Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons offers Genetic & Genomic Assistant (GCA/GA) to prospective Graduate students. Let us get to know more about them:

• There is a new role has emerged within genetic services.
• GCAs support genetic counsellors, while GAs support physicians or other healthcare providers in genetic and genomic medicine.
• They play roles in clinical, research, and administrative duties.
• Incorporating GCAs/GAs improves patient access and contributes to cost savings for medical establishments.
• Provides an overview of genetic services within specialty clinics.
• Ideal for those who are preparing to become a GCA/GA or for healthcare providers integrating genetics/genomics into their practice.
• Focuses on healthcare communication, constructing and interpreting pedigrees, facilitating genetic testing, and preparing for a GCA/GA career.

Characteristics of GCAs/GAs:

• Need to be passionate about high-quality patient care and improving access to genetic/genomic healthcare.
• Should demonstrate the role of good communicators,
• Should be detail-oriented,
• Should be organized,
• and must enjoy working with people.
• People from various educational backgrounds and work experiences can become GCAs/GAs.

Importance of GCA/GA Training:

• Many GCAs/GAs enter their roles without specific training.
• The Genetic & Genomic Assistantship introduces learners to key concepts, genetics terminology, and clinical workflow.
• Training can distinguish prospective GCAs/GAs in the job market and provide exposure to genetic counselling and clinical genetic medicine.

Curriculum of GCA/GA Training:

The Curriculum consists of eight learning modules which are:

• introductions to genetic counselling,
• healthcare systems,
• communication skills in healthcare,
• clinical genetics,
• family history,
• genetic testing, and
• course wrap-up.

Format of GCA/GA Training:

This assistantship has been offered in various formats such as:

• Cohort Program: It is a 7-week experience with other learners,
• Self-paced program: Self-paced with a maximum completion time of 4 months, and
• Accelerated/Onboarding Program: 1-2 weeks experience for new GCA/GA roles.

In the end, we have seen that Columbia University's Genetic & Genomic Assistantship program introduces learners to the emerging roles of Genetic Counselor Assistants (GCAs) and Genetic Assistants (GAs) in the healthcare system. These roles, vital in clinical, research, and administrative capacities, enhance patient access and offer cost-saving benefits. The assistantship curriculum comprises eight modules, focusing on areas like healthcare communication, genetic testing, and family history. Offered in multiple formats, including cohort, self-paced, and accelerated/onboarding, the program equips learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in these roles.

Through Assistantship programs, the Teacher's College Columbia University has been dedicated to supporting the research and scholarship of its graduate students. Various golden opportunities such as academic exposure, industry techniques and professional skills development have been provided through assistantships.

If a student works on Research, teaching, or administrative graduate assistantships, in return for completing a given task they will be paid monetarily and/or through up to six per year tuition points. Before submitting their application Students are strongly motivated to discuss each program with their advisor, in order to attend graduate assistantship job fairs, and/or to network with administrators and professors in their academic program. An appointment letter and a copy of the student employment policy will be distributed to each and every student who will be assigned to a position. Practically, new job openings happen at the start of each year, and it is a must to know that the university’s office doesn't handle the hiring procedure for graduate assistantships and fellowships positions. Instead, The human resource website contains all the data and information about these assistantships and fellowships.

Research Assistantships (RA)

Research assistants carry out important research work related to their studies and get paid along with tuition benefits.

Some important conditions for the research assistants are: 

• It is essential for an RA to be enrolled in school for at least half-time during the semester they are working.
• During Fall and spring RAs usually work for about 15 to 20 hours per week for 15 weeks each semester. Whereas in summer during the assistantships appointment, an RA works around 18-25 hours per week up to 12 weeks with a faculty member or an instructional staff member on campus. 
• It is possible for an RA to secure up to nine 9 tuition points for the academic year, but they are not allowed to secure more than three 3 points per semester. These amounts help to cover their tuition costs and are listed in their financial aid package.
• The total hours for all part-time positions on average cannot exceed 27. 

RAs’ are supposed to earn between $3,375 to $9,000 and If an RA is collecting a grant pay then it is possible for them to earn somewhere between $4,500 to $9,000 per semester. The salary they receive is taxable and paid on a regular schedule. 

Teaching Assistantships (TA)

Graduate TAs help teachers and assist professors with classes and get paid along which helps in the reduction of their tuition bill benefits. 

