How do I Apply?

How Do I Apply?
When Should I Submit the Reimbursement Form?
Is a CTS Taxable Income?

How Do I Apply?

You apply for a CTS term by term. EBPA will track the 8-term maximum. The procedure is always the same, except for the initial term, which requires additional paperwork.

For every term:

• Print, complete and sign your Tuition Benefit Eligibility Form from the CU Online Benefits Enrollment System.
• Print, complete and sign a College Tuition Scholarship (CTS) Form (PDF/Word). Obtain a copy of the itemized bill from your child's college or university for the term you want covered. Also attach information about any other awards or scholarships the student is receiving.
• Send the application and documentation to:
  EBPA, Reimbursement Account
  P.O. Box 1140
  Exeter, NH 03833-1140
  Phone: 1-888-456-4576
  Business Hours: M-F 8:00 am to 7:00 pm EST

EBPA will send the scholarship check directly to the college or university within three weeks of receiving your application. They will also send you a written confirmation of payment. For questions about your application, please contact EBPA directly.

For the first term only:

Your application must also include proof of your relationship with your dependent child, as described below:

• for your dependent child—birth certificate, adoption papers, or legal guardianship papers
• for the dependent child of your spouse—birth certificate, adoption papers or legal guardianship papers and marriage certificate
• for the dependent child of your same-sex domestic partner—birth certificate, adoption papers or legal guardianship papers and evidence of partnership (i.e. two pieces of documentation that show shared financial responsibilities. Acceptable documentation includes a joint lease or mortgage, joint bank account statement, joint ownership of a motor vehicle, designation of the partner as primary beneficiary in the officer’s will, designation of the partner as beneficiary for the officer’s life insurance or retirement benefits, assignment of power of attorney to the partner, or registration in New York City’s Domestic Partnership Registration Program. In addition, the domestic partner must be an adult of the same gender, and not related to the employee by blood. The officer and domestic partner must have lived together in a committed personal relationship for at least six consecutive months before enrolling for coverage and must anticipate continuing to live together in a personal relationship in which they have joint and reciprocal financial responsibilities)

Note: The first term process must be followed for each dependent, even if you have received a CTS for other children in the past.

 

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When Should I Submit the Reimbursement Form?

You should submit the application to EBPA as early as possible, preferably before the beginning of a school year. You can submit an application after a term begins, but no later than June 30 for the current academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring) and no later than October 31 each year for the most recent Summer term.

 

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Is a CTS Taxable Income?

No —at least most of the time. Under current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, a CTS only counts as taxable income when it benefits the dependent child of a same-sex domestic partner.

Note: If a student receives Tuition Exemption for a Columbia Summer Session, or for a term as a visiting student in the Special Students Program, this will also be taxable income if the student is the dependent child of a same-sex domestic partner.