How to Apply

Most students finance their education through a combination of student loans (federal and private), grants, and their own resources. To determine eligibility for both federal aid and institutional assistance administered by the Financial Aid Office (FAO), please complete and submit the below documents:

Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

If you intend to apply for financial aid you must:

  • Complete a FAFSA (International students are ineligible).

Use the Columbia University Mailman School code, 002707, when submitting your FAFSA application. Doing so ensures your FAFSA is transmitted to the School electronically. Students who submit the FAFSA by January 15th will receive priority for institutional need based aid consideration. To be considered for need-based grants you must have an expected family contribution (EFC) below $10,000, have borrowed Federal Direct Subsidized loans and/or received government funding such as the Pell grant. You can use your last official pay stub to estimate your income. You will be able to update your application later.


**We will only receive your FASFA if you have been admitted into the program and provided your social security number on your SOPHAS application. 

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants

There are many special scholarships, fellowships, and grants available to qualified graduate students. Review the complete list, including application requirements.

Additional Financial Aid Information

  • Academic merit scholarship recipients are determined based on the overall strength of their application in comparison to their peers from the same department.  Please be aware, if you elect to submit your standardized test scores, it will not be considered for merit consideration. 
  • Scholarship funds for doctoral students are merit-based and awarded through the student's academic department.  The Financial Aid Office does not award scholarship funding to Doctoral students.
  • Federal loans are available to all master's and doctoral students who complete a FAFSA and maintain eligibility. 

Financial Aid award letters are sent only to students who have been admitted into the program. Students that have provided all required information at the time of admission will receive a financial aid offer letter on or before March 15th.

All financial aid staff are currently working via a hybrid schedule throughout the summer and upcoming academic year. Please email sphfinaid@cumc.columbia for any questions or concerns. To schedule an appointment, please click here.

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