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At a Glance: Eligibility Tables

Who Is Eligible and What Is Covered?

Officers
Spouses and Same-Sex Domestic Partners
Children

Important Note About Taxation of Tuition Exemption Benefits

Columbia will withhold taxes on the value of Tuition Exemption Benefits treated as part of the Officer’s taxable income by the federal government in these instances:

  • The value above $5,250 per calendar year for graduate courses (or undergraduate courses that count toward a graduate degree) taken by the Officer is treated as taxable income, except graduate courses that are job-related or taken as part of an undergraduate program.
  • The full value for graduate courses (or undergraduate courses that count toward a graduate degree) taken by spouses, children, or spouse’s children is treated as taxable income.
  • The full value for any classes, graduate or undergraduate, taken by same-sex domestic partners or their children, is treated as taxable income.

See Tax Treatment for details.

Officers

Officers, with few exceptions, must have 2 years of full-time continuous service before they are eligible to use the Tuition Exemption Benefit to help pay for their own education. The amount of the benefit they may receive after completing the 2-year waiting period depends upon when they were initially hired, as well as the type of appointment they hold and when their degree program begins, as described in the table below.

 
Officer is a
Non-Degree Student

- Columbia University only
Officer is Registered in an Undergraduate or Graduate Degree Program

- Columbia University
- Barnard College
- Teachers College
Officers of Administration and the Libraries
Hired on or before 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year, 

  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 15 points per term1 until that program is completed.
  • 2 courses per term1, up to six per academic year, for degree programs that start after Fall 2011
Hired after 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year

2 courses per term1, up to six per academic year

Officers Employed by Columbia University Press

Hired on or before 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year

  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 7 points per term1 until that program is completed.
  • 2 courses per term1, up to six per academic year, for degree programs that start after Fall 2011

Hired after 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year

2 courses per term1, up to six per academic year

Officers of Instruction Or Research - Non-Professorial Rank
Hired on or before 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year

  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: 7 points per term1 until that program is completed.
  • 2 courses per term1, up to six per academic year, for degree programs that start after Fall 2011
Hired after 7/1/2011

1 course per term, up to 2 courses per academic year

1 course per term1, up to three per academic year

Officers of Instruction and Research in a Professorial or Equivalent Rank with or without Modified Titles*
  • Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor
  • Senior Research Scientist/Scholar, Research Scientist/Scholar, Associate Research Scientist/Scholar
  • Lamont Research Professor, Lamont Associate Research Professor, Lamont Assistant Research Professor

1 course per term, up to 2 courses academic year

1 course per term1, up to three per academic year, at Columbia only

Other Officers

Postdoctoral Research Fellows, Postdoctoral Clinical Fellows

1 course per academic year in the American Language Program only

Not Eligible

Visiting Officers of
Instruction and Research; part-time officers

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

  1. In each of the three terms (Fall, Spring and Summer).
* This applies to faculty with the following modifiers in their titles:  Clinical, at the Hospital, of Professional Practice.


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Spouses and Same-Sex Domestic Partners

   
Spouse or Same-Sex Domestic Partner is a
Non-Degree Student
Spouse or Same-Sex Domestic Partner is Registered in an Undergraduate Degree Program1

- Columbia University only
Spouse or Same-Sex Domestic Partner is Registered in a Graduate Degree Program

- Columbia University only
Spouses and Same-Sex Domestic Partners: Officers of Administration and the Libraries
Officer hired after 7/1/2011
 Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible
Officer hired on or before 7/1/2011 but after 6/30/1993
 Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible
 Not Eligible
Officer hired before 7/1/1993 but after 6/30/1987
 Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible
 7 points of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions:  Spouses and same-sex domestic partners of officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.
Officer hired before 7/1/1987
  Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible

100% of tuition per term2

Spouses and Same-Sex Domestic Partners: Officers Employed by Columbia University Press

