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Prospective Students

Instructions for Financial Aid Applicants

Prospective and continuing graduate students of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science must do the following to be considered for all forms of graduate financing (both departmentally administered and financial aid–administered funds):

1. Prospective Students: complete an application for admission and submit it to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Office of Graduate Student Services;
   Continuing Students: preregister for classes during the preregistration period;
2. complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and submit it to the U.S. Department of Education (only U.S. citizens or permanent residents must complete the FAFSA; if you are a noncitizen, you do not need to submit this form);
3. complete an Express TAP application and submit it to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (only U.S. citizens or permanent residents who reside in New York State must complete the Express TAP application; if you are not a New York State resident, you do not need to submit this form);
4. file a Columbia University Supplementary Application for Federal Aid and Private Loans. Complete the form and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing.

Before you can complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, you must obtain a personal identification number (PIN) from the U.S. Department of Education. The PIN serves as your identifier and your personal electronic signature on the FAFSA. It will also allow you to access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. Apply for your PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. Approximately three business days after you request your PIN, you will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to retrieve it electronically. If you ask to be notified of your PIN by mail, it will arrive in seven to ten business days via the U.S. Postal Service.

Once you have your PIN, you must complete a FAFSA-on-the-Web application at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Columbia University prefers that you apply for financial aid online. Information collected on the FAFSA will help Columbia to determine your need for financial aid. You must give permission for the application data to be sent to Columbia University by entering the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Title IV school code (E00120) on the FAFSA form.

Once your FAFSA-on-the-Web application is complete, your online confirmation page will give you a link to the TAP-on-the-Web application. New York State uses the information provided on your TAP application to determine your eligibility for a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grant. The TAP-on-the-Web online form will be partially completed with some information from 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-on-the-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. All students must complete the Graduate Engineering Financial Aid Application available from the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing. The Graduate Engineering Financial Aid Application provides the University with information about your planned program, including the number of courses in which you plan to enroll.

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.

Complete the Graduate Engineering Financial Aid Application available from the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing by May 1.