Student FICA Exemption

CUNY Student-Employee FICA Tax Exemption

The City University of New York (CUNY) follows IRS rules in determining a student's exemption from FICA withholding. FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) refers to taxes for Social Security (OASDI) and Medicare.

FICA is a United States payroll tax withheld from your paycheck to fund the federal Social Security and Medicare programs. Many foreign students and scholars are exempt from paying this tax if they meet certain criteria. There are two possible FICA exemptions for employees at the University:  The student exemption and the nonresident alien exemption. Please find below the CUNY Student FICA Tax Exemption Policy and related resources. 

• CUNY Student FICA Tax Exemption Policy
• Requesting Student FICA exemption: Student-Employee User Guide
• FAQs – Student FICA Exemption
• CUNYFirst Login Page

For additional information, please contact: Ms. Shamaya Green at 212-650-6065 or via email at sgreen@ccny.cuny.edu