Not the same price as Prezbo’s mansion, thank God

As Barack Obama once said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” After receiving concerns about current housing costs for upperclassmen, Columbia Housing has decided all upper-class housing will cost $9,292; furthermore, financial aid recipients will receive aid based on that standard housing cost and a meal plan of $4,352. For students with the most financial need, Columbia Housing and Dining are working on a dining option that will provide more meals for these students without additional cost.

Below are the e-mails from Joyce E. Jackson, the Executive Director of Columbia Housing, and Deans Mary C. Boyce and James Valentini.

Dear Student,

In response to your feedback, we are happy to announce that Columbia Housing will be changing our rates to provide for a simpler and fairer cost structure, beginning with the 2017-18 Academic Year.

Following the model of our first-year residences, all upper-class residence halls will be one rate: $9,292.*

With this new rate structure, lottery and class standing become the only determining factors in selecting a residence hall. This will allow you to choose housing based on where and with whom you want to live, not what you can afford. Additionally, with the new rate, the majority of students who live in our residence halls will see a lower average housing cost over their four years at Columbia versus the previous system.

Visit the Columbia Housing website for more information about the new rate structure, planned renovations, or Room Selection. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our team at housing@columbia.edu.

Best Regards,

Joyce E. Jackson
Executive Director
Columbia Housing

*Please note that this is the anticipated 2017-18 rate. Final rates are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees in June.

___________________________________

Dear Student,

As you may have seen, Columbia Housing has developed a new rate structure, creating simpler and more equitable pricing for Columbia undergraduate housing. Beginning in the 2017-2018 academic year, all upper-class residence halls will be one price. This eliminates a cost differential as a factor to consider while making your housing choices.

We also have worked to minimize any impact on your family’s net cost. As always, we will continue to meet demonstrated need for all students admitted as first-years and transfers pursuing their first degree, based on a standard Cost of Attendance. While individual dining choices will vary, financial aid recipients will receive aid based on a room and meals budget of $13,644*, which includes the new housing rate of $9,292* and meal costs of $4,352* (equivalent to Meal Plan B). Regardless of which residence hall you select, your financial aid will cover your housing cost and up to 175 meals and 200 Dining Dollars or Flex per term.

In addition, for those students with the highest levels of financial need, we have worked with Columbia Dining to ensure that there will be an additional dining option that gives these students access to a more comprehensive meal plan without incurring additional cost. This is part of our ongoing commitment to respond to the concerns of low-income students. It is another one of several initiatives we have launched in recent years to increase support beyond the scope of financial aid. More information about this new dining option will be sent to students who qualify for this initiative in the next few weeks.

This simplified rate structure responds to student feedback we have received about the variability in costs of upper-class hall rates. We hope this change will enable you and your classmates to choose your residence without concern for how much it will cost.

We wish you the best of luck with the rest of the semester. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid & Educational Financing should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Mary C. Boyce
Dean of The Fu Foundation School of
Engineering and Applied Science
Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering

James J. Valentini
Dean of Columbia College and
Vice President for Undergraduate Education
Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor

*Please note that these are the anticipated 2017-2018 rates. Final rates are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees in June.

47 Claremont via Columbia Housing