Columbia University is fully committed to providing need-based support so that all admitted families can afford to send their children to The School. When a student is drawn in the lottery, along with an application for admission, his/her family will receive information about applying for financial aid. To apply for aid, families are required to provide copies of their tax returns and W-2 forms, and grant The School permission to obtain additional information as needed from the IRS. Families must also provide financial information to the SSS (School and Student Service for financial aid), a comprehensive services solution of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) that works with the financial aid offices of independent schools. Based on the information it receives, SSS will provide The School at Columbia with an estimate of the contribution each family can be expected to make. The School at Columbia then uses this estimate to determine the financial aid grant that will be awarded to each family.
The deadline for the completion of all financial aid forms for new, applicant families is January 15, 2009.
Because financial aid grants are only valid for one year, all families must reapply for financial aid each year. Unless a family experiences a significant change in financial circumstances, its financial aid award is not likely to change dramatically from one year to the next.
Whether married, separated, divorced, or never married, it is expected that each of a child’s parents will complete the financial aid process, and contribute, to their best ability, to their child’s education at The School.
