Introducing the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Scholarship

Established by a group of visionary alumni from across the University, the CAA Scholarship provides an opportunity for alumni to support students at every Columbia School. It will not only provide recipients with financial assistance but also tap into the CAA’s vast network of alumni to provide personalized mentorship to each CAA Scholar, augmenting and enhancing the support provided by their individual School. As a result, recipients will create lasting bonds while they are guided through their time at Columbia and the decisions they make about their careers.

Scholars will also have multiple opportunities to interact as a group and participate in the CAA’s broader programming, familiarizing themselves with the opportunities available to all Columbians through the broader University. As founding donor Keith Goggin ’91JRN notes, “Working together, using all of the University's resources together, we get the best outcomes—as alumni, for students, for society.”

The CAA Scholarship is instrumental to the University-wide Student Support Initiative, which aims to make Columbia more affordable by reducing/eliminating the financial barriers. The CAA Scholarship is a unique opportunity to help students at every School with one gift, and gifts are welcome at any level. As of September 20, 2021, alumni and friends have contributed or committed over $3.5M. As CAA President Donna MacPhee ’89CC says, “Student support not only shapes Columbia’s student body today, but also develops a robust, diverse, and exciting alumni community who will continue to give back to tomorrow’s students.”

Read all about the origins of the CAA Scholarship on Keith Goggin’s Why We Give profile “Investing in Futures.”

Editor's note: A version of this article was originally published by Columbia Alumni Association.