Endowed & Special Scholarships from Teachers College
You may qualify for endowed funds or other special scholarships from Teachers College if you meet specific criteria related to your academic program or interests. In most cases, our academic departments and programs independently manage their endowed or special scholarship funds. Speak with your program director or advisor about your eligibility and their process for awarding department/program funds.
Endowed & Special Scholarships Administered by the Office of Financial Aid
The endowed and special scholarships that appear below are administered either directly by the Office of Financial Aid or another office as specified. Most require special application procedures, so pay careful attention to the instructions to ensure you are appropriately considered.
The application(s) for these endowed scholarships are made available through the Office of Financial Aid in January of the current academic year for selection and awarding for the following academic year. You will receive an independent email from the Office of Financial Aid with information about the relevant application processes. Applications are typically due in February, and students are notified of awards by mid-March.
The Abby O’Neill Fellowship can help cover a considerable amount of your tuition costs at Teachers College. As an Abby O’Neill Fellow, you will need to meet certain eligibility requirements for your graduate school study and your post-graduation career.
|
Fellowship Eligibility Criteria |
Award Length |
Fellowship Benefits |
|
Up to two academic years |
$48,000 for tuition costs only |
If you are a new student and plan to begin your enrollment at Teachers College in the Summer or Fall term, you may be eligible to apply for the Abby O’Neill Fellowship. If you are selected to receive this fellowship, it will be applied starting in your first Fall semester.
Application Available: January 12, 2024
Application Submission Deadline: February 12, 2024
Tentative Decision Release: The week of March 18, 2024
If you have a special interest in the developmental challenges that face Brazil, you could qualify for the Lemann Fellowship. This program contributes to accelerating social change in Brazil by providing financial assistance to Teachers College Master’s degree students. The Lemann Fellowship is an extension of the commitment and generosity of the Lemann Foundation to foster educational service and exchange between Brazil and TC’s educational community.
You may be eligible if your program includes a focus in the public, non-profit, and/or private sectors, and if you are a current or former resident of Brazil, or if you demonstrate an interest in areas relating to social change, education policy, and/or leadership, development in curriculum and teaching, and advancing technology and innovation in Brazil. You must plan to use your Master’s degree from Teachers College to further those interests.
|
Fellowship Eligibility Criteria |
Award Length |
Fellowship Benefits |
|
Up to three academic years |
Covers tuition for up to 36 credits and fees, such as the College Fee, Columbia Health Fee, and Columbia Health Insurance |
If you are a new student and plan to begin your enrollment at Teachers College in the Summer or Fall term, you may become eligible to apply for the Lemann Fellowship. If you are selected to receive this fellowship, it will be applied starting in your first Fall semester.
Application Available: January 12, 2024
Application Submission Deadline: February 12, 2024
Tentative Decision Release: The week of March 18, 2024
Teachers College and City Year have established a partnership to help support your Master’s degree education. City Year is an education-focused nonprofit organization whose values and goals align with our goal to integrate the power of knowledge and service in addressing social problems. City Year Scholarships have specific requirements:
|
Scholarship Eligibility Criteria |
Award Length |
Scholarship Benefits |
|
Up to one academic year; award period starts in Fall |
25% of your total tuition credits required for graduation |
If you are a new student and plan to begin your enrollment at Teachers College in the Summer or Fall term, you may become eligible to apply for the City Year Scholarship. If you are selected to receive this scholarship, it will be applied starting in your first Fall semester.
Application Available: January 12, 2024
Application Submission Deadline: February 12, 2024
Tentative Decision Release: The week of March 18, 2024
The Posse Foundation Fellowship can provide funding to cover much of your tuition costs, and the fellowship may be renewable for up to two academic years.
|
Fellowship Eligibility Criteria |
Award Length |
Fellowship Benefits |
|
Posse alum who will enroll full-time in a Master’s degree program |
Up to two academic years |
Tuition for courses required for your degree |
If you are a new student and plan to begin your enrollment at Teachers College in the Summer or Fall term, you may become eligible to apply for the Posse Foundation Fellowship. If you are selected to receive this fellowship, it will be applied starting in your first Fall semester.
