- How do I apply for a Columbia University Fellowship?
- What makes up a Columbia University Fellowship Award?
- How do I get a Teaching or Research Appointment?
- Fellowships from External Sources
- How do I get paid?
- Is my fellowship taxable?
- Where can I find GSAS fellowship information (Whiting, C.U. Traveling, Reid Hall, Lindt and FLAS etc.)?
How do I apply for a Columbia University Fellowship?
All applicants to Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are considered for University fellowship at the time of application for admission, provided the application is complete by the stated deadline. All continuing GSAS students must apply for renewal of their fellowship, or for fellowship consideration if they did not receive an award the prior year. Each individual department has procedures and deadlines for fellowship consideration. Contact your department in February for information concerning fellowship consideration.
What makes up a Columbia University Fellowship Award?
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a wide variety of fellowships to students based on merit. These awards are made on both an annual and multi-year basis. Fellowships often provide payment of tuition and health fees in addition to a stipend for living expenses. In the course of the doctoral program, the fellowship can take the form of a teaching or research appointment which provides for tuition, health fees and a salary. Often these salaries are supplemented by an additional stipend for living expenses. All fellowship decisions for applicants and continuing students are made by the departments. All Fellows must apply annually for renewal of fellowships through the departments.
How do I get a Teaching or Research Appointment?
Columbia University fellowship awards often consist of teaching or research appointments in addition to a supplemental stipend. By applying for fellowship in your admissions application or through your department as a continuing student, you are also considered for possible teaching or research appointments. There is no separate application for these appointments. These awards are considered part of your University fellowship.
Fellowships from External Sources
Each Fellow is required to submit evidence of at least one effort to obtain funding from an agency external to the University. Generally, applications to external foundations are due early in the Fall semester for funding the next academic year (for example, an application due in early October 2012 would be for funding in the 2012-13 academic year). To help with this process, the Financial Aid Office publishes "A Selected List of Fellowships" listing a number of fellowships for which students in various areas may be eligible. The "Selected List", as well as examples of successful proposals, are available in 107 Low and in the Graduate Student Lounge, 301 Philosophy Hall. Fellowship workshops are held for many of the major competitions during the Fall semester in the Graduate Student Lounge, 301 Philosophy.
U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents who are recipients of fellowship awards, which include teaching or research responsibilities, are required to complete the financial aid forms for the federal aid programs. Students must submit the Columbia University Application for Loans and Work-Study and must have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The financial information contained in these documents will NOT alter the amount of the fellowship award from GSAS.
Students holding teaching fellow or research fellow appointments receive 2/3 of the total award as stipend (disbursed as described above) and the remainder as semi-monthly payroll on the 15th and last day of the month. Students holding graduate research assistant appointments receive their entire stipend as semi-monthly payroll. All students, regardless of visa status, may receive the payroll portion of their award via direct deposit and are strongly encouraged to do so. You may complete the online direct deposit form in SSOL.
Stipend checks will be available for students to pick up at the Cashiering area in 210 Kent Hall. Students must be registered and are required to show a valid CUID card. International students must have a Social Security number or need to show a receipt of application in order to receive their stipend checks.
According to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, all grant aid (scholarships, fellowships) which exceeds the cost of tuition and required fees, books and related classroom expenses is subject to U.S. income tax. Also subject to tax are any amounts received representing payments for teaching and research. There will be no withholding on fellowship stipends paid to U.S. students and Permanent Residents. The Controller's Office will withhold on amounts earned through research or teaching appointments. W-2s will be issued for amounts earned and withheld for research or teaching appointments only. The student is responsible for accurately reporting stipend amounts and for making estimated tax payments if appropriate. For additional information, please consult the Student Financial Services website.
Where can I find GSAS fellowship information (Whiting, C.U. Traveling, Reid Hall, Lindt and FLAS etc.)?
See the Internal Fellowship Application page.