The tuition benefit agreements provide financial support for full‑time employees, adjunct faculty, and their families. Specifically, full‑time employees receive a 100% tuition waiver for eligible coursework, while their spouses, civil union/domestic partners, and dependent children are eligible for 60% tuition assistance under specific conditions. Adjunct faculty also have access to a limited tuition waiver, including an option for their eligible dependents.

Each program has distinct requirements, coverage levels, and credit or semester limits, but all share a common goal: expanding access to higher education and supporting professional and academic growth within the extended William Paterson community.

Tuition Waivers for:
Full-Time AFT Employees
Spouses and Civil Union/Domestic Partners of Full-Time AFT Employees
Dependent Children of Full-Time AFT Employees
Adjunct Faculty

BELOW: AFT New Jersey President Jennifer S. Higgins (second from left) gathers on June 11 with AFTNJ staff and higher education personnel in the hallway leading to the New Jersey State House in Trenton.

 
Tardi, Eng, and others met with State Senator Parker Space (below, second from the left) of the Military and Veterans Affairs committee.

Union leaders attend private fundraiser for NJ Gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill

AFT Local President Sue Tardi attends AFL-CIO Conference honoring Congresswoman Nellie Pou

AFT Local 1796 leaders participate in the AFTNJ Conference to listen to Gubernatorial Primary candidates’ positions on key concerns in NJ.

William Paterson University students join AFT Local 1796 leaders in an AFTNJ Solidarity Action.

Bottom left: AFT Local 1796 President Tardi attends Senator Pou’s NJ swearing-in as Congresswoman. Bottom right: CNJSCL staff representative Anthony Giardullo and Local 1796 President Sue Tardi attend cocktail reception in support of Senator Nellie Pou.

Faculty Post-Tenure Review Agreement

Students shared first-hand experiences of the challenges they face in pursuing a college education in New Jersey, while union leaders advocated for sustained legislative support for higher education in our state.

With upcoming elections, proposed legislation for a statewide higher education task force, a merger between two public universities in northern New Jersey, federal positions on First Amendment rights on college campuses, cuts to federally funded research, and other national debates, events like this provide a vital opportunity to share our vision for higher education with state lawmakers.

After a long hiatus, AFT Local 1796 has reached an Agreement with WP Administration regarding Assigned Release Time (ART). We have posted it to the Faculty section of our Documents webpage, and it is linked above. The ART Program, which will resume in 2026, with applications to be submitted in 2025, aims to support tenured and tenure-track faculty members in their research, scholarship, and creative endeavors by providing them with release time from teaching duties. The 2025-2026 WP Budget will determine program funding, and the Faculty Senate will deliberate its criteria.

Please read the Agreement for a complete breakdown of the negotiated terms of this program.

They have also published a fact sheet detailing the rights of immigrants, which everyone needs to know amid current threats of immigrant deportation.

Moreover, AFTNJ has created a website hosting this information in both English and Spanish, as well as additional resources, here.