The USA Health & Dental Plan provides comprehensive benefits for services received within a network of Blue Cross Blue Shield providers. Within the USA Health & Dental Plan is the USA Health System, a network of hospitals, physicians, outpatient clinics and other providers affiliated with the University of South
Alabama. Their participation in the USA Health & Dental Plan allows members to receive medical care at a lower cost to both the Plan and the member. Outside the State of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield providers are members of the BlueCard PPO Network.

New enrollees and their dependents must be covered under the USA Health & Dental Plan for a period of 270 days before benefits are payable for pre-existing conditions. Maintaining coverage from a previous employer, if applicable, may provide coverage until the pre-existing conditions period is satisfied.

Annual enrollment for the USA Health & Dental Plan is held in November for coverage effective January 1 of the following year. The 270-day pre-existing conditions period applies during the annual enrollment.

SouthFlex is a flexible spending account(s) plan. It is designed to increase disposable income by reducing the amount of taxes paid by allowing the use of pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified dependent child care expenses and qualified health care expenses, including dental. Either the Health Care Account or the Dependent Care Account, or both, is credited with a deposit from each paycheck. As eligible expenses are incurred, claims may then be filed for reimbursement using before-tax contributions.

Cost: The University pays all administrative expenses.

Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada - Long Term Disability Insurance After a 90-day period of disability, 66 2/3% of employee's base salary will be paid for permanent or temporary total disability up to a maximum benefit of $10,000 a month.

Cost: Total cost of long term disability coverage is paid in full by the University.

* Includes matching amounts of Accidental Death and Dismemberment and $5,000 term insurance benefit for spouse and eligible children.

Cost: Total cost of basic coverage is paid in full by the University.

Additional term insurance coverage equal to 1, 2, or 3 times the basic coverage is available to employees at group rates. Employees applying for optional coverage or requesting additional coverage
must be medically underwritten.

Additional coverage for spouse and dependent children is available.

Employees become vested in the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama with 10 years of service credit and may begin drawing benefits at age 60.

Employees with 25 years of service credit may receive benefits at any age. Participation is required under state law.

Cost: Each employee contributes 5% of annual salary. The University contributes an amount as determined by
independent actuaries. Employee contributions are sheltered from federal income tax until retirement benefits are received or the separated member withdraws from the system.

Sick leave is provided to protect an employee against loss of income when confined at home or in the hospital due to illness or injury, when an employee must have health-related professional services which cannot be obtained outside regular work hours, or when an employee must care for a seriously ill member of the immediate family for not more than three days per illness.

Sick leave is accrued at the rate of eight hours (one day) per month, for full-time employment, with unlimited accumulation.

Following are the eight scheduled holidays observed on campus each year:

New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Mardi Gras Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

Additional special holidays may be designated by the President of the University.

Spouse/Dependents - Tuition assistance is also available to the spouses and unmarried dependent children (under age 25) of employees who are eligible for the education benefit.

Reimbursement is 50% of tuition only (no fees) with no hour maximum. Spouse/dependents must receive a minimum grade of D for undergraduate course(s) and C for graduate course(s).

The employee pays total cost at registration and is reimbursed upon successful course completion and request for reimbursement.

In accordance with current law, all reimbursements for spouses and eligible dependents classified as graduate students are subject to federal and state income tax.