Give to GS

Your Contributions Enhance GS Financial Aid

We want to thank alumni and friends of the School of General Studies for your generosity towards the GS Annual Fund and The Columbia Campaign for Undergraduate Education. Your contributions have made it possible for us to announce an enhancement to our ongoing aggressive efforts designed to better assist the nontraditional undergraduates of Columbia University meet the significant costs of financing a Columbia education.

The initiative we have announced enables the School to take a number of important steps for the 2008-2009 academic year, including:

• Adding approximately $1 million to the financial aid budget, affecting approximately 50% of GS undergraduate degree students who currently receive institutional financial aid
• Focusing enhancement on continuing students who have the highest demonstrated economic need and substantial loan debt
• Increasing the financial aid program by 17%

For a full explanation of how your gifts to the annual fund and to the endowment will support GS students in the next academic year, please read the full financial aid enhancement announcement.

The success of General Studies students is vital to our future, and their success requires your help.

Every Gift Has An Impact

Exposure to a wealth of academic possibilities, in the tradition of Ivy League education, and an intellectually stimulating environment, shared with a group of committed peers...

Your gift to the School of General Studies Annual Fund fosters extraordinary opportunities for talented individuals.

Trisha Gill
Chicago, Illinois
Political Science

I chose the School of General Studies because:
I was attending Quinnipiac University, when I first learned about GS. I believe Columbia has the support system in place for non-traditional students to get the best education, so I decided to take ownership of my education and go for the best.

What do you like most about being a GS student?
GS allows me to fit in. I am a little older than the average college student but it is more than looking the part. The deans at GS care about my history and how my education will fit me.

Something I learned at Columbia that I will always remember:
I’ll always remember that with the right perspective challenges can be rewarding. Challenges are opportunities to redevelop and redefine myself—it has made me a stronger person.

My favorite class:
I'm very happy I took Frontiers of Science. It opened my eyes and taught me about a world I partake in, but often take for granted.

What I am most proud of:
I am a first-generation college student, so I am proud to be able to pave the way for my younger sister.

My favorite place on campus or in the neighborhood:
My favorite place on campus is the platform near the top of Low Steps. When I’m sitting there, I often think about the history of Columbia and events like the ServiceNation Forum that have taken place here.