Questions

1. Does Columbia offer scholarships and if so, how many?
2. What percentage of students receive financial aid at Columbia?
3. Does Columbia offer merit scholarships?
4. What is the average financial aid package for an admitted student?
5. Will my chances for admission be affected if I apply for financial aid?
6. What forms/documents are required for financial aid consideration?
7. May I appeal a financial aid package if admitted?
8. Does Columbia match financial aid packages from other schools?
9. Will my financial aid package be any different if I apply for admission under the Early Decision Program?
10. Can I be released from my Early Decision contract because of my financial aid package?
11. What kind of special circumstances are taken into account in the awarding of financial aid?
12. Can families apply for financial aid in future years if they do not apply the first year?
13. Will my financial aid award remain the same all four years?
14. How should I reapply for financial aid as a continuing student?
15. How much debt does the average Columbia student graduate with?
16. What is the process for being selected for the Higher Education Opportunities Program (HEOP) or the National Opportunity Program (NOP)?
    
17. How much is tuition?

Answers

1. Does Columbia offer scholarships and if so, how many?

Columbia College and the undergraduate division of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science provide need-based financial aid to students on the basis of their family’s financial circumstances. There is no limit on the number of students who receive need-based financial aid. Each application is considered individually. Columbia recently announced extensive enhancements to its undergraduate financial aid program.

2. What percentage of students receive financial aid at Columbia?

About 50% of Columbia undergraduates receive some sort of financial assistance. About 80% of first-year students applying for financial aid for the 2006-2007 year received a need-based aid award. Over 40% of Columbia undergraduates were awarded need-based grant aid.

3. Does Columbia offer merit scholarships?

No. There are no academic, athletic or talent-based institutional scholarships. University grants are offered on the basis of demonstrated financial need. However, our students are often the recipients of merit-based scholarships from outside organizations (state grants/scholarships, local/national merit-based awards, etc.); however, no merit-based aid is offered directly from Columbia University.

4. What is the average financial aid package for an admitted student?

Each family’s circumstances are different, and every application for financial aid is considered individually. The average financial aid award for entering first-year students in 2007-2008 was over $30,000.

5. Will my chances for admission be affected if I apply for financial aid?

For United States, Mexican and Canadian citizens, permanent residents of the United States and students granted refugee visas by the United States:

Admission to Columbia College and to the undergraduate division of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is need-blind. This means we will consider your application without regard to your financial need.

For foreign students (students who are NOT United States, Mexican and Canadian citizens, permanent residents of the United States or students granted refugee visas by the United States:

Financial aid is available for foreign students, but candidates should be aware that their applications are read in a more selective process than are other candidates’. However, Columbia is committed to meeting the full need of all applicants admitted as first-year students regardless of citizenship.

As a foreign student, you should determine what amount you feel you and your family could afford to pay each year for four years of study. If you conclude that you and your family will be unable to assume the estimated total cost of attendance, you should apply for financial aid at the same time you apply for admission. If you are traveling to Columbia from another country, you will also want to consider travel expenses.

6. What forms/documents are required for financial aid consideration?

For applicants who are U.S. citizens, we generally require the following forms:

• Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA)
• CSS Profile
• Copies of the student’s and parents’ federal income tax returns

Additional documentation is required for students falling into the following categories: Canadian students, other foreign students, Combined Plan applicants, transfer applicants, students with non-custodial parents, students whose families own a business or farm.

Please visit the Financial Aid Web site to see a complete listing of all forms required and the appropriate deadlines. All application materials may be accessed online through the Financial Aid Web site.

7. May I appeal a financial aid package if admitted?

1. YES, if your family’s financial circumstances changed after you submitted your financial aid application. You may ask, in writing, for a reconsideration of your aid package, and you may do this at any time during the year.
2. YES, if you have complicated circumstances, and you would like us to take a second look at how we interpreted your family’s financial situation, please be in contact with our staff.
3. YES, if another need-based school has provided you a different interpretation of your family’s financial circumstances. You may also ask us to take a second look at how we have interpreted your situation.
4. NO, if your sole reason for the appeal is that you are asking us to consider merit-based offers from other schools.

If you would like to discuss your award, please call the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing to speak with one of our counselors: 212-854-3711.

8. Does Columbia match financial aid packages from other schools?

Once you receive your financial aid package, we do offer an appeals process if your family’s financial situation has changed since you submitted your financial aid application or if another need-based school’s financial aid package has provided a different interpretation of your family’s financial circumstances. While it is not our policy to automatically match financial aid offers from other schools, we will review other schools’ packages to determine if a change may be appropriate. Some schools offer merit-based aid; we will not match offers from these institutions. Just as the admissions staff strives to understand each student’s unique academic and personal achievements, the financial aid office hopes to understand your family’s individual financial situation and how we can help make a Columbia education possible for you.

9. Will my financial aid package be any different if I apply for admission under the Early Decision Program?

Just as in the undergraduate admission process, the decision-making in financial aid is the same for Early Decision as for Regular Decision. Some families may think that their chances for financial aid might be worse when applying early, or that they should not ask for financial aid in the Early Decision process, lest it inhibit their chances of an admission offer. Please be reassured that both Early and Regular Decision processes are need-blind (see Question #5) and that financial aid packages are not any more/less generous in the Early Decision process. Columbia College and The Fu Foundation of Engineering and Applied Science award need-based financial aid to all admitted first-year students.

We know Early Decision candidates have made Columbia their first choice, and we make every effort to help these families finance a Columbia education. If, after receiving the estimated Early Decision financial aid offer, an admitted student’s family has concerns about meeting the costs or about financing the expected family contribution, we encourage the family to contact our office and consult with one of our counselors.