• It is to be noted that the Students must be recorded at least half-time during the term they work. During Fall/Spring TAs usually work for about 15 to 20 hours per week for about 15 weeks each semester.
• The Summer hires can work for about 18-25 hours per week but it is necessary for them to work with a faculty member or an instructional staff member on campus during the assistantship appointment. 
• TAs can earn between $3,375 to $5,000 per semester and get up to nine 9 tuition points for the year. The salary they receive is taxable and is paid on a regular schedule in the TC Bookmarks section. However it is restricted for TAs to receive more than three tuition points per term. These scholarship amounts help to cover their tuition fees and get listed on the student's financial aid package.
• The total working hours per week for all the TAs working part-time cannot exceed 27 hours.

Administrative Fellowships (AF)

An Administrative Fellow performs academic-related work while being paid for every two weeks. They also receive tuition exemption points up to 3 per term. If you get selected to become an AF you will receive an electronic letter and details regarding the policy.

• If a Student is employed it is essential for them to be registered for classes at least half-time (during the term An AF is supposed to work for a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 20 hours per week for 15 weeks each semester. In summers while the summer work the students are expected to work up to 25 hours per week for 12 weeks.
• The salary of AFs goes between $4,050 to $9,000 per semester and up to nine 9 tuition exemption points per year 
• The salary being paid to them is taxable. However, it is to be noted that the first amount of $5,250 that students get wont be -taxable, and these points will not be shown on the student's actual financial aid package. Instead, they will be managed by the Office of the Bursar. The Total working hours per week for all part-time/students cannot exceed 27.

Course Assistantships (CA)

A course assistant works with school staff related to academics and has the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member.

• If you are trying to be a course assistant then you must be a TC student and should be registered for TC courses during the semester you are working. 
• A CA is eligible to be paid $1,238 per semester for the course in which they are working. It is to be kept in mind that being a CA, you won't be eligible for tuition points as in other jobs. 
• During the fall and spring semesters CAs are expected to work up to 5.5 hours per week per 3-credit course and during summers it is 13 hours per week. 
• The student can work for other part-time jobs also, but all the jobs you work into should not exceed 27 hours.

The Graduate students of Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) are basically being provided with various types of assistantships in order to support their academic pursuits. assistantships and the amount of money being provided to you can be different depending on your department, program, and individual circumstances. Here are some common types of assistantships:

Teaching Assistantships (TAs): Teaching assistantships involve helping professors with undergraduate courses and students. TAs Teaching assistants may lead discussion sections, grade assignments, or provide general support to professors in the classroom. One of the most important parts of being a TA is that they usually get paid with a stipend and, in some cases, their tuition fee is covered. 

Research Assistantships (RAs): If you are a Research assistant then you will be expected to work on research projects under the guidance of of faculty members. RAs are also enrolled in helping the professors with data collection, literature reviews, and various research-related tasks. Under this, for providing your valuable services Compensation covering a stipend and tuition remission, will be given especially for Ph.D. students.

Graduate Assistantships: GA roles can cover many different jobs like helping out in University offices, such as academic departments, libraries, or administrative offices.

Administrative Assistantships: In addition to academic roles, some graduate students can also work in administrative assistantships as administrative assistants within the university. These roles are not restricted to a single place instead, These roles involve working in various administrative offices across campus usually with a stipend.

Residential Advisor (RA): Some graduate students can become mentors in University housing in which their duty would be to provide or help undergraduate or fellow graduate students living in university housing.

Writing Center Tutors: This type of assistantship is for those students having excellent writing skills and interest in the field of writing, within this they get to work in university writing centres, helping and assisting undergraduates with their writing assignments.

Language Instructors: Language instructors with qualitative skills and proficiency in other languages get the chance to teach language courses to undergraduates.

Summer Research or Teaching Assistantships: Just like summer training programs Some assistantships are specifically designed for the summer months It is to be noted and kept in mind that the graduate students even have the opportunity to work as TA or RA during summers. 

The amount of stipend for assistantships differs according to different programs and specialisations.

Assistantships: 

Through a competitive process, this program offers more than 30 course grading assistantships to dynamic and ambitious students, these assistantship jobs include tasks like grading assignments and administrative duties.

