Part-Time Study (formerly Extramural Study)

Take Cornell courses while you work.

Advance your career and personal development -- take advantage of the extraordinary educational opportunities available at Cornell. The University’s Part-Time Study (formerly Extramural Study) Benefit waives tuition for benefits-eligible employees to enroll in up to four credit hours per semester.Enrollment depends on space availability, requires supervisory permission, and may be taken for credit or on an audit basis.

Part Time Study Tools:

Eligibility and Limitations

Eligibility: All regular, nonacademic employees and non-professorial academic staff who do not hold voting rights at any college, university, or graduate facility, and ROTC military personnel. Employees of the County Cooperative Extension offices are not eligible for this benefit. Eligibility details by employment status

  • Full-time: four credit hours per semester
  • Part-time: four credit hours per semester
  • Temporary with Benefits (appointment of six months or longer): four credit hours per semester
  • Layoff: six credit hours per semester up to one year from layoff
  • Retiree: six credits per semester
  • Position Leave: not eligible
  • Family Medical Leave: four credit hours per semester
  • Full Disability: six credit hours per semester for duration of disability status if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before disability
  • Partial Disability: six credit hours per semester for duration of disability status if eligibility waiting period was satisfied before disability
  • Long Term Disability: six credit hours per semester while on LTD status. Coursework does not have to be job related.
  • Termination: not eligible

 

Timetable: You must be a benefits-eligible Cornell employee on the first day of classes.

Permission: Permission to enroll must be obtained from supervisor, department head, and the instructor.

Class registration: Courses are limited to those offered for credit through the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.

Space availability: As an employee, you are admitted on a space-available basis and may be asked to withdraw if space is required to accommodate regular Cornell students.

How to enroll

  • Register for courses through the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.
  • Obtain approval of your supervisor, department head, and the course instructor.
  • You must comply with all regulations and procedures contained in the course brochure and must fulfill all registration requirements within the first two weeks of the semester.
  • You may use a combination of tuition aid and the part time study (formerly extramural study) benefit, but the total number of credits for reimbursement cannot exceed four per semester.

Tuition payment

Tuition payment will be made for coursework up to four credit hours per semester. You are responsible for payment of coursework in excess of the four credit hours. If you terminate employment while taking a course for which tuition has been waived, you must either withdraw from the course within the time limits stated in the extramural course brochure or pay the full tuition charge. For certain language and science courses with laboratory requirements, e.g. chemistry, physics and biology, up to six credits may be taken at no charge with prior permission from the Division of Human Resources.

Release time from work

Supervisors have the discretion to either grant release time from work to attend class, or to require that all or part of the time be made up if the absence interferes with the department’s operational requirements. If your supervisor has requested that you take a course, you are not required to make up time. Release time that is granted for part time study (formerly extramural study) will be recorded as leave with pay. Part-time employees are generally expected to take courses outside of regular working hours.