Eligibility for Support Staff Family Members
Eligibility Requirements
A support staff member’s legal spouse, same-sex domestic partner, or children are eligible for any unused portion of the staff member’s tuition benefit, for courses at Columbia only. The benefit for family members cannot be applied to Barnard or Teachers College courses.
Eligible children are age 26 or under, are considered “financially dependent” by the IRS, and are the biological or adopted son or daughter, of the staff member, or the staff member’s spouse or same-sex domestic partner.
Ineligible children are over age 26, not “financially dependent,” married, or under the legal guardianship but not the parentage of the staff member.
A child registered as a degree candidate at an institution other than Columbia is only eligible for tuition benefits when enrolled as a non-degree, special student at Columbia. The support staff member must provide official written proof of the child's degree candidacy from the other institution.
Important Notice to Same-Sex Domestic Partners
Please see Benefits in Brief to understand the definitions of same-sex domestic partners for purposes of receiving University benefits.