How the Benefit Works for Family Members
Eligible spouses, same-sex domestic partners, and dependents may receive the unused portion of a support staff member’s benefit.
Eligible family can only use the benefit for undergraduate and graduate classes at Columbia, not at Barnard or Teacher’s College.
In addition, dependents must be enrolled at Columbia as candidates for a Bachelor’s, Professional or higher degree—unless they have obtained admission to Columbia as a non-degree special student while enrolled in a similar degree program at another accredited college or university.
Courses Not Covered
The Tuition Exemption Benefit does not cover for support staff or their family members:
- All short-term, intensive, and fee-based courses in which the instructor is paid on the basis of the number of students registered in the course
- Courses with no point value
- Applied music courses (i.e., musical instrument instruction)
- Continuing education courses (i.e., those beginning with the letter “Q” or “N”, unless such a course is taken to fulfill a degree requirement)
- Any audited courses.