Contents
Application Deadlines
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Health Insurance
Partner Programs

Application Deadlines for Undergraduates
Spring Programs 2003— November 30
Summer Programs 2003—March 30; early decision, February 1
Spring Semester 2004—November 30; early decision, November 1
Fall Semester 2004—April 30; early decision, February 1

Tuition and Fees
.Click for tuition and fees chart.

Financial Aid

Approximately 90 percent of students receive some form of financial aid while attending Biosphere 2. Student aid packages for semester and summer programs can be applied to the total semester cost for tuition, room, and fees. Columbia University and Barnard College students should apply for financial assistance through their institutions’ financial assistance office. Most forms of aid from Columbia and Barnard are also applicable for study at Biosphere 2.

Students from schools other than Columbia University or Barnard College should discuss their plans to study at Columbia’s Biosphere 2 Center with the study away and financial aid advisers at their home universities, since financial aid transfer policies differ from school to school. While some colleges and universities permit students to use their full financial aid package for a Columbia University study program at Biosphere 2, others will only permit students to use their state or federal financial aid (for instance, Stafford or PLUS loans or Pell Grants) for Columbia University programs.

All non–Columbia University students may apply for Columbia University/Biosphere 2 Need-Based Grants for fall, spring, and summer. The dollar amounts vary, depending on the student’s circumstances. Students from Partner Schools should contact the Biosphere 2 representative at their home campus to find out more about special Partnership Agreements.

All applicants interested in financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available at all high schools and colleges, on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov, or through the Biosphere 2 Admissions Office (800) 992-4603. The FAFSA Code for Biosphere 2 is E00817. The Student Aid Report (SAR), which is generated after the FAFSA is completed, must be submitted along with a Biosphere 2 Application for Financial Assistance (Form 4A or 4B).

Martin Scholarship Assistance
Columbia University’s Biosphere 2 Center partnered with the Bert W. Martin Foundation in the year 2000 and was awarded over $800,000 to support college undergraduates interested in attending the Earth Semester program. Students interested in becoming a “Martin Scholar” should visit www.columbia.edu/cu/biosphere2/martin_scholarship.html.

Biosphere 2 Scholarship
This program was established through the generosity of supporters of Biosphere 2 and Columbia University. Aid awarded under the auspices of this program need not be repaid and is automatically applied to the student’s bill.

Other Grant/Scholarship Support
Aid awarded under this category represents funds that the student indicated on the financial aid application would be available from sources other than Biosphere 2. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm the availability of these resources and to assure that this money is transferred to Columbia University.

Federal Loans and Pell Grants
Aid awarded under this category represents loans through the federal government. If the source of these funds is listed as other than Columbia University, it is the student’s responsibility to consult with the source to secure these funds and assure that they are transferred to Columbia. Columbia University will forward loan applications to students applying for a Stafford loan through Columbia University.

Additional Options
Even if you do not receive financial aid at your home university, you may be eligible for federal grants, loans, and other forms of aid to attend Columbia University Biosphere 2 programs. Columbia University offers a complete array of financing programs, including alternative payment plans. Make certain to inquire about financial aid before deciding that you cannot afford to study at the Biosphere 2 Center. Remember, when looking for ways to finance your semester at Biosphere 2, your first step is to consult with your parents and the study away and financial aid advisers at your school. Do not allow the cost of tuition to keep you from applying.

All students are required to be covered by health insurance and must provide a copy of their health insurance card or other proof of coverage. Columbia University’s Biosphere 2 Center requires all students to provide proof of insurance prior to beginning classes.

In order to maintain proper health coverage and administration, Columbia University also requires proof of MMR vaccination (measles, mumps, and rubella). Please attach a record of your last MMR inoculation to your application forms, or fill out the proof of vaccination form that will be sent to you following your admission into a program.

If you do not provide proof of measles/mumps/rubella immunity, you must receive a vaccination when you arrive. The cost is approximately $50. If you need health insurance, information can be provided on short-term coverage. There will be an additional fee for this insurance.

Partner Programs

Biosphere 2 attracts students from an array of colleges and universities, many choosing a semester at Biosphere 2 in lieu of a semester abroad. The goal of the Partner Program is to facilitate participation by students from institutions particularly interested in these programs. These schools enthusiastically promote Biosphere 2 as an ideal educational alternative for their best students.

Qualified students enrolled at Partner Schools are accepted for entry into the undergraduate education programs at Biosphere 2 on a preferential and priority basis. Students at many Partner Schools pay a reduced tuition or are eligible for fellowships when they attend Biosphere 2’s semester or summer programs. Biosphere 2 will work with Partner Schools in an attempt to make all relevant financial aid applicable to students who enroll in Biosphere 2 programs.
Students from Partner Schools can pay their

Biosphere 2 tuition directly to their home institution, easing their administrative burden. These students often interact directly with designated faculty and administrative contacts at their own schools in order to facilitate the application process for Biosphere 2. Each Partner School provides prospective students with information about Biosphere 2 courses, credit transfer, and financial aid. Partner university contacts receive the most up-to-date information from Biosphere 2, allowing students at Partner Schools to incorporate Biosphere 2 classes into their own academic programs in the most advantageous manner possible.

Partner Schools have also established clear regulations for accepting the Biosphere 2 courses for transfer credit, making it even easier for students to use these courses to satisfy particular requirements at their home institution, while spending a semester at Biosphere 2. There is currently no limit to the number of students who may attend from a partner institution, but students are encouraged to contact their own college advisers to be sure of any internal deadlines that might be a factor when considering outside study.

A variety of academic options are open to students from Partner Schools who wish to fill their requirements by attending the semester or summer programs at Biosphere 2. For example, some Partner Schools recommend the Earth Semester as an important option for environmental studies majors and non-majors. Some encourage astronomy majors to attend Universe Semester because of the extended opportunities to use large telescopes. Some schools list the Earth, Universe, or Research Semesters as options to satisfy particular distribution requirements, such as those for science, fieldwork, independent research, or interdisciplinary study. In some cases, attending Earth or Universe Semester provides all or most of the credit required for a minor.

Partner Schools
Arizona State University
Barnard College
Brandeis University
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
College of William and Mary
Columbia University
Davidson College
Drury College
Evergreen State College
Furman University
Guilford College
Humboldt State University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Lawrence University
Loyola Marymount University
Morehouse College
Mount Holyoke College
New School University
Occidental College
Pomona College
Rice University
Rollins College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Spelman College
St. Olaf College
Stonehill College
Texas Christian University
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Maryland
University of Notre Dame
University of Redlands
Washington and Lee University
Whitman College

In addition to Partner Schools, two hundred other academic institutions from around the world have been represented among the student population. These include
American University-Bulgaria
Boston College
Brown University
Colby College
Cornell University
Creighton University
Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Rutgers University
Seton Hall University
University of Arizona
University of California,Berkeley
University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Illinois
University of London
University of Michigan
University of Puget Sound
University of Vermont
Yale University