Children: The Benefit

What's Covered
Undergraduate Tuition
Graduate Tuition
Courses Not Covered
Next Steps

What's Covered

The amount of Tuition Exemption granted to an Officer's dependent child depends on the Officer's date of hire.

What If Both Parents are Columbia Officers?

Officers whose hire, first appointment date or promotion to an Officer is after July 1, 2011, or have had a break in service of more than 31 days after July 1, 2011: A child eligible through two Officers–biological or adopted parents, step-parents or legal guardians–can only receive Tuition Exemption through one parent’s eligibility.

Officers whose hire, first appointment date or promotion to an Officer is on or before July 1, 2011 and have not had  a break in service of more than 31 days after July 1, 2011: A child eligible through two Officers, both meeting the above requirements–biological or adopted parents, step-parents or legal guardians–can receive Tuition Exemption through both. The two benefits will be added together, up to no more than 100% of tuition costs. A separate Tuition Exemption Form must be submitted for each Officer.

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Undergraduate Tuition

The Program does not cover non-credit courses; course, lab or other school-specific fees; textbooks; or tuition charged for auditing courses.

Undergraduate Courses at Columbia and Barnard College

For the eligible child of an Officer, the Tuition Exemption program pays 100% of the tuition costs per term. Officers hired after July 1, 2011 must meet a four-year service requirement from hire date before their children may receive Tuition Exemption.

Other Colleges: College Tuition Scholarship Program

If an Officer’s child is registered as an undergraduate at an institution other than Columbia or Barnard College, he or she may be eligible for a College Tuition Scholarship (CTS). For full details, please consult the College Tuition Scholarship Program policy.

Primary Schools in New York City: Primary Tuition Scholarship Program

Younger children residing in the five boroughs, and attending primary school grades K-8 in a private school that is also within  the five boroughs of New York City, may be eligible for a Primary Tuition Scholarship (PTS). For full details, please consult the Primary Tuition Scholarship Program policy.

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Graduate Tuition

Course Numbers 4000 and Above
(unless taken to fulfill an undergraduate degree requirement)

There is no graduate Tuition Exemption Benefit for the children of Officers hired on or after July 1, 1993.

For details on eligibility for those hired prior to July 1, 1993, see Eligibility: Graduate Tuition.

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Courses Not Covered

The following courses are not covered by Tuition Exemption for dependent children:

• Courses offered at Teachers College
• Certificate programs at Barnard College or Teachers College
• Courses with no point/credit value
• Applied music courses (i.e., musical instrument instruction)
• Continuing education (i.e., those beginning with the letter “Q” or “N” unless such a course is taken to fulfill a degree requirement)
• Any audited courses

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Next Steps

Please see How to Apply for details on how to apply for the Tuition Exemption Benefit. 

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