Archive for November 2013

MIA/MPA application dates

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Wednesday, November 27th, 2013 
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SIPA will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Here in the U.S. people are planning Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends.  The feast will continue through the weekend.  This is also a weekend when a number of prospective applicants are planning to sit down and fill out their applications for graduate school… taking advantage of the long weekend.

As you browse through our website for application deadlines, you may find a couple of confusing application dates for the MIA/MPA program.  We say our application deadline is January 6, 2014 (for Fall 2014)… but that deadline is for those applicants who wish to be considered for a merit fellowship.  If you are one of the few who does not need funding, then mark February 5 (final application deadline) on your calendar.

So if you wish to be considered for a merit fellowship, you must make sure your application is submitted complete, which means all documents are received by the Admissions Office by January 6, 2014 at 11:59:59 pm EST (keep in mind there are no deliveries to our office after 5pm EST).   This is where it gets confusing…. There are a couple of SIPA scholarship deadline exceptions that you may still be eligible for even if you submit your application after January 6.  These are SIPA scholarships (outside the first year Merit Fellowship consideration) and require a separate scholarship application.  These SIPA scholarship applications must be submitted by January 27.  Unfortunately, you cannot get started on them without first submitting your program application…. so get moving on it and good luck.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday!

 

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips, SIPA
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more Financial Aid questions

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 
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some more financial aid questions to chew on while you’re enjoying the holidays…

 

Q: If I do not receive funding for my first year, will I be re-evaluated for my second year?

A: Yes, there is a separate application for second year funding, and all SIPA students are eligible to apply.  Candidates for second year funding must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4.  All second year funding is merit-based.

Q: How and when are second year funding decisions made?

A: Second year awards include some scholarships but consist mostly of assistantships, which are part-time jobs in which the student receives both a scholarship and a salary.  Recipients are chosen on the basis of their academic performance and professional credentials, and as is the case with any job search, networking helps, so get to know professors or departments for which you would like to work.  Students must apply for these awards during the spring semester of their first year (usually a deadline in late February), and appointments are made starting in April and continue for several months.

Q: Is funding available for dual degree students?

A: Yes, dual degree students, along with all other SIPA applicants are automatically considered for institutional aid (fellowships and scholarships).  For more details on how to apply for financial aid, click here.  Please note that SIPA funding can only be used while in residence at SIPA, and funding is specific to the year for which it is offered and cannot be deferred while the student is attending another school.

Q: How many SIPA students borrow student loans, and what is their average indebtedness?

A: Approximately 39% of SIPA’s Class of 2013 used educational loans as part of their financing strategy, with an average loan debt for two years of $73,000.

Q: Are there ways to get any of my student loan debt forgiven?

A:  If you establish a career in the public or non-profit sectors, you may qualify for forgiveness of any remaining balance on your eligible federal student loans by taking advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.  There is also loan forgiveness available for some teachers (click here for additional details on both programs).

 

If you have a question about financial aid at SIPA, please email us at:  [email protected].

 

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips, Paying for SIPA
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plan ahead

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Monday, November 25th, 2013 
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Our office will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday and Friday.  If you are planning to visit us this week to drop off materials or to ask questions… or simply to say “hey”, the Admissions & Financial Aid Office will close at 2pm EST on Wednesday, November 27 and reopen on Monday, December 2 at 9am EST.  So please plan accordingly.  We would love to welcome you… when we are here.

If you call to leave a message or email, we will get back to you next week. Due to the high volume of emails and voicemails we have received, it is taking us longer to address each concern — We appreciate your patience…   We are sensitive to the approaching MIA/MPA application deadline on January 6.

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Categories : Admissions, Application Tips, SIPA
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financial aid is always on top of mind

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 
· 1 Comment

Each year we receive a few questions about financial aid  — and that’s understandable.  Graduate school is expensive.  Here are five of the most frequently asked questions regarding financial aid…  We’ll follow back with a few more next week.

Q: How do I apply for aid?

A: You apply for aid simply by submitting your application for admission.  All applicants for first-year admission to SIPA are automatically considered for institutional aid (fellowships and scholarships) regardless of nationality.  For more details, click here.

Q: How much does it cost to attend SIPA?

A: You will be able to find information on SIPA’s current cost of attendance here.  Costs are established on an annual basis, and the tuition rates for fall 2014 and spring 2015 are yet to be determined.  Estimates will be available in the spring.

Q: What types of financial aid are available at SIPA?

A: SIPA offers a range of fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, student loans and Work Study to qualified students.  Merit-based Fellowships and scholarships are offered to first and second year students, and second year students can also apply for a number of assistantships, which include both a scholarship and a salary.  Some SIPA students also borrow student loans or are employed on campus in Work Study positions.  Click here for more information.

Q: Can financial aid cover my living expenses?

A: Yes, educational loans may be used to cover living expenses as well as tuition.  Students can borrow up to their full cost of attendance.  Aid first goes toward covering direct costs (tuition and fees) and any excess funds are refunded to students to use for their living expenses.

Q: Is funding available for international students?

A: Yes.  SIPA scholarships, fellowships and assistantships, although competitive, are available to both domestic and international students.  Columbia University also maintains a list of private student loan lenders who will lend to international students; click here for more information.  There are also many international students at SIPA who receive funding from agencies in their home country.

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Categories : Application Tips, Paying for SIPA
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The International Security Policy Concentration at SIPA: An Overview

Posted by Columbia SIPA 
· Tuesday, November 19th, 2013 
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Despite popular belief, the International Security Policy (ISP) concentration is not only for veterans and war hawks. Rather, it is a multidimensional concentration designed for students interested in topics as diverse as political violence, conflict management, defense policy, military strategy, terrorism and unconventional warfare, arms control, intelligence, peacekeeping, coercion, negotiation, and alternatives to the use of force as an instrument of policy.

Not only do students cover a wide breadth of topics in the concentration, the students themselves represent a number of different backgrounds and come from various experiences. Enrolled in ISP are diplomats, former soldiers, recovering private sector analysts, humanitarian workers and peacekeepers. And then there are those that are still finding their way.

SIPA’s diversity is constantly benefiting students, but perhaps no more so for those studying in the ISP concentration. More than 50 percent of the student body comes from outside the United States, which allows for classes to integrate different points of view on the same conflict. When studying conflict, the students’ unique perspectives plays an outsized role. There is nothing quite like analyzing the phenomenon of transnational crime from a Mexican or French perspective, or looking at terrorism through the lens of Israeli and Palestinian students.

The professors in the ISP concentration are phenomenal; most have field experience and many are adjuncts who come to teach after spending the day at the NYPD, DoD, Capitol Hill, among other security institutions. They are always willing to meet with students and impart their professional advice.

Though SIPA’s curriculum is often characterized as being broad and flexible, one will be able to niche themselves in the ISP concentration.

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Categories : Academics, Admissions, Columbia University, SIPA
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"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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