The International Student Hardship Fund is now open for Fall 2026. Since April 2025, the Fund has provided emergency financial assistance to Columbia international students experiencing unexpected costs related to changes in U.S. immigration and visa policies. The Fund is intended to support students facing financial hardship due to travel or visa issues or other impacts resulting from recent from visa or travel uncertainty.
For September and October 2026 only, the Fund will also consider applications from students whose Fall 2026 paid internships were affected by the recent changes to CPT eligibility. This includes students who received direct communication from ISSO that their CPT authorization was affected by the August 12 or August 24 advisories, students who had a previously secured a paid Fall 2026 internship but had not yet submitted a CPT request, and students whose request was denied in September and who can document that the advisories made a paid internship impossible to pursue through CPT.
Awards are limited to $2,500 per student, and new applicants will be prioritized due to the volume of requests and limited funds available.
The Fund does not cover standard visa processing fees or financial circumstances unrelated to the recent changes in federal immigration, visa, or travel policies. In the limited cases where pre-completion OPT is appropriate for students to use instead of CPT that is no longer possible, students may also ask their school whether support is available to help cover the cost of premium processing.