10. Can I be released from my Early Decision contract because of my financial aid package?

It is extremely rare for a family to ask to be released from the Early Decision commitment for financial reasons. There are usually only two or three families each year that ultimately are released for financial aid reasons, and this is normally due to a lack of understanding of need-based aid (i.e., they were expecting merit-based aid, they did not submit complete information when using a financial aid estimator, etc).

It is the family’s determination that they are unable to afford financing a Columbia education that allows them to be released from the binding Early Decision admissions offer. The family must first speak with a financial aid officer, before the release is granted. Ultimately, it is the family’s decision whether or not they feel capable of accepting the need-based Columbia financial aid award.

Those who do opt out of their Early Decision contract are released to pursue lower-cost school options, such as state schools and/or schools that award merit aid. The admission offer at Columbia is then cancelled. A candidate who declines Columbia’s Early Decision offer will not be allowed to reconsider Columbia’s financial aid estimate in the spring Regular Decision cycle and will not be able to reinstate the original offer of admission.

11. What kind of special circumstances are taken into account in the awarding of financial aid?

Federal regulations and school policy allow us to adjust the financial aid formula on a case-by-case basis for such things as unusually high medical expenses, tuition for private secondary school, payments made on educational debt, and support of aging grandparents.

While we realize that other liabilities such as credit card debt, high mortgage payments, car loans and necessary home maintenance may result in cash flow problems, it is generally not possible to take such expenses into consideration when calculating parental contribution.

12. Can families apply for financial aid in future years if they do not apply the first year?

Yes. A family that experiences a change in circumstances may apply for financial aid at any time. For example, it is not uncommon for a family to suffer a job loss or illness or for a younger sibling to begin attending college. Please note, however, that institutional aid will usually be awarded only in cases that involve an involuntary change in circumstances. Parents who decide to retire early or to invest in a business start-up may not be awarded institutional aid. It is a good idea to include a letter describing your family’s change in circumstances with any new financial aid application.

Please note: foreign students and transfer students who were admitted without institutional financial aid are not guaranteed institutional financial aid even if there is a change in circumstances.

13. Will my financial aid award remain the same all four years?

Need-based financial aid is re-evaluated each year so that we may review any changes in your family’s financial circumstances. The factors that may increase or decrease your family contribution (and thus your financial aid eligibility) include changes in income, number of students enrolled full-time in undergraduate education, and household family size. If your family has a drop in income, your financial aid award may increase. If your family has an increase in income, your Family Contribution may increase and your financial aid award will be reduced accordingly. There are many factors considered in determining your financial aid eligibility, and we carefully review all your new information each year.

Since Columbia’s financial aid is determined by need only (not merit), your eligibility for financial aid is NOT affected by your grades or participation in any specifics academic or extracurricular activities. We do, however, hope that you will strive for success in all your Columbia endeavors, both inside and outside the classroom.

14. How should I reapply for financial aid as a continuing student?

As a continuing student (rising sophomore, junior, senior), you will need to complete financial aid application forms each year similar to the ones you completed as a first-year applicant. Continuing student application forms are made available by our office from late February to early March. The deadline for submitting all application materials, including signed and complete copies of student and parent federal income tax returns, will be in early May.

15. How much debt does the average Columbia student graduate with?

While in recent years, the typical student loan debt for Columbia undergraduates was approximately $16,000, Columbia recently announced extensive enhancements to its undergraduate financial aid program, which will eliminate loans for all students receiving financial aid and replace them with University grants, beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year. This will allow all Columbia students to graduate debt-free.

16. What is the process for being selected for the Higher Education Opportunities Program (HEOP) or the National Opportunity Program (NOP)?

HEOP was established by the New York State Legislature in 1969 to assist eligible residents in obtaining higher education at New York private institutions. The National Opportunity Program was created by Columbia in 1986 to provide the same kind of academic and financial support to students from all over the United States. Selection for the HEOP/NOP programs at Columbia involves meeting both academic and economic guidelines.

There are no additional application forms for HEOP/NOP, and all eligible applicants to Columbia will be considered for these programs. Applicants submit the admissions and financial aid application materials and may be contacted for a phone/in-person interview by a member of the Opportunity Programs and Undergraduate Services (OPUS) staff.

In order to be eligible for HEOP, applicants must:

• Reside in New York State and be high school graduates.
• Demonstrate (through academic records) a need for HEOP support services.
• Meet economic eligibility criteria set by the New York State Education Department (see below).

Economic documentation for HEOP and NOP:

HEOP/NOP Economic Eligibility: Household income can be at or below the amounts listed for the number of family members with the exception of the “single head of household” instruction.

An additional $2,700 may be added to the following figures for a single head of household.

Size of household	Amount
1 household member:	$13,300
2 household members:	$18,400
3 household members:	$21,100
4 household members:	$26,200
5 household members:	$31,000
6 household members:	$36,350
7 or more household members:	$40,450 plus $4,100 for each additional family member thereafter

Please contact the OPUS office at 212-854-3514, on the Web or asp@columbia.edu with further questions or concerns.

17. How much is tuition?

For the academic year 2007-2008, the breakdown of billed costs is as follows:

Tuition:	$35,516
Room and Board:	$9,937
Fees:	$1,707
Books and Miscellaneous Expenses:	$2,100
Orientation (first-year only):	$365
Total estimated cost:	$49,625

Medical insurance is also required for all students who do not have comparable coverage. The cost for this insurance is approximately $1,442 for the year for basic coverage and is automatically billed to all students who do not complete the waiver process. A comprehensive insurance plan is also available for $2,067.