Columbia University Student Financial Services

Graduate Financial Aid

Graduate Financial Aid

Types of Aid

Student Loans

Perkins Loans (Federal Loans)

General information regarding Federal Perkins Loan can be found in the University's Graduate Financial Aid site.

Aside from the FAFSA the Office of Student Financial Planning requires the following documents:

  • Perkins Request Form: This form begins the loan processing, therefore it must be completed and submitted every academic year.
  • Entrance interview- All new students and/or first time borrowers are required to complete the entrance interview before funds are disbursed to their university student account. The Entrance interview can be completed on line by logging in to student services on-line (SSOL).
  • Exit Interview - Students who are graduating or ceasing to be registered for at least six credits must complete the Exit interview. The Exit interview can be completed on line by logging in to student services on-line (SSOL).

Note: * Only Students in the full-time JNMS program are eligible to receive a Federal Perkins Loan.

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Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford (Federal Loans)

General information regarding Federal Stafford Loans can be found in the University's Graduate Financial Aid site.

Aside from the FAFSA the Office of Student Financial Planning requires the following documents:
  • Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN): All new students and/or first time borrowers must complete a Federal Stafford Loan Master promissory Note (MPN). Columbia University has a list of suggested lenders; yet students may select any lender of their choice. Students should submit the completed MPN directly to the lender.
  • Stafford Loan Request Form: This form begins the loan processing, therefore it must be completed and submitted every academic year.
  • Entrance Interview: All new students and/or first time borrowers are required to complete the Entrance Interview before funds are disbursed to their university student account. The Entrance Interview can be completed online through Student Services Online (SSOL).
  • Exit Interview: Students who are graduating or ceasing to be registered for at least six credits must complete the Exit interview. The Exit Interview can be completed online through Student Services Online (SSOL).

 

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Federal Graduate Plus loan (Additional Educational Loans)

Graduate PLUS Loans
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Educational Private Loan (Additional Educational Loans)

Private Loans
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Scholarships and Grants

Institutional Aid

Institutional aid is awarded and administered by the Graduate School of Journalism.
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Outside Scholarship and Grants

Students are encouraged to seek funding from all available sources as the need for scholarships far exceeds the amount the School has to allocate. Use of the Web in this regard is particularly fruitful for off-campus scholarships which are administered and awarded independently of the Journalism School. Do not wait to look for graduate funding as many of the off-campus scholarships have December and January deadlines. Other sites that have good information are: Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, ASNE, and many professional journalism associations such as NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, Society of Professional Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Religion News Writers Association, Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and National Association of Science Writers.

Students must notify Student Financial Planning if receiving funds from any outside sources.  If a student receives a scholarship from an outside organization, Student Financial Planning first applies the amount against the student's unmet need, then toward self-help awards (by reducing private loans or work-study), and finally by reducing federal aid (affecting federal loans first) so that total financial aid (including the outside scholarship) does not exceed the cost of attendance.

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New York State Aid (TAP)

To be eligible the student must:

  • Be a New York State resident.
  • Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). New York State will use the FAFSA information as part of the application for TAP. If a student applies using FAFSA-on-the-Web, there will be a link to the online TAP application at the end of the FAFSA session. 

More information about this program can be found at the website of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation.

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Outside Scholarship Links

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