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Access Barnard leverages the resources of the college and New York City as a whole to support students who identify as international, first-generation, or low-income as they navigate the American higher education system. Access Barnard seeks to bridge the gaps that first-time undergraduates often face as they transition into college.

Access Barnard Resources

• Access Barnard Pre-Orientation Program
• Navigating Barnard Workshops
• Peer Mentoring Program 
• Cohort Based Advising Sessions 
• Supplemental Academic Support Application (SASA)
• Access Barnard Lending Library
• Laptop Loan Program 
• AB Student Advisory Board 
• Peer Academic Advisors (PAA’s)

The Access Barnard Pre-Orientation will be an experience where international and first-generation and/or low-income students begin the transition to Barnard College. 

Summer Program Structure

Student Staff Training Week: Monday, August 2nd, 2022 to Friday, August 5th, 2022.

Opportunity Programs Academic Program: Monday, August 8th, 2022 to Sunday, August 21st, 2022.

Navigating Barnard Week (Opportunity Programs/ First Generation/Low-Income/International Students Combined): Monday, August 22nd, 2022 to Saturday, August 27th, 2022.

Move-In Dates

Student Staff: Monday, August 2nd, 2022

Opportunity Programs: Monday, August 8th, 2022

First Generation/Low-Income/International: Monday, August 22nd, 2022

Eligible students have already received the RSVP form to sign up for the pre-orientation. We look forward to meeting you in August!

Q&A 

Click Here for more information. If your question is not answered, please email Access Barnard at accessbarnard@barnard.edu.

The Supplemental Academic Support Application provides students with a single point of access to request funds for academic needs to support their educational progress during their time at Barnard. This includes support from the institutional Safety Net (a Barnard Annual Fund giving option).

SASA Eligibility 

SASA Funding is available to all Barnard students. Applications are reviewed by the SASA committee. 

Scope of Awards

The Supplemental Academic Support Application provides students with a single point of access to request funds for academic needs to support their educational progress during their time at Barnard. This includes support from the institutional Safety Net (a Barnard Annual Fund giving option).

SASA funding aims to support Barnard students' experiencing unexpected financial circumstances during their undergraduate experience. SASA funding grants range and can be used for demonstrated needs such as: academic technology/course materials, winter or professional clothing; academic advancement; or emergent needs.  

1. Academic needs- academic technology/course materials; course fees; winter or professional clothing; academic advances (such as graduate school exam fees)

2. Psychological testing- support to pay for fees associated with psychological testing for those who are seeking educational accommodation

3. Emergent needs - support for emergencies or unexpected financial circumstances

Additionally, the support provided through SASA is also a way to help connect students with resources at Barnard or Columbia. SASA connects students with non-financial resources such as laptops or specialized advising. So even if students are unsure of how their request fits, we encourage them to apply and will work to connect them to the right place. SASA is not suited to address significant long-term financial deficits; pay for ongoing living expenses such as rent or utilities; tuition and fees or fund pleasure travel.

How To Apply

The SASA application is available through your Barnard portal which can be found at portal.barnard.edu.  You will be prompted to log in. Once logged in look under finances and you will see the SASA application listed.  

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Email: accessbarnard@barnard.edu

Location: First floor of Milbank Hall inside Milbank 111

Phone: 212-854-3583

Opportunity Programs (OP)

• Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
• Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)

For more information about Opportunity Programs, please email opportunityprograms@barnard.edu

First-Generation Student Initiatives (FLI)

The First-Generation Student Initiatives (FLI)  provide resources and support to all students who identify with the first-generation and/or low-income college experience. Access Barnard seeks to empower and enrich the experience of FLI students both inside and outside of the classroom as they navigate Barnard. 

For more information about FLI, please contact Jemima Gedeon, Director of First-Generation Student Initiatives at jgedeon@barnard.edu

International Student Services (ISS)

International Student Services (ISS) serves the needs of F-1, J-1 visa students, and self-identified international students at the College. ISS provides a wide array of services to new, continuing and visiting international students. The office also develops year-round academic, cultural and social programming and serves as a global resource for the larger Barnard community.

For more information about International Student Services, please email iss@barnard.edu

Peer Mentoring 

Peer mentoring is widely considered a high-impact practice for student success. Peer mentoring has been shown to enhance students' sense of belonging and satisfaction with their college experience and enhance psycho-social belonging. For students new to the college experience, peer mentors have been shown to be indispensable to the transition particularly for first-generation students. Currently, Opportunity Programs and the FLI program have each developed versions of peer mentoring. Access Barnard is enhancing this existing model to address a range of ways peer mentors can be utilized to support all first-year and transfer students as they navigate their experience at Barnard. Access Barnard mentors will:

• Peer mentors will provide specialized support such as first-year mentors, alum mentors and mentors in majors.
• A group of mentors will help student identify their needs and connect them to institutional resources of the new Access Barnard office.

For more information about Access Barnard Peer Mentoring Program, please contact Gianni Lopez, Associate Director for Advising and Programs at glopez@barnard.edu

The Food Pantry at Columbia-Barnard Hall is open to any student within any of the 20 Schools within Columbia University - undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time. Any student who has any level of food insecurity can reach out to the Food Pantry to get a disbursement catered to your individual dietary and household needs. All students can feel rest assured that any information they provide to us will remain within the Food Pantry and will not be shared with anyone outside of the Food Pantry without their explicit permission.