Tuition assistance for college employee dependents is an attractive recruitment and retention benefit. There are three ways this is typically afforded. First, children’s tuition may be waived 50 to 100 percent at the home college. Second, if dependents opt to enroll at a different institution, a college may provide a cash grant or a percentage of the tuition at the other school. Third, often there is a reciprocal scholarship arrangement through a consortium of member schools where offspring of employees at a member college may have their tuition waived if they attend another member college.

Ithaca College provides the first two benefits, waiving eight semesters tuition for dependents attending the college for a baccalaureate. If an employee’s child attends a different institution, the college provides a cash grant of $1,000 a year for four years. But the college is not presently a member of any reciprocal scholarship consortium.

Reciprocal scholarship consortia are a popular university employment benefit. With 600 colleges participating, the Tuition Exchange Inc. is the largest, and it includes upstate schools Syracuse University, Hobart College, Alfred University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Niagara University as members. Membership in this nonprofit exchange is inexpensive for schools, and the number of scholarships may be limited by institutions depending on their import-export ratios. This ratio maintains a balance between students enrolling from other areas and dependents attending schools elsewhere.

Tuition Exchange scholarships, averaging $24,000 last year, are competitive and not guaranteed. As its Web site explains: “The receiving institution sets the number and criteria for award decisions. Satisfying admissions criteria does not make awards automatic.” No money changes hands among colleges.

Three years ago, the Humanities and Sciences Faculty Senate proposed that the college join the Tuition Exchange, noting “of 20 peer institutions in Associated New American Colleges, Ithaca College is one of only two institutions not part of a tuition  exchange program.” Some colleges, like Keuka and Hartwick, participate in several tuition exchange programs.

How do IC’s tuition benefits compare with other upstate schools?

Cornell University waives 50 percent of tuition to employees’ children attending Cornell, but it pays 30 percent of Cornell’s tuition toward a different institution.

Hamilton College and Colgate University offer grants equal to 50 percent of the tuition regardless of whether dependents attend other institutions or Hamilton and Colgate. Syracuse gives a 100 percent tuition waiver, Tuition Exchange or a $2,500 a year cash grant. Rochester Institute of Technology provides 100 percent tuition waiver, Tuition Exchange or a $1,500 a year cash grant.

Most generous is Hobart William Smith offering 100 percent tuition waiver, or up to 40 percent of its tuition for other colleges or Tuition Exchange. A Scrooge award goes to Rochester University with a 50 percent tuition waiver for dependents after five years employment, 100 percent after 10 years and no tuition benefits for attending  other institutions.

A recent article in American University’s “American Today,” “Here’s How Tuition Benefits Work,” notes how a combination of tuition waiver and a tuition consortium is a win-win for the university and the employees. Especially for Ithaca, with its geographic isolation, joining the Tuition Exchange could be a significant, low-cost benefit.

Eloise Greene, ms ’90 is the internship coordinator for the Park School of Communications. E-mail her at eloise@ithaca.edu.