard within BellSouth, as well as programming and networking courses. Any course not listed in the end-user description is considered non-company. PARTNERSHIP provisions allow up to $500 annually for non-company-related training, not taken as part of a degree plan, but meeting other prepay guidelines. To apply for a non-company-related course, use the EA Program App. RF-1806.

Training avenues through the PARTNERSHIP program continue to be evaluated. To ensure you do not incur any coursework charges not meeting the current training guidelines, submit your EA Program App. RF-1806 prior to enrolling in a college course and your PC Training Application prior to registering for a vendor course. The PARTNERSHIP program is intended to help an employee build skills for future jobs, not to provide what should be departmental training. If training is specific to the needs of a department or one job title (Freehand, QuarkXPress), it is likely considered non-company from the PARTNERSHIP perspective.

Correspondence Course Overview
The Correspondence Course program is administered through the Employment Security PARTNERSHIP.The Correspondence Course program is designed for individuals who want an opportunity to continue their personal and professional growth by acquiring new skills and expanding old ones through home-study learning. The student can pursue self-improvement without the demands of full-time school attendance. The program offers a range of courses from basic skills to highly technical topics and is designed for *both* non-management and management employees. Students are allowed 52 weeks to complete each course. These courses are like all other PARTNERSHIP courses and failure to send in a completion results in a six-month penalty from the PARTNERSHIP program. While all employees interested in improving themselves are encouraged to register for the courses they need, some basic points should be kept in mind prior to entering the program. Much time, effort, and expense are involved in the administration of each correspondence course. In addition, the courses themselves place a high degree of demand on the student. For these reasons, students are urged to carefully consider the obligation incurred when beginning correspondence course study and registration in more than one course at a time is not recommended. Systematic study, conscientious application, and a high degree of self-discipline are basic requirements of each course. All regular employees with at least six months net credited service are eligible to participate in the Correspondence Course program. There are no costs to employees for participation in correspondence courses. The PARTNERSHIP office handles registration. Course information should be mailed to the student within 30 days of registration. To register for a course, call PARTNERSHIP at 888.507.2287.