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Admitted Students

Congratulations and welcome to Columbia University Climate School! This section contains important next steps so please read it carefully to ensure that you are completing the steps needed to prepare for your first day of class and an overall strong start to your studies at Columbia.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

New Student Checklist

In order to secure a place in the program you must complete the enrollment form within the online application system and submit your tuition deposit.

Your UNI (University Network ID) grants you access to a number of important functions at Columbia, including registration, billing, and email. Your designated UNI (which consists of your initials and a four-digit number) will be sent to the email address with which you applied to the Climate School. UNI creation typically requires three to five business days of processing time after accepting the offer of admission and paying the tuition deposit. Once you receive your UNI notification email, follow these instructions to activate it.

Next, activate your Columbia email account (known as LionMail). You should check it regularly; all official correspondence from the University will be sent to your Columbia account.

 

If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to apply for your I-20 online as soon as possible to expedite the process of obtaining a student visa. Please contact the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) with any questions.

Admitted students who have accepted the offer of admission are encouraged to make inquiries into housing options as early as possible. To apply for housing, complete the Columbia Residential application by the deadline indicated in your letter of admission. To apply, you will first need to successfully activate your UNI. For more information about university housing, see the Columbia Residential website. Because Columbia housing is extremely limited, we strongly encourage you to research the Off-Campus Housing Marketplace.  

All incoming students must be in compliance with University requirements by July 15, 2023, in order to register. To provide documentation and for more information, see the Columbia Health website.

You must submit a photo online to be used on your Columbia ID card. Instructions on picking up your ID card will be shared via email in the coming weeks.

All enrolling students must provide official final transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, even if a degree was not awarded. Transcripts must include course names and grades for all work completed.

For a transcript to be considered official it must be sent from the Registrar’s Office directly to the Climate School via the digital delivery service that works with your institution, or as a completed WES evaluation (if applicable). Any documents to which a student has had access, including any transcripts uploaded as part of the application, are automatically considered unofficial.

Please click here to review detailed instructions for the submission of Final Official Transcripts.

Registration for Climate School students will begin on July 17. Students will register through Student Services Online (SSOL) during registration appointments available on weekdays (except holidays). Instructions will be shared in early July. Please direct questions to [email protected]

In order to receive a US federal loan, a student must be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen admitted as at least a half-time student in a degree program and making satisfactory academic progress. 

The types of US federal aid available to graduate students are limited to federal work-study, the Direct Unsubsidized loan, and the Direct Graduate PLUS loan.

Students considering federal aid should review the Graduate Financial Aid information available on Columbia University’s Student Financial Services website, including the Disclosure on Lender Information and the Graduate Federal Aid section, which discusses eligibility requirements, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), entrance interviews, and general information about federal loans.

Please review each type of aid you are considering below for the documents required to apply. If you will be applying for aid from multiple sources, please first complete the steps for each type of aid you are borrowing and then submit the Request for Loans and/or Federal Work-Study.

Federal Work-Study

All GSAS students applying for federal work-study must complete:

If you will not be borrowing loans, after completing the FAFSA, please complete the Request for Loans and/or Federal Work-Study.

Additional information about federal work-study

Direct Unsubsidized Loan

The federal Direct Unsubsidized loan is subject to an annual limit of $20,500. All GSAS students applying for the Unsubsidized loan must complete:

If you will not be borrowing Graduate PLUS or private loans, after completing the above, please complete the Request for Loans and/or Federal Work-Study.

Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan may be borrowed to cover up to the cost of attendance less any other aid. Students must maximize their eligibility in the Direct Unsubsidized loan before borrowing a Graduate PLUS loan. All GSAS students applying for the Graduate PLUS loan must complete:

After completing the above, including any steps required to borrow your maximum eligibility in the Direct Unsubsidized loan, please complete the Request for Loans and/or Federal Work-Study.