SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Types of Aid

SIPA students may receive any of the following types of financial assistance:

SIPA Fellowships and Scholarships

These are funds provided to students by SIPA and do not have to be repaid. Most awards include an employment obligation as a teaching assistant, research assistant or program assistant within SIPA; a limited number do not. Please note that while many students do receive fellowships and scholarships, the process is competitive and funds limited; we cannot admit students with any guarantee of funding for either the first or second year.

Approximately 10% of the first-year class receives support from SIPA, with awards ranging from $5,000 for the year to a limited number of half or full-tuition fellowships. The median first-year award is approximately $15,000. All SIPA applicants are automatically considered for fellowship and assistantship aid. Awards are granted based on the strength of the admissions application and academic merit. Some first year awards are a combination of SIPA fellowship funding and funding from external organizations with whom SIPA partners to help pay educational related costs.

In the second year of study, approximately 70% of SIPA students who apply for a fellowship or assistantship receive an award, with amounts again ranging from $5,000 for the year to a limited number of half or full-tuition fellowships. The median second-year award is approximately $21,000. Students apply for second-year support during the spring semester of their first year, and awards are granted based on academic performance and the applicant's capacity to perform any work obligation that may be included with the fellowship.

Educational Loans

Approximately 40 percent of SIPA students cover the cost of attending through borrowing. Students are encouraged to consider loans carefully. Loan repayment is often flexible, with a number of plans available, including some contingent upon income levels. There is also partial loan forgiveness available to those who have established careers in the non-profit sector, a frequent career path for many SIPA graduates.  

Federal Student Loan Programs

These loan programs are available to US citizens, permanent residents and refugees (not to international students). They include the Federal Direct Stafford, Graduate PLUS and Perkins Loans. Applicants must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at www.fafsa.gov, and then complete required application materials after eligibility has been determined by the Financial Aid Office, who will provide specific instructions to eligible borrowers. Annual limits apply for each loan program. Application materials should be submitted as early as possible to ensure that loan funds are available by the beginning of the term. Additional information is available at the following sites:

Federal Stafford and PLUS Loans

These loan programs are funded by the Federal government, and beginning for periods of attendance and academic years starting after June 30, 2012, interest is not subsidized for the Federal Stafford Loan (also known as the Federal Direct Student Loan). This is not a change for the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, which has never offered an interest subsidy. This means that interest is accumulating while you are enrolled; you will have the option of paying the interest quarterly or adding it to the principle (known as capitalizing the interest). If you are able to pay the interest while in school, it can reduced up to thousands of dollars on your debt, depending on the amount you ultimately borrow. Most students qualify for $20,500 in Stafford (Direct) Loans per year, while the Graduate PLUS loan is available in amounts up to the full cost of attendance minus any other loans or aid. The current interest rate is 6.8% for the Stafford Loan and 7.9% for PLUS.

www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/ Grad_Fin_Aid/Federal/Stafford.html

Federal Perkins Loan

The Federal Perkins Loan offers low interest (5%) loans that are fully deferred while you are in school. However, the Perkins Loan is available in smaller amounts (not to exceed $6,000 per year), and funds are limited, so SIPA is therefore not able to offer them to all students.

www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/Grad_Fin_Aid/Federal/Federal_Perkins.htm

Private Education Loans

Student loans offered through private lenders or banks are available for both domestic and international students to help pay for educational costs while attending SIPA. These loans are credit-based and may require a co-signer. For information on private loans, please visit the following site: www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/Grad_Fin_Aid/Private_Loans/index.html

Federal Work-Study Program

This need-based federal aid program supports work-study positions on campus for U.S. citizens, permanent residents and refugees (not international students). Applicants must complete a FAFSA. For more information, see:
www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/Grad_Fin_Aid/Federal/Workstudy.html

Student Employment

International students are not eligible for work-study but may work as a "casual employee." Teaching assistant or program assistant positions are available in the second year and applications must be submitted according to policy set forth by the Office of Student Affairs during the first year of study.

For information on the continuing student fellowship program see this page.

For links and information on available campus jobs for students, please visit https://jobs.columbia.edu/ .

External Scholarships/Fellowships

All students, new and continuing, are encouraged to pursue funding opportunities through external organizations. To this end we have created a database of external grants and fellowships that can be found here. Many SIPA students have secured funding from sources throughout the world, based on many different criteria.

United States Military Veterans

SIPA participates in a number of programs to help ensure that this vital part of the student body is well represented. For years the School has hosted Foreign Area Officers (FAO) from the United States armed forces and will work with FAOs, who are admitted to tailor SIPA’s study schedule to meet FAO program needs.

In addition, SIPA participates in the Yellow Ribbon program to support veteran students with fellowship support, for which the Yellow Ribbon program provides matching funds. www.gibill.va.gov/GI_BILL_info/ch33/yellow_ribbon.htm

Many students have used the GI Bill to support their studies at SIPA. For more information on the GI Bill, please see: www.gibill.va.gov/

The General Wayne A Downing Scholarship fund, sponsored by the West Point Association of Graduates in cooperation with the United States Military Academy Combating Terrorism Center, provides selected officers with the opportunity to study terrorism and counterterrorism issues in top-tier graduate programs around the world.  For more information: www.hrc.army.mil/portal/

 

Special Fellowship Programs

In addition to other institutionally funded fellowships and assistantships, SIPA is fortunate to be able to provide unique funding opportunities through two special programs.

The first program is the Lemann Fellowship. Established by Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann, Lemann Fellowships promote student exchange between Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Brazil. The program provides support to SIPA students participating in the School's dual-degree program with Fundação Getulio Vargas Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo, students who live or have lived in Brazil, and for students to engage in study, research, and internships in Brazil. For information on this program, click here.

The second program is the International Fellows Program. The International Fellows Program is a two-semester seminar open to students of all graduate degree programs at Columbia University.  The diverse perspectives and professional backgrounds that Fellows bring to the program enrich their year-long common enterprise. For more detailed information, click here.

SIPA also partners with other organizations to provide funding for students. If admitted applicants have an affiliation with a particular organization or have been awarded funding to attend graduate school, SIPA will often try to award funding to select admitted applicants to help pay for educational expenses.

Receipt of such funding is most often competitive and varies in amount. This means that not everyone admitted that has an affiliation with an organization or who has earned a fellowship is guaranteed funding from SIPA. A list of the organizations we partner with can be found here.