You can afford a Columbia education. We know that choosing the right college involves a variety of factors, and financing your undergraduate education is an extremely important consideration. You should never decide not to apply to a college because you think the cost exceeds your family’s ability to pay. Need-based aid makes it possible for everyone to afford a Columbia education.

Columbia reviews each admitted student’s family’s financial circumstances, determines your financial need, and awards aid to meet a family’s full demonstrated financial need. For many students, Columbia can be as affordable, if not more affordable, than a state-college or university education.

We make every effort to help meet students’ financial needs. Consider Columbia’s recently announced extensive enhancements to its undergraduate financial aid program. In our quest to make Columbia affordable for all students, especially those from low and middle-income families, the University will implement the following financial aid enhancements for all incoming and continuing students beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year:

• Columbia will eliminate loans for allstudents receiving financial aid, whatever their family income, and replace them with University grants.
• In an effort to further assist low-income families, parents with calculated incomes below $60,000 will no longer be expected to contribute any of their income or assets to tuition, room, board and mandatory fees.
• Families with calculated incomes between $60,000 and $100,000 and typical assets will see their parent contributions significantly reduced.
• To support students pursuing study abroad, research, internships and community service opportunities, Columbia will offer additional funding and exemptions from academic year and summer work expectations.

These enhancements build on previous financial aid initiatives and a long standing commitment to make Columbia affordable for all admitted students as illustrated by the following facts:

• Columbia meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for all students admitted as first years, including foreign students and we continue to meet your 100% of your demonstrated financial need for all four years of study.
• The largest percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants in the Ivy League and among the nation’s most elite private research institutions (top 25).
• About 50% of Columbia undergraduates receive some sort of financial assistance.
• 80% of first-year students applying for financial aid received a need-based aid award.
• Last year, Columbia committed over $55 million of its resources for grant aid to undergraduate students.
• Alumnus John Kluge, CC’37, recently pledged $400 million to Columbia, all designated for financial aid. This marks the largest pledge ever devoted exclusively to student aid to any single institution of higher education in the United States.

Each year, Columbia’s Board of Trustees sets tuition and fees for the upcoming year. Figures for the upcoming year are as follows:

Tuition & Fees 2007-2008

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