As a grading student and by working on these Assistantships you are eligible to be paid an average of $6,000 per semester. But, to be eligible for these assistantships you need to be a full-time student with good academic standing, and to be kept in mind that all the earnings you do from these assistantships or stipends may be potentially taxable.

Scholarships: 

To meet the eligibility criteria in order to attain Scholarships, the student must possess excellent academic or athletic ability or they should have an interest in a certain subject, or volunteer work. It is also possible for you to get a scholarship by having membership in an ethnic or religious group. And yes it is also possible for Companies to award scholarships to you or your child.

Need and Merit-based Scholarship programs: 

Excelsior Scholarship: Families who earn $125,000 or less are eligible to apply. 

Enhanced Tuition awards: This program helps students at private colleges pay for their college degree up to $3,000. 

Financial Aids: 

Many of the financial grants are assigned to you based on your needs, which means after considering your and your family’s financial circumstances the university decides to pay you a certain amount to help you financially. But it is to be noted strongly that you are not allowed to receive more need-based aid than the amount of your financial need. 

New York State Tuition Assistance Program: 

In New York, there is a program called the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). To get qualified for TAP you must live in New York and go to school on a regular basis. The amount of the award or money you get from TAP is completely dependent on the program you are enrolled in, your family income, the financial status you possess (dependent or independent) and the number of family members enrolled in college.

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents with an annual award of up to $5,665 to help them pay for their tuition. The best thing provided to you is that as TAP is a grant, you don't have to pay it back. TAP can help students who go to schools like SUNY, CUNY and private colleges even if they go to school for attending it part-time.

New York State Veterans and Families benefits:

New York State also has special benefits for veterans and their families. If you are a veteran and live in New York State and plan to attend a college or university in New York, you may be able to get these benefits to help your education and provide support to your family. 

New York State Part-time scholarships awards:

NYK grants scholarship awards to students attending private colleges part-time maintaining a good grade of 2.0 GPA up to $1500 dollars for about 2 years. 

Scholarships such as:

• The NYC Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship program,
• NYC Scholarships for Academic Excellence,
• NYC STEM incentive program,
• NYC Math and Science Teaching Incentive Program,
• NYC World Trade Centre Memorial Scholarship,
• NYC Masters in Education on Teacher incentive program,
• Military Enhanced Recognition Incentive and Tribute - MERIT Scholarship,
• Flight 3407 Memorial Scholarship,
• American Airlines Flight 587 Memorial Scholarship, and
• NYS Memorial Scholarship for Families of Deceased Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Police Officers, Peace Officers, and Emergency Medical Service Workers.

It also provides some NYC awards for top and high-ranking students: 

• Veterans tuition awards,
• NYC Aids to native Americans,
• Segal AmeriCorps education awards and
• NYS Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans

Columbia University offers Graduate assistantships to students in various forms such as teaching and research, now let us find out about its tuition, responsibilities and limitations:

Teaching and Research Assistantships at Columbia GSAPP:

• Columbia GSAPP offers a limited number of teaching and research assistantships to students who are enrolled full-time in degree programs and also to continuing students who are not currently enrolled.
• These assistantships involve certain responsibilities, and students are paid for their work through semi-monthly paychecks.

Remuneration and Tuition Award:

• The amount of payment for assistantships is based on the expected workload.
• In addition to the paycheck, enrolled students who receive an assistantship will also get a tuition award.
• This award is applied directly to the student's account, helping to cover their tuition costs.

Graduate Research Assistant Responsibilities:

• Graduate Research Assistants are expected to work a maximum of 20 hours per week.
• The total salary for this role was $4,480.
• Assignments for these assistantships are made based on the qualifications of the candidates.
• These positions are awarded based on merit, so students with relevant experience in the subject matter may have an advantage.

Limitations on Appointments:

• Students can only hold one appointed position at a time, which could be a TAship (Teaching Assistantship), Research Assistantship, or something similar.
• Also, students should not work more than a total of 20 hours per week for all their jobs at Columbia.

In short, The Columbia GSAPP offers teaching and research assistantships to students, with payment based on workload. These positions come with tuition awards and are awarded based on qualifications and merit. Students are limited to holding one appointed position at a time and should not exceed 20 hours of work per week across all their jobs at Columbia. Students can contact the Assistantships Office for more information, and details about future assistantship opportunities will be provided in late spring.

