2011-2012 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

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your FAFSA. Review this data, supply
any missing information, and submit
the completed form. If you do not finish
the online TAP-on-the-Web application,
you will be mailed a paper Express
TAP Application. As with the TAP-onthe-Web
application, your Express
TAP Application will also be partially
completed with some of your FAFSA
data. Verify that the partially completed
data is correct, complete the remainder
of the form, and return it to HESC in the
envelope provided.
Preregister for classes during the
preregistration period if you are a
continuing student. Students who want
to borrow student loans must complete
and submit the Graduate Engineering
Student Loan Request Form available
online at www.studentaffairs.columbia.
edu/finaid/downloads. The Graduate
Engineering Student Loan Request Form
provides the University with information
about your planned program, including
the number of courses in which you plan
to enroll and the amount and type of
loans for which you are applying.
Deadlines
Apply for financial aid at the same time
that you apply for admissions. Your
admissions application must be received
by the December 1 deadline to be
eligible for The Fu Foundation School
of Engineering and Applied Science
departmental funding (institutional
grants, fellowships, teaching and
research assistantships, readerships,
and preceptorships). Spring admissions
applicants will not be considered for
departmental funding.
Incoming applicants and continuing
students must complete their FAFSA
form after January 1 and by May 1.
Guidelines for continuing students
are available from departmental advisers
in advance of the established deadline.
All continuing supported students
must preregister for classes during the
preregistration period.
Graduate School
Departmental Funding
The graduate departments of Columbia
Engineering offer an extensive array
of funding. Funding decisions, based
solely on merit, and contingent upon
making satisfactory academic progress,
are made by the departments. As a
prospective student you must apply for
admission and complete the financial
aid forms as stated on page 39.
Continuing students must preregister for
classes during the preregistration period
and complete the applicable forms
as stated in the Application Process
section. Outside scholarships for which
you qualify must be reported to your
department and the Office of Financial
Aid and Educational Financing. The
School reserves the right to adjust your
institutional award if you hold an outside
scholarship, fellowship, or other outside
funding.
Institutional Grants
Institutional grants are awarded to
graduate students on the basis of
academic merit. Recipients must
maintain satisfactory academic
standing. All applicants for admission
and continuing students maintaining
satisfactory academic standing will be
considered for these funds.
Fellowships
Fellowships are financial and intellectual
awards for academic merit that provide
stipends to be used by fellows to further
their research. If you are awarded a
fellowship, you are expected to devote
time to your own work, and you are not
required to render any service to the
University or donor. You may publish
research produced by your fellowship
work. As a fellow, you may not engage
in remunerative employment without
consent of the Dean. All applicants
for admission and continuing students
maintaining satisfactory academic
standing will be considered for these
funds. Applicants should contact the
department directly for information. See
the complete listing of fellowships on
pages 221–222.
Assistantships
Teaching and research assistantships,
available in many departments, provide
tuition exemption and a living stipend.
Duties may include teaching, laboratory
supervision, participation in faculty
research, and other related activities.
Teaching and research assistantships
require up to twenty hours of work per
week. The appointments generally last
from nine to twelve months. If you are
participating in faculty research that
fulfills degree requirements, you may
apply for a research assistantship.
Readers and preceptors receive partial
tuition exemption and a stipend.
Assistantships are awarded on the
basis of academic merit. All applicants
for admission and continuing students
maintaining satisfactory academic
standing will be considered for these
funds. Applicants should contact the
department directly for information.
Alternative Funding
Sources
External Awards
Because it is not possible to offer full
grant and fellowship support to all
graduate students and because of the
prestige inherent in holding an award
through open competition, applicants
are encouraged to consider major
national and international fellowship
opportunities. It is important that
prospective graduate students explore
every available source of funding for
graduate study.
In researching outside funding you
may look to faculty advisers, career
services offices, deans of students, and
offices of financial aid where frequently
you may find resource materials, books,
and grant applications for a wide
variety of funding sources. You must
notify both your Columbia Engineering
academic department and the Office of
Financial Aid and Educational Financing
of any outside awards that you will be
receiving.
Funding for International Students
To secure a visa, international students
must demonstrate that they have
sufficient funding to complete the
degree. Many international students
obtain support for their educational
expenses from their government, a
foundation, or a private agency.
International students who apply
to doctoral programs of study by the
December 1 deadline and are admitted
to a Columbia Engineering doctoral
program are automatically considered
for departmental funding (institutional
grants, fellowships, teaching and
engineering 2011–2012