Columbia Journalism School Waives Application Fee, Strengthens Commitment to Access in Journalism
After awarding more than $300,000 to alumni working in nonprofit news organizations, the School is now eliminating application fees for prospective students.
This admission cycle, for the first time in the Columbia Journalism School's history, prospective students can apply to its degree programs at no cost. This is another stake in the School’s commitment to fostering an inclusive media landscape as part of its CJS2030 strategic initiatives.
“If we can reduce the cost across the board, we open up the doors to more people from a broader array of backgrounds coming into journalism, and we can then serve as a pipeline for helping to diversify the field,” said Jelani Cobb, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism, in a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair after the launch of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program. “The objective is for people who are interested in journalism to not feel skittish about pursuing a career in journalism.”
Applications to Columbia Journalism School open today, August 8, 2024. By waiving fees, the School furthers its support for rigorous, representative and ethical journalism — and for its students, both as they enter the program and for years after they leave. Dean Cobb’s pilot Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) is the first of its kind in the journalism industry — and is at the heart of the Access Initiative. In the first year, CJS offered $300,000 to more than 30 graduates who bring their talent and skills to nonprofit news media organizations.
“It almost felt custom made for my experience,” said LRAP recipient Ben Angarone, ’22 M.A. Politics. He reports for the Honolulu Civil Beat, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt news organization. “The financial freedom element is extremely helpful for allowing alums to really put themselves out there and try out doors they didn't know existed beforehand.”
Under Dean Jelani Cobb’s leadership, CJS has opened the doors even wider to the journalism industry. The entire school community is dedicated to empowering students — past, present, and future — to serve the public good and foster diverse, accurate and impactful journalism.
“If we want our newsrooms to reflect the diversity of thought, opinion, race and gender of our country, these are the kind of fundamental programs and opportunities that I think make a huge difference,” said Jaden Edison, ’22 M.S., public education reporter for The Texas Tribune and member of the 2024 LRAP cohort.