Archive for Paying for SIPA – Page 25

Fellowships

We are almost at the end; admission decisions for our 2-year MIA/MPA fall 2012 entering class will be released in mid-March.  Admittance into the program of your dreams can be bittersweet if you do not have the money to pay for it. So if you haven’t started already, you should be researching ways to fund your education now.

We post fellowship opportunities that come our way in our external (non-Columbia SIPA) fellowship database so check it out.  Many fellowships have application deadlines so don’t wait.

External Fellowship Opportunity

We’d like to remind students interested in applying to the 2012 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs & Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships that the deadline is fast-approaching. The deadline for the Graduate Program is January 30th, 2012.

The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program includes: $40,000 annually towards tuition costs and related academic expenses during the first and second year of graduate study, pending availability of funding. Two paid summer internships in Washington, DC and overseas.

For more information please visit www.woodrow.org/pickering.

Looking for financial aid?

Financing a graduate education is a challenge. To assist in this regard, SIPA’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid works with SIPA students to explore their options for loans, fellowships, and work study programs.  SIPA’s fellowship and assistantship funds (funds that do not have to be repaid after graduation) are very limited.

Therefore, you should be looking for external sources of funding.  A great resource to begin your search for such awards is the SIPA Database for External Grants and Fellowships that can be accessed at: www.sipa.columbia.edu/fellowships/. The database is updated regularly whenever we hear of new fellowship opportunities.  Recently, we added a new fellowship opportunity (EFN) for prospective applicants who are from Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal or the Eastern Pacific Ocean region.  We recommend that interested applicants start to search for fellowships, as soon as possible and not wait until you receive admission into a program to start the search process so you do not miss any deadlines.

 

Money for your studies

If you’re interested in pursuing a degree at SIPA, don’t let financial concerns be an obstacle to your goals.  The majority of SIPA students receive some type of financial assistance, including institutionally-funded Fellowships and Scholarships, student loans, and on-campus Work Study jobs.  Other students are supported by their employers or other third parties…so for many of our students, there are a number of financing options available.

Fellowships

SIPA fellowships provide students with varying combinations of tuition assistance (much like a grant or scholarship), stipends for living expenses, and part-time jobs on campus.  Fellowships are merit-based and competitive, and all you need to do is complete the Fellowship section of the SIPA Application for Admission and you’ll be considered (some programs have additional requirements, which are identified on the application).   If you haven’t completed your application yet, visit the SIPA Admissions page and click on either “Online Application” or “Download Application” to review; essays will be required, so it’s time to write!   If you are awarded a Fellowship, you must enroll for a full-time course load.

Whether you’re a domestic or international student, you can apply for a SIPA Fellowship or Scholarship.  For more information on these awards, click here.

Student Loans

Many long-term financing options are available in the form of loans from the Federal government and various private sources (the Federal loans typically offer better rates and terms).  Most loans are only available to domestic students.  To be considered, domestic students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at www.fafsa.gov.  The information collected on the FAFSA is used by Financial Aid staff to determine your eligibility for various types of loans.  We will notify you about what types of Federal student loans you qualify for and the amount.

There are also privately funded student loans available to use to supplement Federal student loans or in place of Federal loans for students who don’t qualify (including some for international students, with co-borrowers).  Most are credit-based.  For more information on private loans, click here.

Work-Study Employment

If you’re a domestic student, you might also qualify for a part-time position on campus under the Federal Work-Study program.  Click here for more information.

 

You’ll probably have questions about financing your education along the way.  The Financial Aid Office is available to assist you in any way we can.  Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or 212-854-6216.

Office hours

Applications are continuously being printed as files are compiled and reviewed.

But we’re taking a break.  If you need to reach us, please note that the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid will be closed, December 23 – December 27.  Our office will close again for the New Year on December 31.  We will be back on January 3, 2012 (shortly before the application deadline).

Happy Holidays!


"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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