Application Available: January 12, 2024
Application Submission Deadline: February 12, 2024
Tentative Decision Release: The week of March 18, 2024
Important Eligibility Information
If you receive one of the following endowed or special scholarships or other awards, it may reduce your eligibility for other forms of aid:
- Abby O’Neill Fellowship
- Lemann Fellowship
- Posse Foundation Fellowship
You will not qualify to receive certain institutional aid (including the Founders Award or Teachers Future Award) if you receive one of the awards from this list.
Endowed & Special Scholarships Administered by Other Offices
If you want to work with underserved students in cities, you may be interested in applying for the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowship. To learn more and apply, please go to the Office of School and Community Partnerships.
Do you want to work in literacy or music education? An Evalyn Edwards Milman Fellowship could help you gain professional experience while reducing your graduate school costs. To learn more and apply, please go to the Office of School and Community Partnerships.
- Are you a Ph.D. student and on track to receive your dissertation proposal approval by the end of the school year? The Research Dissertation Fellowship is money you can use to pay for your tuition, living costs, research, or travel expenses. The goal of this fellowship is to support diverse research interests that will help to advance knowledge in your field, including work that could be published in top journals in your field. To learn more and apply, please go to the Office of the Vice Dean for Research, which manages the award program, or email: dissertationfellowships@tc.columbia.edu.
Are you a Ph.D. student with research that provides practical solutions for real-world problems? Consider the Education Policy Dissertation Research Fellowship. This program is open to Doctoral students in any Teachers College department. Your research should reflect the following qualities:
- Potential to improve educational opportunity, success, or fairness in society
- Focus on an important educational policy issue at any level of government
- Likely to be published in the most well-respected journals
- Ability to influence policy and shift public understanding of societal challenges
Contribute to positive change
To learn more and apply, please go to the Education Policy Dissertation Research Fellowship.
If you are a Doctoral student with an interest in mentoring and developing new teachers, you may be interested in becoming a Morse Fellow for Digital Learning. As a Morse Fellow, you would work in a program as part of the Center for Professional Education of Teachers (CPET). CPET programs provide opportunities for new and experienced teachers to connect with professional development services through online and digital technology. You would gain hands-on experience by collaborating with CPET's signature initiatives, including:
- Global Learning Alliance
- Literacy Unbound
- New Teacher Network
- Student Press Initiative
If you become a Morse Fellow for Digital Learning, you join a team of CPET coaches, curriculum developers, and instructional specialists in supporting new teachers in under-served schools through the development of digital learning opportunities. The Enid and Lester Morse Fellowship provides up to $12,000 in funding for Ph.D. students. To learn more and apply, please go to the CPET website.
The Morse Fellowship for Supporting New Teachers is open to Master's and Doctoral students. As a Morse Fellow for Supporting New Teachers, you would assist the New Teacher Network, which is part of the Center for Professional Education of Teachers (CPET).
In this role, you have the opportunity to:
- Collaborate with New Teacher Network coaches
- Mentor new teachers
- Assist in the delivery of professional development programs
- Join a team of CPET coaches, curriculum developers, and instructional specialists to support new teachers in high-needs schools.
The Morse Fellowship for Supporting New Teachers is selective. If you apply and are selected, you may receive up to $12,000. To learn more and apply, please go to the CPET website.
Do you seek out advanced research methods for your Ph.D. research? The Postsecondary Education Applied Research (PEAR) Fellowship can train you for a career in applied postsecondary education research using leading-edge scientific methods. As a PEAR Fellow, you will participate in hands-on, year-long apprenticeships with a higher education institution or nonprofit.
Your apprenticeship may focus on research, policy, or practice. You may qualify for a PEAR Fellowship if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and you are accepted to a Teachers College Doctoral program in the Departments of Education Policy & Social Analysis or Organization & Leadership. To learn more and apply, please go to the PEAR Fellowship website.