Regardless of Officer's hire date

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible
Spouses and Same-Sex Domestic Partners: Officers of Instruction Or Research -
Professorial OR Non-Professorial Rank
Officer hired after 7/1/2011
 Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible
Officer hired on or before 7/1/2011 but after 6/30/1993
 Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible
 Not Eligible
Officer hired before 7/1/1993 but after 6/30/1987
 Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible
 7 points of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions: Spouses and same-sex domestic partners of officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.
Officer hired before 7/1/1987
 Not Eligible
  • If accepted and enrolled in a degree program that begins by the Fall 2011 term: 100% of tuition per term2 until that program is completed.
  • If not enrolled for a program that begins by the Fall Term 2011: Not Eligible

100% of tuition per term2

Spouses/Same-Sex Domestic Partners: Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Research Scientists/Scholars
Regardless of Officer's hire date Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Spouses/Same-Sex Domestic Partners: Visiting Officers of Instruction and Research Scholars
Regardless of Officer's hire date Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

  1. Spouses and same-sex domestic partners who have received a bachelor’s degree from any accredited academic institution are not eligible for the undergraduate Tuition Exemption Benefit. 
  2. In each of the three terms (Fall, Spring and Summer).

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Children

Note: The below table applies to Columbia and Barnard College.

Officers hired after July 1, 2011 must meet a four-year full-time, continuous service requirement before their children are eligible. Officers, regardless of hire date, who experience a break in service of more than 31 days after July 1, 2011, must also meet this requirement.

Children attending colleges other than Columbia may be eligible for College Tuition Scholarships (CTS). Consult the College Tuition Scholarship Program policy for further details.

   
Child is a
Non-Degree Student

- Columbia University
- Barnard College

 

Child is Registered in an Undergraduate Degree Program1

- Columbia University
- Barnard College
Child is Registered in a Graduate Degree Program

- Columbia University only
Children: Officers of Administration and the Libraries
Officer hired after 7/1/2011
 100% of tuition per term3
(after 4-year waiting period is met)

100% of tuition per term2
(after 4-year waiting period is met)
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

Not Eligible
Officer hired on or before 7/1/2011 but after 6/30/1993
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 Not Eligible
Officer hired before 7/1/1993 but after 6/30/1987
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 50% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions:  Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.
Officer hired before 7/1/1987
  100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

100% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions:  Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.

Children: Officers Employed by Columbia University Press
Officer hired after 7/1/2011
 100% of tuition per term3
(after 4-year waiting period is met)

100% of tuition per term2
(after 4-year waiting period is met)
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

Not Eligible
Officer hired on or before 7/1/2011 but after 6/30/1993
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 Not Eligible
Officer hired before 7/1/1993 but after 6/30/1987
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 50% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions: Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.
Officer hired before 7/1/1987
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

100% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions: Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.

Children: Officers of Instruction Or Research - Professorial OR Non-Professorial Rank
Officer hired after 7/1/2011
 100% of tuition per term3
(after 4-year waiting period is met)

100% of tuition per term2
(after 4-year waiting period is met)
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

Not Eligible
Officer hired on or before 7/1/2011 but after 6/30/1993
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 Not Eligible
Officer hired before 7/1/1993 but after 6/30/1987
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)		 50% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions: Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.
Officer hired before 7/1/1987
 100% of tuition per term3 100% of tuition per term2
(at Barnard College, up to 8 terms not counting summer)

100% of tuition per term2, with the following exceptions: Children of Officers employed in the Law School are not eligible for this benefit, and those of other officers may not use the benefit for courses in the Law School.

Children: Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Research Scientists/Scholars
Regardless of Officer's hire date Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Children: Visiting Officers of Instruction and Research Scholars
Regardless of Officer's hire date Not Eligible

Not Eligible

Not Eligible

  1. Children who have received a bachelor’s degree from any accredited academic institution are not eligible for the undergraduate Tuition Exemption Benefit. 
  2. In each of the three terms (Fall, Spring and Summer).
  3. With proof that the child is a degree candidate in good standing and needs to take the course as part of the academic program at another college, or to gain admission to another college or graduate program

 

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