<p>I'm hoping to apply to GS, but I'm hear a lot about how stingy they are with financial aid. I'd like to ask current or former GS students here, if this is true at all? Will being a GS student leave me in a lot of debt, even if I'm already economically disadvantaged?</p>
<p>Bump</p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>Take a look at this thread: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=256284%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=256284</a></p>
<p>GS is mostly for "non-traditional" students or people in postbacs etc., not college kids wanting a back door to the Columbia name</p>
<p>What exactly does wanting a "back door" to Columbia's name have to do with financial aid?</p>
<p>Which, by the way, sucks. Big time. I just got a $2K bill because they didn't properly process my Perkins loan request form, which I sent in way back in August! Needless to say, I'll be going to the financial aid office and complaining. On top of that, they're going to be giving all the kids who have mommy and daddy backing them grants, and what will GS students get? Practiacally nothing. Gee, thanks Columbia!</p>
<p>From the business perspective of Columbia as a University, though, you really do have to realize... its traditional undergraduate schools are where it's doing the nurturing of kids becoming adults and discovering their talents. Those are where they make the investments.</p>
<p>GS is a profit center. It's strictly a revenue-maximizing basis over there, with a little aid to smooth things out for those more disadvantaged than the rest. But the price of lax admissions is that, hey, if you want to come here, it's cash on the barrelhead. Same goes for nearly all international applicants, you realize, even in CC/SEAS.</p>
<p>I'm willing to bet there's not a lot of financial aid floating around the Harvard Extension School, either.</p>
<p>I think it has been established in about a billion other threads that Harvard Extension School is not comparable to GS but ok....I do get your point about financial aid though.</p>
<p>Gotta agree. Harvard Extension shouldn't be compared to GS.</p>
<p>GS awards aid on a 100% merit basis. Basically, the school says, "we know you won't make it, but if you somehow perform your ass off in the classroom on top of that 9-5 job, the wife, and those five kids you had after dropping out of your first degree program, we'll give you a few bucks on the side so you can continue to subsidize us next semester." It really has nothing to do with those who might be more disadvantaged than the rest. Then again, and some are probably going to find this surprising, I understand that most CC/SEAS kids really don't do that well with need-based grants.</p>
<p>edit: GS might hate me for doing this, but I believe a student will max out at around $40,000 over four years (where the price of the degree is approximately $135,000 -- not including housing and other living expenses). The first year incentive is $2,500 per semester for the first two semesters for a total of $5,000. Assuming you perform in the highest academic aid tier (3.3 and above, I think), your aid should jump to about $8,000 over the next two semesters. Then about $12,000 for your third year, and finally about $15,000 for your final year (the absolute max available over two terms). You'd have to maintain full-time status and keep in mind that no aid exists for the summer term.</p>
<p>In contrast, a CUNY degree for a city resident runs something like $12,800 (before aid). Just something to think about.</p>