What if My Employment Status Changes?

Layoff

If you are laid off during a term, your child’s CTS for that term will not be revoked. However, he or she will not be eligible for a CTS for any subsequent term. This policy also applies to officers of research on leaves of absence due to lapse of funding.

Retirement

Upon your retirement, and if you meet the minimum retirement eligibility requirements,  you or your spouse’s or same-sex domestic partner’s dependent child remains eligible for a CTS under the terms in effect for active officers at the time the annual application is submitted.

Note: To meet the minimum retirement eligibility requirements, officers must be 55 years or older and must have completed ten years of continuous benefits-eligible service after age 45.

Leave of Absence (other than for  lapse of funding)

Officers on any paid or unpaid leave of absence are still considered to be full-time Officers and their children are eligible for the CTS.
Note: To be eligible, dependent children must be age 26 or under.

Death

• If a deceased officer had completed ten years of continuous benefits-eligible service at death, the otherwise eligible dependent child of the officer, or of the officer’s spouse or same-sex domestic partner, is eligible for a CTS under the terms in effect for active officers at the time the application is submitted.
• If a deceased officer had completed less than ten years of continuous benefits-eligible service at death, the otherwise eligible dependent child may receive a CTS only to complete a degree program started before the Officer’s death.

Resignation, Discharge or Release

If you resign, are discharged or released, or switch from a full-time to a part-time appointment during a term, you must refund to Columbia a portion of any CTS benefit received for that term. The accompanying tables tell you what portion of your CTS you are entitled to retain if you leave in a given month. Note that it does not matter which day of the month marks the end of your eligibility; only the month matters. (Eligibility officially ends at the close of business on the last day of your active, full-time employment with the University.)