• Students must be currently enrolled Master of Science (MS) or Master of Professional Studies (MPS) students who will have completed at least 12 credits towards their degree by the beginning of the current term and a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Students must be currently enrolled in the semester in order to be considered for funding.
• Students must be in good academic, administrative and behavioral standing at the time of application and for the duration of the award.
• Academic and/or professional development opportunities must occur during the same semester for which you are applying. Opportunities taking place outside of the semester dates will not be considered.
• Academic and/or professional development opportunities must be related to the student’s field of study. Academic programs will be informed of chosen applications to confirm approval.
• Students must not have any outstanding financial balance owed to the University.  
• Students must submit a completed application and all associated components by the deadline.
• Students may not be previous recipients of the SPS Academic & Professional Development Grant.

PLEASE NOTE: All grant recipients are required to submit a follow-up report at the end of the semester describing how their opportunity benefited them professionally.

• A copy of your resume
• A PDF document that confirms your acceptance/involvement in the academic and/or professional development opportunity (e.g. an email from faculty confirming your project, conference/event registration forms, acceptance letters, etc.)
• A detailed statement (500 word maximum) providing more detail on how you will utilize the funds and why you should be selected to receive this grant (to be copied/pasted into the application form).
• Please log in with your Columbia email account to download the budget sheet template as an Excel file (or make a copy on Google Sheets) and fill it out to submit with your application. This document should contain the actual (or estimated) costs tied to your academic and/or professional development opportunity. Note: This is a total budget and not reflective of the amount, if awarded, you will receive.

I am in my first semester at SPS. Am I eligible to apply for the grant? 

No. Students in their first semester at SPS are not eligible to apply for the Academic & Professional Development Grant. Students must have completed at least 12 credits towards their degree by the beginning of the term and a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to receive the grant. 

Can previous recipients of the grant re-apply?

Previous recipients of the SPS Academic & Professional Development Grant are not eligible to re-apply. 

How are the grant awards processed? 

Awards will ONLY be processed as reimbursements. If selected as a recipient, receipt(s) for awarded expenses MUST be provided to show proof of payment.

What is the maximum amount a student can be awarded? 

The maximum amount a student may request is $3,000, and students may be given partial awards to the amount requested. Students are responsible for submitting a budget containing the actual (or reasonably estimated) costs tied to their academic and/or professional development opportunity. (Note: This is a total budget and not reflective of the amount, if awarded, you will receive.)

I applied for the grant. When can I expect to hear back?

Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and selected recipients of the award will be notified via email within 4 weeks.

When is the grant offered? 

The APD Grant is offered every Fall, Spring, and Summer semester unless otherwise noted. 

Can international students apply for the grant? 

Absolutely! The APD Grant is open to all SPS students who meet the eligibility requirements. Please note that international students awarded funding may be subject to a tax withholding up to 14% of their grant amount, as outlined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. 

What are some examples of projects/opportunities that have been awarded APD Grant funding?

Take a look at our Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 Academic and Professional Development Grant recipients to see what opportunities we have previously awarded.

Questions? Email: sps-scholarships [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.