Children: The Benefit

The amount of tuition exemption granted to an Officer's dependent child depends on the Officer's eligibility, rank and school, and on the level of the courses taken.

What If Both Parents are Columbia Officers?
Undergraduate Tuition: What is Covered?
Graduate Tuition: What is Covered?
Courses Not Covered
Next Steps

What If Both Parents are Columbia Officers?

A child eligible through two Officers – biological or adopted parents, step-parents or legal guardians – can receive tuition benefits through both. The two benefits will be added together, up to 100 percent of tuition costs. A separate application must be submitted for each Officer.

Undergraduate Tuition: What is Covered?

Undergraduate Courses at Columbia and Barnard

For the child of an Officer, the Tuition Exemption program pays 100 percent of tuition costs each term if:

The child is registered in an undergraduate degree program at Columbia College, Barnard College, the School of General Studies, or the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; or
The child has completed high school, is registered as a non-degree Special Student in an undergraduate course (below 4000), and can satisfy one of the following requirements:

Demonstrate in writing that the child is a candidate in good standing at another undergraduate institution and that the courses taken at Columbia are part of the academic program. The child may enroll through the School of Continuing Education as a visiting special student; or

The child is enrolled in courses specified in writing by an admissions officer of an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program as being necessary for admission into such program.

Note that for Columbia University Officers' children who attend Barnard College, the Tuition Exemption Benefit is limited to 8 terms. Courses taken at Barnard during the summer sessions are not counted agaist the 8-term limit.

The Tuition Exemption Benefit does not cover course fees or the tuition charged for auditing courses.

Other Colleges: College Tuition Scholarship Program

If an Officer’s child is registered as an undergraduate at an institution other than Columbia or Barnard, he or she may be eligible for a College Tuition Scholarship (CTS), which pays for half of the dependent’s tuition bill for eight terms (or the equivalent); summer classes are not counted against the 8-term limit. If both parents are active, full-time Columbia Officers, an eligible child can receive the benefit twice each term. (Note that this program also does not cover fees.) For full details, please consult the College Tuition Scholarship Program online.

Primary Schools in New York City: Primary Tuition Scholarship Program

Younger children, attending primary school grades K-8 in a private school within the five boroughs of New York City, may be eligible for a Primary Tuition Scholarship (PTS). This pays between 10 and 35 percent of tuition depending on family income; if both parents are active, full-time Columbia Officers, an eligible child can receive the allocated benefit twice each term. For full details, please consult the Primary Tuition Scholarship Program online.

Graduate Tuition: What is Covered?

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

The Tuition Exemption Benefit granted to children who take graduate level courses (unless such courses are taken to fulfill an undergraduate degree requirement) depends on the Officer’s date of appointment as a full-time, salaried Officer of the University:

Officer appointed after June 30, 1993, and continuously employed at Columbia University: There is no Tuition Exemption Benefit for graduate school or graduate level courses for Officers' children.
Officer appointed between July 1, 1987 and June 30, 1993, and continuously employed at Columbia University: The child's Tuition Exemption Benefit for graduate school or graduate level courses is equal to 50% of tuition costs, regardless of age, financial dependency or marital status, provided the child has completed high school. Courses at the Law School or Teachers College are not covered.
Officer appointed before July 1, 1987, and continuously employed at Columbia University: The child's Tuition Exemption Benefit for graduate school or graduate level courses is equal to 100 percent of tuition costs, regardless of age, financial dependency or marital status, provided the child has completed high school. Courses at the Law School or Teachers College are not covered.

Courses Not Covered

The following courses within the Columbia University affiliations are not covered by tuition exemption for dependent children:

Courses offered at Teachers College
Courses offered at Columbia University Law School
All short-term, intensive, and fee-based courses in which the instructor is paid based on the number of students registered in the course
Courses with no point 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 or non-credit courses

Next Steps

Please see “Procedures” at right for details on how to apply for the Tuition Exemption Benefit.