Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

Admitted Students

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How do I log into the Online Financial Aid System?

To sign in please enter your Student ID (starts with the letter C followed by 9 numbers) and your Password (date of birth, MMDDCCYY format) in the 'Log-In' box. Do not use the 'First Time User' link even if you are a first-time user. Once logged in, follow the prompts to set up a new password and create security questions.

How do I waive the medical insurance if I am already covered?

All full-time students are by default enrolled in The Columbia Plan to meet students’ health-related needs beyond the on-campus services offered by Columbia Health.

To request a waiver from default enrollment, you must submit a request online (July 15-September 30) via the Columbia Health website. February 15 is the deadline for spring enrollment (new students only) or June 30 for full-time summer enrollment (new students only). All requests are considered but approval is not guaranteed.

PLEASE NOTE: A waiver must be submitted for each year of enrollment at Columbia.

Information on the waiver process and other services provided by Columbia Health can be found on the Columbia Health website.

What will my bill look like?

Your financial aid award is separate from your bill. The financial aid budget includes billed items (such as tuition & fees, housing and meal plan) and unbilled items (such as books, and personal expenses), which will not appear on the bill. Your Expected Family Contribution (Parent Contribution plus Student Contribution) will not match your bill dollar for dollar.

Additional information about the E-Billing process is sent students during the summer. The Fall semester E-Bill will be sent to students and authorized payers in mid-August and is due in early September.

For an estimate of what your bill will look like, please utilize our Bill Estimator Tool (updated each July).

What if my financial aid application is still incomplete?

If your financial aid application was incomplete at the time of admission, you can still complete it and receive a financial aid evaluation. Please submit the missing items at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions regarding any of the missing materials please contact our office.

May I request a re-evaluation of my financial aid package? (Admitted Students)

You can submit a request to have your financial aid award reconsidered for one of the following reasons:

  • Your family’s financial circumstances have changed since you originally submitted the financial aid application.
  • Your family’s financial circumstances are complex in nature, and you would like us to re-review the file with new information or clarification not previously submitted.

As appeals vary, and can be sensitive in nature, we recommend that you contact our office and speak with a financial aid officer prior to submitting a request. All requests for reconsideration should be submitted via e-mail to ugrad-finaid@columbia.edu.

What is the Student Responsibility?

All financial aid recipients are expected to contribute towards the Student Responsibility, which consists of the Student Contribution and Student Employment.

Most incoming First-Year students have a minimum Student Contribution of $2,400 as part of their financial aid award; a contribution from student assets may be included. The expectation is that the student will earn this amount in the summer preceding their first academic year. Alternatively, students and their families may cover this amount with outside scholarships, savings, parental assistance, and/or other financing options if they choose to.

Student Employment is also part of the financial aid award. Students earn this amount during the Fall and Spring semesters. These earnings are generally used to pay for non-billed expenses, such as books/supplies and other personal expenses. This expectation is also not required, and may be covered by outside scholarships, savings, parental assistance, and/or other financing options.

In future years, students who obtain unpaid summer or semester internships may apply for additional grant to cover these expectations through the Work Exemption Program.

What if all of my financial aid materials are not received by the deadline?

We accept documents after the deadline without penalty. Please allow up to 8 business days for documents to be processed after you have submitted them to IDOC or Columbia. We ask that you do not resubmit documents as duplicate materials will delay processing.

I tried to log in and received error code IA. What should I do?

Please do not use the 'First Time User' link even if you are a first-time user. Instead, go directly to the 'Log In' box and enter your Student ID (starts with the letter C followed by 9 numbers) and your Password (date of birth, MMDDCCYY format). If you are still unable to log in, use the 'Forgot Your Password?' link and follow the prompts. If this doesn't work, please contact our office to have your password reset.

When do I file the FAFSA?

The FAFSA generally becomes available on October 1st for the following academic year. It is submitted online and requires both the student and parent to create an FSA ID, if they do not already have one. We strongly encourage all contributors to utilize the FAFSA Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) when possible.

Early Decision applicants: The FAFSA is due November 15th.

Regular Decision applicants: The FAFSA is due February 15th.

Transfer/Combined Plan applicants: The FAFSA is due March 1st.

Continuing Students: The FAFSA is due May 5th.

For more information related to deadlines and type of documents to submit, please view our How to Apply page.

What is the Net Cost?

The net cost is the amount your family should expect to pay towards your billed and non-billed education expenses for the academic year. It is the combination of the Student Responsibility and the Parent Contribution.

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