Faculty Relocation Allowance Program (FRAP)

The Jacobs School of Engineering Requires the completion of the
FRAP Request and Repayment Agreement Form

Program Purpose

The original purpose of the Faculty Recruitment Allowance Program was to provide funds to defray the cost of purchasing a home in San Diego, with the goal of building long-term connections with the university and surrounding communities for the length of their careers. While defraying housing costs continue to be the FRAP?s primary use and purpose, program guidelines have now expanded to support childcare expenses, education or tuition assistance, or similar expenses designated by each UC campus, as noted in Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Policy 190. Please note that the FRAP is independent of the Mortgage Origination Program (MOP).

Eligibility Period

  • Faculty recruitment allowances are disbursed within the first two (2) years of the appointment start date. For example, a faculty member starting July 1, 2021 is eligible to receive FRAP through June 30, 2023.
  • Any eligibility period that differs from the standard should be documented (either with the original supplement letter or with an approved exception). 
  • Exceptions to the disbursement period require EVC approval and should be routed for endorsement to your Department Chair and Divisional Dean?s Office before being sent to Karen Stecher at the Executive Vice Chancellor?s Resource Administration office for processing

Payment Schedule

  • FRAP payments may not be issued prior to the employee?s hire date
  • FRAP distributions may be disbursed in either one single payment or multiple payments. If requested as issued in multiple payments, the distribution period must be agreed upon between the department and the Dean?s Office in writing and may not exceed a period of ten years.  Contact Tana Troke Campana with a cc to the AP Manager to make such requests.
  • If a faculty member elects to receive multiple payments, the first FRAP payment must be issued within the eligibility period.
  • The Jacobs School of Engineering requires repayment in full should a faculty member leave their position within 5 years of their appointment.  5 years from appointment start is the last day of the month 5 years after the faculty appointment start date. For example, a faculty member starting July 1, 2021 must stay employed with us until June 30, 2026 to avoid repaying the FRAP.

Payment Processing Information for Department Staff

  • Faculty member requests FRAP payment/s by complete the FRAP Request and Repayment Agreement Form
  • The form requires that the faculty member certify that the intended purpose of FRAP is one of the three indicated uses on the form. Backup documentation is not required.
  • The FRAP Request and Repayment Agreement Form may be signed either electronically or with a wet signature.
  • The FRAP Request and Repayment Agreement form is routed to the Academic Personnel Manager.
  • The Dean has the authority to approve the FRAP request. Upon approval, the department will receive a signed copy of the form and an email indicating that the payment may be entered.
  • Payment/s will generally be processed as additional pay (one-time or recurring) on the primary faculty job via PayPath (FRA earn code) and issued on-cycle
  • Expedited payments may be processed via an Off-Cycle Payroll Request only when the faculty member is in escrow on the purchase of a home and urgently needs the payment Be sure to note this in the transaction comments but do not upload Proof of Escrow documents to UCPath and do not send to EVC/APS. Off-cycle requests generally take a week or longer. A case using the Ask UCPath button should be submitted on behalf of the faculty member when an off-cycle request has been submitted; this case number will be required in order for Academic Compensation to assist with expediting any payment.

If the faculty member has not set up direct deposit, paychecks will be sent via the U.S. Postal Service, which will add processing time.

Payroll and Tax Implications

Responsibilities

Sample Offer Letter Language

As part of the Faculty Recruitment Allowance Program (FRAP), a faculty recruitment allowance in the amount of $XX,XXX will be provided to you (and is considered taxable income for Federal and State purposes and subject to taxes and withholdings). The primary purpose of the faculty recruitment allowance is to provide support for housing costs in the San Diego area, but you may also use the allowance to support childcare expenses, education or tuition assistance.

The disbursement should begin within two years of your initial appointment. Please be aware that if you leave San Diego employment within five years from the effective date of this appointment, the faculty recruitment allowance is subject to full repayment. FRAP is independent of the Mortgage Origination Program (MOP). For more details or to request payment of a faculty recruitment allowance, contact your department business office.

Additional Guidance

  • FRAP payments are not considered covered compensation for the University?s retirement or employee benefit plans
  • FRAP payments are considered taxable income
  • We have no ability to calculate/predict individual taxes for FRAP payments nor does the university offer tax advice. However, we have seen the taxation at upwards of 40% in some cases, depending on the individual's tax status and withholding.
  • After consulting tax lawyers or consultants, an employee may wish to adjust their W-4 elections (online via the UCPath Portal) prior to requesting such payments
    • Schools/Divisions are responsible for including FRAP, and any associated restrictions, in the offer/perks letter and tracking individual FRAP commitments and usage
    • Departments are responsible processing FRAPs in UCPath, setting faculty expectations, and answering faculty questions (ARC for Health Sciences)
    • Faculty are responsible for providing advance notice to the department business office when an FRA disbursement is requested
    • Academic Compensation is responsible for updating the UCPath Job Aid and assisting with requests to expedite off-cycle payments (ARC for Health Sciences)
    • The Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor (Resource Administration) is responsible for processing exception requests, as detailed above?