Financial Resources

Columbia University employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Exemption Benefits and/or the Reduced Employee Rate.

To review your eligibility and coverage, go to CUBES, the CU Benefits Enrollment System, and log in with your UNI and password, then select Tuition.

For information about all of the available tuition benefit programs visit the Tuition Programs page of the Human Resources website.

We strongly encourage you to research and apply for scholarship funds from outside sources to help supplement the cost of your education, including those that may be available from philanthropic, fraternal, or nonprofit organizations, or corporations. While not intended to be comprehensive, the list below will give you an idea of the types of funding opportunities available.

We encourage you to research potential scholarship opportunities early in your decision-making process to apply at the School of Professional Studies. Scholarship applications are often taken a year before the date they’re awarded.

Free Databases

These databases are maintained by other institutions but are publicly searchable.

• Cornell University: Fellowships Database
• Duke University: Funding Opportunities
• Harvard University: The Graduate Guide to Grants
• H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Funding Announcements
• UCLA: Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database

Subscription-Based Databases

Columbia students have access to these funding-opportunity databases through subscriptions from the University.

• InfoEd SPIN: World’s Largest Database of Sponsored Funding Opportunities
• Foundation Center: Global Database of Grantmakers and Grants

Other Resources

• FastWeb: Find Scholarships for Graduate School
• FinAid.org: Financial Aid for Graduate School
• GradSchools.com: Types of Graduate Fellowship Programs
• International Education Financial Aid (IEFA)
• International Scholarships
• Peterson’s: Graduate Scholarships and Financial Aid

All School of Professional Studies students may arrange a private loan to help cover their educational expenses. For information on alternative education loans, please visit Student Financial Services’ Graduate Private Loans webpage.

The School of Professional Studies participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an initiative authorized by the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (the Post-9/11 GI Bill®*) in which educational institutions provide eligible student veterans with a tuition waiver or grant matched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This program supplements the base educational benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as state and local government, offers additional educational assistance programs for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides significant financial aid opportunities to students who served in the U.S. Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, as well as the dependents of these veterans.

Through a new initiative authorized by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, higher education institutions can provide eligible student veterans with a tuition waiver or grant that is matched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This program, known as the Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP), enhances the base tuition benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. More information about the bill’s benefits and eligibility requirements is available at http://www.gibill.va.gov/.

The YRP application process consists of two steps:

1. YRP Online Application

   Students who are qualifying veterans, or the qualifying dependents of veterans, and are interested in benefiting from the Yellow Ribbon Program, must complete the online application. As stipulated by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon Program is determined on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is important to complete the application as early as possible. Students are notified of the status of their application prior to the start of each academic year.

   Students who received Yellow Ribbon Program funding in the prior academic year do not need to submit another YRP online application; however, in order to receive YRP funding for the upcoming semester, students must submit the Veterans Certification Request.

2. Veterans Certification Request

   In addition to completing the YRP online application, each semester students must submit a Veterans Declaration Form to Columbia’s VA Certifying Official by completing the Veterans Request Certification, in order to receive VA benefits for that semester.

Contact Information

Columbia University
School of Professional Studies
Office of Student Life and Alumni Relations
203 Lewisohn Hall, MC 4101
2970 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Tel: 212-854-0419
Fax: 212-854-4101
sps-studentaffairs [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu

Columbia University
Attn: VA Certifying Official
(Eric Halperin)
202 Kent Hall, MC 9206
1150 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
vets-certification [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu

For general information about veteran affairs at Columbia, please visit Columbia’s Military and Veteran Affairs website.

Additional Programs for Veterans

Based on the time and length of service, as well as current status, veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces may be eligible for additional educational assistance programs offered by federal, state, and local government. For more information, please visit Columbia’s Military and Veteran Affairs website.

*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Student Financial Planning
202 Kent Hall
212-854-7040
sfp [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu
Walk-In Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

External websites listed on this page are provided as possible resources. The School of Professional Studies is not responsible for content on external websites and does not endorse products or services. Please note that while the University has suggested lenders, students have the right to borrow from any lender they choose.