The Displaced Students Scholarship at Columbia University supports displaced students from anywhere in the world who are unable to complete their higher education. These students will receive up to full tuition, housing, and living assistance while pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees across all 19 Columbia schools and affiliates, reflecting Columbia’s full institutional commitment to addressing this global crisis. As the first-ever Columbia-wide scholarship, and the world’s first scholarship of its kind, this program will commit up to $6 million in support, per cohort, for up to 30 students each year. Mentoring and support will be provided by the Scholarship, as well as by schools and student groups at Columbia.
The Scholarship aims to shift the global dialogue surrounding displaced persons, from one that views them as a burden to one that recognizes them as vital contributors to global innovation and prosperity. Currently, there is no initiative like this at any university in the world, despite the obvious desire for education on the part of these displaced student populations. The Columbia University Scholarship for Displaced Students aims to be a leader in filling this pressing humanitarian need and will hopefully encourage other universities to follow suit.
Across its first two cohorts, the Scholarship has now supported 33 students from 19 countries attending 14 schools.
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Application Deadline
January – March 15, 2022, depending on the programme and faculty of choice.
Eligible Countries
This scholarship program is for foreign nationals who:
- have refugee status living anywhere in the world
- have received US asylum or submitted a US asylum application
- are in the US under Temporary Protected Status
- are Internally Displaced Persons. Displaced Afghan students on Humanitarian Parole or with Special Immigrant Visas are also now eligible for the Scholarship.
Scholarship Study Location
The United States.
Level
Undergraduate, Postgraduate Studies.
Eligibility & Selection Criteria:
- Be a foreign national as permanent residents and citizens of the United States are not eligible to apply.
- Be a Refugee, Asylee, Asylum Seeker, Temporary Protected Status, or Internally Displaced Persons.
- Possess the minimum entry requirement for the programme.
Number of Scholarships
Several, not specified.
Value of Scholarship
Depending on the school and degree program, the scholarship may cover up to full tuition, plus the student’s housing and living expenses, for the number of terms necessary to complete the respective degree.
Scholarship Duration
For the entire programme duration.
Application Procedure
Applicants must apply to and be accepted by one of the degree programs listed below to be eligible for the scholarship. (The application requirements and criteria for scholarship applicants are the same as for normal admissions, and students cannot receive the scholarship if they are not accepted to a Columbia degree program.) Each school and degree program maintains its own acceptance requirements and specific application deadlines. A full list of eligible degree programs and their respective scholarship deadlines can be found below. Only degree programs listed below are eligible for the scholarship. Students will only be eligible for the scholarship if they are admitted to the degree program for which they have applied. Students will be informed regarding the scholarship only after degree admissions decisions are made.