Need-Based Scholarships:

Columbia GSAPP provides institutional financial aid to talented graduate students from various backgrounds and countries looking at the financial situations and circumstances of the students and their families, there will be one-time scholarship awards for up to $10,000 each, which will be provided as part of the need-based scholarship program.

In order to receive this, students will asked to apply for a Need Assessment Form, which is usually available in the summer for awards disbursed in the fall semester. Each and every Eligible enrolled student is motivated to apply for all available opportunities even when they are not based on merit. The need-based scholarship is specifically for those students who are already enrolled in the school or are currently studying in the school.

Merit-Based Scholarships:

Merit-based scholarships are also available for those students who are currently enrolled at Columbia GSAPP.

If a student wants to be eligible for merit-based scholarships, he or she must be enrolled on a full-time basis generally, with 12 points or more.

In order to apply for a merit-based scholarship students must complete the online Scholarship Application Form.

It is to be kept in mind that the Merit-based scholarship funding is limited, and awards are also highly competitive, hence those students would be prioritised who have achieved the highest level of academic achievement 

Assistantships: 

Columbia GSAPP offers teaching and research assistantships to students, both enrolled and non-enrolled. The pay for these assistantships has increased. However, there's a change in how scholarships are distributed. They will no longer be bundled with assistantship salaries. Instead, students will have more options for receiving direct financial aid to better meet their needs. Paychecks are sent every two months based on the expected workload. Assistantships at Columbia are awarded based on the specific requirements of each role and are merit-based, with preference given to candidates with relevant experience. Students can only hold one assistantship position each semester. Assistantship recipients are expected to work 12 hours per week and will receive a salary of $5,800.

It's important to note that students can only have one designated employment, such as a teaching or research assistantship, at a time, and their total work hours at Columbia cannot exceed 20 hours per week.

SIPA Assistantships:

Second-year students enrolled in the full-time two-year degree programs have the chance to get enrolled in SIPA assistantships. The most amazing part is that these assistantships provide compensation through a salary.

Selection Criteria: The student’s ability to perform their duties decides if the students are selected for assistantships (Teaching Assistant, Reader, Program Assistant, and Student Assistant) or not. These duties include the work of teaching, researchers, computing supporters, or other positions.

Eligibility and academic requirements: To clear the eligibility criteria for SIPA Assistantships, the applicants need to have good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and the applicant also must ensure that he or she will be working full-time. However, it is not always guaranteed that if you meet these criteria you will surely be given the position. To stay on track and do well in your studies, you need to finish at least two-thirds of the credits you try to complete. Also, you should aim to finish your degree within 150 percent of the usual time it takes. Your academic progress will be checked every year to make sure you're doing well and meeting these goals.

Payment: If a Student is enrolled in an Assistantship he or she will get paid twice a month, according to the University's regular pay schedule.

SIPA Scholarships:

SIPA scholarship awards are a blend of merit and financial need, If you mention on your application process that you want to be considered for financial help then SIPA after looking at all admitted applicants will consider you for a scholarship, but what you need to take care of about is to fill and submit the application for admission and all supporting materials by the appropriate deadline. You also need to be aware of the fact that SIPA’s funding resources are limited, and awards are competitive. There is no doubt that all the accepted students are talented but, SIPA cannot provide funding to everyone. Most scholarships given to students who are admitted to the two-year full-time programs are renewable only if the student continuously maintains and meets the academic standards described in the initial notification of the award. Normally, the scholarships cover an entire year and are also split into two payments per semester. If a student receives a two-year renewable scholarship then he or she need not apply for it in their second year. though they can apply for assistantships for their second year. If in case SIPA decides to extend the scholarship beyond 2 years it will surely notify the eligible students about it. Although, most of the time all the scholarships are made at the beginning of admission without making any additions in the further future. However, Scholarships are also available for students in the 12-month MPA-EPM and MPA-ESP programs, the 10-month Global Leaders MPA program, as well as the Executive MPA program, those funding decisions are made by the programs themselves.

SIPA’s make funding from numerous sources including gifts from many generous donors who want to help SIPA students succeed. These gifts and endowed funds help SIPA fund many of our awards. Some student's scholarships may be later designated with the name of a donor who helped make their award possible, at which time the recipient may be asked to provide additional information about themselves to share with the donor.