Financial Aid Key 2025-26

Have questions about Financial Planning? Watch our March 19, 2025 Financial Planning Webinar HERE. 

Please review your Cost of Attendance (COA) here.

Institutional Scholarship (All Students)

• If you were awarded a Columbia Journalism School (CJS) scholarship, the award is based on your financial need, academic merit, and compatability with the specific scholarship awarding guidelines.
• CJS scholarship will be automatically accepted on your behalf. No further action is needed.
• All Institutional Aid has been awarded.  Appeals will not be accepted.

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Students can borrow a maximum of $20,500.
• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Students can borrow up to the Cost of Attendance, minus any other aid received.

• You may review outside scholarship opportunities here as well as here. You can continue to apply for outside scholarships before and after your enrollment at Columbia.
• You must notify the Office of Admission and Financial Aid of all outside scholarships you receive.

• International & Domestic students may review Columbia University's suggested lenders.
• International students will most likely need a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen.
• Students have the right and ability to select the lender of their choice, are not required to use any of the lenders on the suggested lender list, and will suffer no penalty for choosing a lender that is not a suggested lender. If you are approved for one of these loans, please notify the Admissions and Financial Aid Office directly.
• Notify CJS once you have been approved  to borrow a private educational loan here and provide the direct link to the section of the educational student loan being offered by the provider.

• Columbia University’s Payment Plan allows you to pay your tuition and University fees monthly.
• Registration for the Payment Plan begins in the summer.
• You must have a U.S. bank account to utilize the payment plan.