How the Benefit Works for Support Staff

The Benefit for Support Staff

In general, the benefit for support staff applies during the academic year (September-May) to undergraduate and graduate classes at Columbia University, Barnard College and Teachers College. Members of collective bargaining agreements should review their agreement carefully for rules regarding summer term courses; exceptions allowing summer term courses vary.

Note that only tuition costs are covered. This benefit also does not cover course fees and/or the cost for auditing a course.

Courses given during work hours are not normally open to support staff; with the department head’s approval, however, staff may register for one such course each term if they arrange an alternate work schedule.

Full-time support staff

Non-union support staff/Local 2110/SSA: Seven points per term
Local 1199: Seven points per term, up to two courses
MEBA/MM&P: Seven points per term, up to two courses.
Local 100/TWU: Seven points per term (six points during first year), up to two courses.

Part-time support staff:

Part-time support staff, excluding members of MEBA and MM&P who are not eligible if they work part-time, may receive tuition exemption for one course per term, up to three points during the first year and up to four points per term every year after that.

The required number of hours in a regularly scheduled part-time work week may vary. For this and other details, part-time union support staff must refer to their collective bargaining agreement.

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.