1. YES, if your family’s financial circumstances changed after you submitted your financial aid application.

2. YES, if you have complicated circumstances, and you would like us to take a second look at how we interpreted your family’s financial situation.

3. YES, if another need-based school has provided you a different interpretation of your family’s financial circumstances.

4. NO, if your sole reason for the appeal is that you are asking us to consider merit-based offers from other schools.

There are no academic, athletic or talent-based institutional scholarships at Columbia as all of our institutional financial aid is need-based. Our students are often the recipients of merit-based scholarships from outside organizations (state grants/scholarships, local/national merit-based awards, etc.); however, no merit-based aid is offered directly from Columbia University.

Though Columbia is not need-blind in its admission of foreign students, if you are admitted then we will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need. If you plan on applying for financial at any point during your four years of study then you must apply for financial aid at the time you apply for admission.

Columbia College and the undergraduate division of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science provide need-based financial aid to students, awarding grants, loans and on-campus work-study jobs to applicants on the basis of their family’s financial circumstances. There is no limit on the number of students who receive need-based financial aid as each application is considered individually. In 2007-2008 the average financial aid package was over $30,000.