Frequently Asked Questions

Fellowships, scholarships and other forms of financial aid

1. I am a current applicant, how can I access the Scholarship Aid Application?

The Scholarship Aid Application can be accessed through the online application on December 1, 2009. On the main page, after you log in, you will see a form called "Scholarship Aid Form" under "Application for Admission." Click on this form and complete this form. The Scholarship Aid Form is due on February 1, 2010.

Admission decisions are made at the school without regard to applicants’ financial need.

All applicants, both domestic and international, who wish to be considered for scholarship assistance, must submit The Graduate School of Journalism Scholarship Aid Application. The Scholarship Aid form will be available on December 1, 2009. It will be due February 1, 2010.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents must also submit the 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be found at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. The school code for the Graduate School of Journalism, which is required to complete the form, is E00122. The FAFSA will be available on January 1, 2010. Your Scholarship Aid Form and FAFSA are due in February 2010.

Scholarship award decisions are based on both merit and need. The Journalism School Scholarships and fellowships are administered by the School’s Office of Admission and Financial Aid; all student loans are processed by the Office of Student Financial Planning.

3. What supporting documents must be submitted with The Graduate School of Journalism Scholarship Aid Application?

Please submit these documents after you have completed a Scholarship Aid Form (available December 1, 2009). All U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents must submit a 4506 form for each tax return submitted to the IRS. This permits a third party to receive a copy of your 1040 form directly from the federal government. If Columbia requests the 1040 form, the student will be notified in advance.

International students must provide bank statements verifying income and asset information provided in the scholarship form.

For 2010 applicants, the 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid will be available January 1, 2010 (FAFSA) and The Graduate School of Journalism Scholarship Aid Application will be available December 1, 2009. All scholarship aid documents will be due February 1, 2010. You may submit your online application before you complete your scholarship aid applications.

All International students must provide documentation verifying income and asset information provided in the scholarship application form; examples of these documents are: tax forms, statement from employer, bank statement, etc. by February 1, 2010.

5. When will I be notified of my scholarship aid award? When will I be notified of my federal financial aid?

All admission decision emails will be sent to the applicant at the end of March. All scholarship aid award emails will be sent to the applicant in mid- April. In order to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must submit the 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This will be available January 1, 2010. We ask students to complete the Scholarship Aid Form and the FAFSA by February 1, 2010. The Office of Student Financial Planning will notify you of your federal financial aid package once you complete the FAFSA.

6. What percentages of students are on financial aid?

The Graduate School of Journalism offers approximately $4.2 million annually in fellowships and scholarships to students who demonstrate high academic achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise for leading careers in journalism. In conjunction with the Office of Student Financial Planning, we work with each student to ease the cost of attendance through a combination of scholarships and need-based programs, including grants and federal and private loans.

For the incoming 2009 class, about 80% of our students utilized some sort of financial aid, including grants, loans or scholarships. To apply for scholarship aid from the Journalism School, submit the Journalism School Scholarship Aid application found on our Web site. You will then be automatically considered for merit and need-based scholarships. Admissions decisions are need-blind.