Minority-Serving Institution Award
The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences is committed to building a diverse and inclusive scholarly community, because we know that diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to fostering innovation, insight, and academic excellence. To support this goal, we provide application fee waivers to individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree from an eligible minority-serving institution (MSI). Students admitted to one of our graduate programs through this process are considered for an MSI Award, which covers at least 40 percent of tuition. The Columbian College makes these awards on a competitive basis to the most highly qualified applicants.
Eligibility Criteria
For award consideration, an applicant must:
- Apply before February 1 (for fall admission) or October 1 (for spring admission, in programs that accept spring applications)
- Expect to receive a bachelor’s degree from an approved MSI or already hold such a degree
- Be admitted to and enroll in a Columbian College graduate certificate, master’s degree, or Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program.
All admitted students who meet these criteria will be considered for the MSI Award regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.
The MSI Award is intended to support study only in traditional fall and spring semesters (unless the program requires summer registration). Master's and Psy.D. students must be enrolled full-time to receive the award; graduate certificate awardees may be enrolled part-time.
How to request an application fee waiver:
- Create an account within the Student Portal.
- Fill out the application as suggested.
- At the end of the application, select "Minority Serving Institution Applicants" from the waiver list.
- At the payment option, do not enter credit card information; all that is needed is the waiver request.
Within two business days of your request, you will receive an approval or denial email, at which point you may proceed with the submission of your application.
If you do not meet all the eligibility criteria, you must pay the fee in order to submit your application. Case-by-case exceptions are unfortunately not available.
Approved Institutions
Effective for students entering Columbian College in Fall 2023.
- Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University
- Alabama State University
- Albany State University
- Alcorn State University
- Allen University
- American Baptist Theological Seminary
- Arkansas Baptist College
- Benedict College
- Bennett College
- Bethune Cookman University
- Bloomfield College
- Bluefield State College
- Boricua College
- Bowie State University
- California State University, Dominguez Hills
- California State University-Los Angeles
- Central State University
- Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
- Clafin University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Clinton College
- College of Menominee Nation
- Coppin State University
- CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- CUNY Lehman College
- Delaware State University
- Dillard University
- Dine College
- Edward Waters College
- Elizabeth City State University
- Fayetteville State University
- Fisk University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida International University
- Florida Memorial University
- Fort Valley State University
- Grambling State University
- Hampton University
- Harris - Stowe State University
- Haskell Indian Nations University
- Howard University
- Huston - Tillotson University
- Iḷisagvik College
- Institute of American Indian & Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
- Jackson State University
- Jarvis Christian College
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Kentucky State University
- Lane College
- Langston University
- LeMoyne - Owen College
- Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO
- Lincoln University, Lincoln University, PA
- Livingstone College
- Metropolitan University of Puerto Rico
- Miami Dade College
- Miles College
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Morehouse College
- Morgan State University
- Morris College
- Navajo Technical University
- Norfolk State University
- North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
- North Carolina Central University
- Northern New Mexico College
- Northwest Indian College
- Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
- Oakwood University
- Oglala Lakota College
- Our Lady of the Lake University
- Paine College
- Paul Quinn College
- Philander Smith College
- Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University
- Rust College
- Saint Augustine's University
- Salish Kootenai College
- Savannah State University
- Shaw University
- Simmons College of Kentucky
- Sinte Gleska University
- Sitting Bull College
- South Carolina State University
- Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College at Baton Rouge
- Southern University at New Orleans
- Southwestern Christian College
- Spelman College
- Stillman College
- Stone Child College
- St. Thomas University
- Sul Ross State University
- Talladega College
- Tennessee State University
- Texas A&M International University
- Texas A&M University-Kingsville
- Texas A&M University-San Antonio
- Texas College
- Texas Southern University
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- Tougaloo College
- Turtle Mountain Community College
- Tuskegee University
- United Tribes Technical College
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- University of Maryland - Eastern Shore
- University of North Texas at Dallas
- University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla
- University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo
- University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón
- University of Puerto Rico, Carolina
- University of Puerto Rico, Cayey
- University of Puerto Rico, Humacao
- University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
- University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
- University of Puerto Rico, Ponce
- University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
- University of Puerto Rico, Utuado
- University of the District of Columbia
- University of the Virgin Islands
- Virginia State University
- Virginia Union University
- Virginia University of Lynchburg
- Vorhees College
- West Virginia State University
- Wilberforce University
- Wiley College
- Winston-Salem State University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
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MA '23, Media & Strategic Communication