SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

How to Apply

Initial Application Process

All applicants for admission to SIPA are automatically considered for institutional fellowship and scholarship funding.  No additional form or step is required.  Domestic students interested in applying for student loans or Work Study must also submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.  International students should not complete a FAFSA, as it is used to determine eligibility for forms of aid only available to domestic students.

Depending on your eligibility, you may complete applications for the aid types described below:

SIPA Fellowships and Scholarships

Fellowships consist of various combinations of tuition credit (which works like a scholarship), salary, and in some cases, an additional stipend payment.  These awards are merit-based.  Fellowships include a work commitment; scholarships do not.  All applicants are eligible for consideration regardless of citizenship.  It is important to meet deadlines to be considered, and applicants should be aware that funding is limited and competitive.  

Prospective New Students

SIPA considers all admitted applicants for first-year scholarships. The only requirement is to complete and submit the admissions application by the preferred admissions deadline.  We also offer first-year students an opportunity to compete for additional SIPA named fellowships that require a separate application.

Continuing Students

In order to be considered for SIPA fellowships, current students, including those who received support in their first year, must submit an application by the date set by the Office of Student Affairs. Applications will be made available online and information sessions will be scheduled to provide information about the process.  For more information, visit the Office of Student Affairs website.

External Fellowships

Many SIPA students have successfully secured external fellowship or scholarship support. Many of these scholarships are described in the SIPA directory of external fellowship opportunities. If you are awarded an external fellowship, it is your responsibility to notify the SIPA financial aid office, as it may impact student loan eligibility.  You can also visit scholarship search sites such as www.fastweb.com or www.scholarships.com. 

Federal Financial Aid

At the graduate level, Federal aid consists of various loans and Work Study.  These forms of aid are available only to United States citizens, permanent residents, and political refugees.

Completing the Application Process for Federal Financial Aid

• The FAFSA URL is www.fafsa.gov.  Prior to starting your FAFSA, click on the “PIN site” link at the top of that page to get a PIN, which is required for submission.
  
  
• Applicants must include Columbia’s Title IV School code number, 002707, in the school listing section of the FAFSA.
  
  
• Your FAFSA data is then transmitted to Columbia for review.

In order to assure full consideration and timeliness of receipt of available funding, we recommend that you submit your FAFSA no later than April 15 (although new students may want to submit the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible).   Your previous year’s federal income tax return and W2 forms may help you complete your FAFSA more accurately.

The SIPA Financial Aid Office may contact you with requests for other documentation. This may include any of the following (this is not an exhaustive list): 

• Signed copies of a federal income tax return or IRS tax transcript;
  
  
• A verification worksheet;
  
  
• Verification of your citizenship status or registration status with Selective Service.

Please respond promptly to all requests for information so as to prevent delays in processing.  When completing the FAFSA, you will also have the opportunity to transfer your tax information directly from the IRS to the FAFSA database, which may eliminate the need for our office to collect income tax documentation.

Upon review of your FAFSA data, SIPA will determine and notify you of your financial aid eligibility.  Student loans require the completion of additional documents, including a promissory note.  SIPA’s Financial Aid Office will provide instructions for the specific loans for which you qualify.

Meeting Educational Expenses

Many students may find that there will be a gap between the amount of fellowship, scholarship and/or loan aid for which they qualify and the total cost of attending SIPA.  Additional financing options are available in the form of supplemental loans and monthly payment plans.  SIPA students are also reminded to investigate external sources of funding for which they may qualify.

If you have any questions about the financial aid application process, please contact us at sipa_finaid@columbia.edu or 212-854-6216.