Submit College Tuition Scholarship Applications, starting July 1, 2023
The new academic year is quickly approaching. To receive the College Tuition Scholarship (CTS) benefit, Officers must apply each term.
To ensure your College Tuition Scholarship (CTS) Benefit application is processed in a timely manner, submit it to EBPA, the CTS administrator, as soon as you receive your child’s itemized college tuition bill. You may submit CTS applications for the upcoming Fall 2023 term beginning July 1, 2023. Please do not send it in advance.
What’s New
- Lunch & Learn, College Tuition Scholarship: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 12 noon – 1 p.m. An opportunity to learn all there is to know about your CTS benefit, processing guidelines, and an opportunity to ask questions. Register Now
- EBPA’s CU Tuition Tracking System: Register to track the status of your application with EBPA. Applications will be available for tracking 2-3 business days after they are submitted through the portal.
As a reminder, the CTS benefit pays 50% of a student’s undergraduate tuition at accredited institutions outside of Columbia (up to an annually defined limit of the current year’s Columbia College tuition) for up to eight (8) semesters. The child must matriculate into their degree program by the end of the month in which they turn age 26.
Helpful Tools and Resources
The following resources are available on the Officers – College Tuition Scholarship website page:
- College Tuition Scholarship Checklist: A helpful guide to prepare and submit your application(s) to EBPA.
- College Tuition Scholarship Policy
- Tuition Programs / CTS FAQs
Your Child's Tuition Bill
As part of the CTS application, you must provide a copy of the college or university’s itemized tuition bill. Traditional or online student account bills (e-bill) are accepted. The bill must include:
- College or university name or logo;
- Dependent child’s name;
- Itemized tuition amounts;
- School Year and semester/trimester/quarter the student is attending;
- Dollar value of any scholarship, grants, and/or awards received; and
- Payment mailing address information. If payment mailing address information is not printed on the online student account e-bill, provide a copy from the official website page which confirms payment mailing address information, and submit it with your CTS application.
If Your Child Receives Scholarships, Grants, and/or Awards
You must provide official documentation which details if those funds are applied specifically to “tuition,” or “may be applied to all charges” on the student account. To assist you in securing this information, please see the Grants, Awards, and Scholarships - Sample Letter to School.
EBPA will notify you by email if your CTS application is missing required information. Please respond as quickly as possible to avoid any processing delays.
If you have questions about the CTS policy or other Tuition Program benefits, please call the Columbia Benefits Service Center at 212-851-7000 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday) or email [email protected].