Portable Tuition Benefit Plan for Dependent Children

The Portable Tuition Benefit Plan assists full-time, regular faculty, administrative & professional staff, and professional research staff at Washington Square in meeting the cost of college tuition for their dependent children who matriculate for undergraduate degrees at accredited colleges or universities other than NYU. (For study at NYU, see the policies above on Tuition Remission). There is no limit to the number of eligible dependent children in a family who may benefit from this plan, however there is only one benefit per child.

Eligibility

You are eligible if you are a regular, salaried full-time member of the:

• faculty (object code 102)
• administrative & professional staff (object code 100)
• professional research staff (object code 103)

You must have also completed 3 years (or 10 years for the higher benefit) of continuous full-time service, by the dates outlined below:

September 15 to apply for the benefit for fall term

January 15 to apply for the benefit for winter/spring term

May 15 to apply for the benefit for summer term

If you do not meet the service requirement by the cutoff date, you must wait until the next term to be eligible for the tuition benefit.

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Benefit Amount

The Portable Tuition Benefit Plan benefit amount will depend on your length of continuous full time service with NYU.

• If you have completed 3 but fewer than 10 years of continuous full-time service, the plan will pay the actual charges for your dependent child’s tuition up to a maximum of $1,500 per academic year.
• If you have completed 10 or more years of continuous full-time service, the plan will pay the actual charges for your dependent child’s tuition up to a maximum of $2,000 per academic year.

The maximum duration of the benefit is 4 years (8 semesters or the equivalent number of quarters or trimesters). The terms need not be contiguous, however, the benefit period per child is not to exceed 6 years from the date the student commenced undergraduate study. For students who started an undergraduate degree prior to the introduction of this program, the benefit duration will be the remaining terms of the 4 years, not to exceed 6 years in duration from the date the student commenced undergraduate study.

If your child receives awards and scholarships from other sources, the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan benefit will be capped at the actual tuition liability net of all other awards.

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Eligible Dependent Children

• A dependent child means the employee’s, spouse’s, or domestic partner’s biological or legally adopted child whom the employee or same-sex domestic partner claims as a dependent when filing income tax. Proof of relationship, usually a birth certificate, must be presented. Proof of dependency, such as a tax return, may also be required.

• A dependent child will not be eligible for a benefit in any term that begins after he or she reaches age 25.

• A dependent child must be enrolled as a full-time student matriculated for an undergraduate degree (associate’s or bachelor’s) at an accredited college or university. The student must remain in good academic standing for the duration of the term for which the benefit is awarded. A child is not eligible for a benefit for any term in which he or she does not maintain full-time status as defined by the college or university he or she attends.

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Division of Benefit Payments

The annual tuition entitlement will be paid directly to the student’s college/university each term of the school’s regular academic year in equal installments.

For example:

Tuition means the actual fees charged for the academic program. It does not include health services fees, student activity fees, laboratory fees, miscellaneous fees, room, board, books, or supplies.

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Taxability of Benefit

This benefit for an undergraduate educational program does not constitute taxable income under current IRS regulations with the exception that current regulations do not allow for the tax exemption of payments on behalf of dependent children of domestic partners.

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How to Apply for the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan

You must apply for the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan each term. Obtain an application online and mail it, along with the required document(s) listed below, to the address shown on the application.

For the first term only you must provide:

Proof of your relationship to your dependent child if not previously on file with the NYU Benefits office:

• For biological dependent child: birth certificate showing name of parent and child and date of birth of child.
• For stepchild: birth certificate of child showing name of parent and child and date of birth, and marriage certificate for employee and parent.
• For adopted child: legal adoption papers.
• For child of your domestic partner: First, your domestic partner must be registered with New York University. (See Domestic Partnership Statement.) Secondly, you must furnish a birth certificate showing the name of your partner and the name of the child and the child’s date of birth.

For every term you must provide:

1. A completed Portable Tuition Benefit Plan Application.
2. A copy of an itemized bill from the college or university for the term for which you are seeking the benefit. This bill must include information about any other awards or scholarships applied to the school’s tuition bill.

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Application Deadlines

To insure that the student’s school receives the check in time, you should submit your application with an itemized copy of the bill from the school as soon as you receive it. Payment will be made directly to the institution, within 3 weeks of receipt and verification of a properly completed application and supporting documentation. You will be mailed a written confirmation that payment was made to the school. For questions about your application, call EBPA at 1-800-258-7298 ext. 11690 .

You can submit an application for a benefit after a term begins, but no later than the following dates:

• November 30 to apply for a fall term
• February 28 to apply for a winter term
• April 30 to apply for a spring term
• September 30 to apply for a summer term

No applications for a term will be accepted after the above deadlines.

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Exclusions

The benefit does not extend to temporary employees, visiting faculty or fellows, post-doctoral researchers, part-time employees or those in object codes other than 100, 102, or 103.

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Leaves of Absence

The portable tuition benefit continues while an employee is on an approved University leave of absence.

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If You Leave the University

Whether or not the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan benefit continues depends on the circumstances under which you leave the University, as described below (If the benefit continues, all rules described in this plan apply, including waiting period, age, and other limits):

Resignation or Termination

Entitlement for your dependent children ceases on your separation date. You are responsible for reimbursing the University for a prorated portion of the Portable Tuition benefit.

Layoff (due to job abolishment)

• If you are laid off when you have completed 10 or more years of continuous, full-time NYU employment, entitlement for your dependent children continues until completion of the undergraduate degree program(s) in which they are enrolled at the time of layoff. Children under college age at the time of layoff will be eligible for the Portable Tuition benefit.
• If you are laid off and have completed 3 but fewer than 10 years of continuous, full-time NYU employment, entitlement for your dependent children continues until completion of the undergraduate degree program(s) in which they are enrolled at the time of layoff.

If You Become Totally Disabled

Whether or not your Portable Tuition continues depends on the length of your continuous full-time NYU employment before you became totally disabled.

• Fewer than 5 years— your dependent children may complete the undergraduate degree program in which they were enrolled at the time of total disability.
• More than 5 but fewer than 10 years— your dependent children under college age at the time of total disability will be eligible for the Portable Tuition benefit. Your dependent children may complete the undergraduate degree program in which they were enrolled at the time of total disability.
• 10 or more years— Portable Tuition benefits for your dependent children remains the same as it was before you became totally disabled.

Retirement

Continuation of the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan depends on your length of employment at NYU before retirement.

• If you meet the Retirement Eligibility Rules at the time of your retirement: Entitlement for your dependent children remains the same as it was before retirement. If you have dependent children under college age when you retire, they are eligible for the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan.
• If you meet the Disability Retirement Rule: Entitlement for your dependent children remains the same as it was before retirement. If you have dependent children under college age when you retire, they are eligible for the Portable Tuition Benefit Plan.
• If you do not meet the Retirement Eligibility Rules or Disability Retirement Rules: Your entitlement is the same as under Resignation or Termination.

Death

• If you die and have completed 5 or more years of continuous, full-time employment, entitlement for your dependent children continues until completion of the undergraduate degree program in which they are enrolled at the time of death. Children under college age at the time of death will be eligible for the Portable Tuition benefit.
• If you die and have fewer than 5 years of continuous, full-time employment, entitlement for your dependent children continues until completion of the undergraduate degree program in which they are enrolled at the time of death.

New York University reserves the right to change or terminate the pilot Portable Tuition Benefit Plan at any time. This publication is in no way intended to confer eligibility for the program or to imply a contract for employment.

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