Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

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When will we receive the financial aid award letter?

Financial aid award letters for continuing students who submitted all financial aid application materials by the May 5th deadline are e-mailed at the end of June.

How and when should we submit the renewal application for financial aid?

The deadline to submit the renewal application for financial aid is early May. We will contact you in early March with instructions on how to complete the renewal application process.

What is your policy towards renewing the financial aid award after the first year?

For each year of attendance at Columbia, you will need to submit a new financial aid application which will be evaluated using the same methods and criteria that were used when you were admitted. Since the cost of attendance increases each year, for the typical family the financial aid package will increase in order to keep up with the cost increase. However, if your family circumstances have changed (e.g., changes in income, number of people in the household, the number of children who are full-time undergraduate students), then your financial aid award will be adjusted to take these changes into account.

Are there other charges or expenses that I should be aware of?

Additional billed costs you might accrue include laboratory or language fees (for certain classes) and laundry service (optional). Some courses, particularly in the sciences and languages have fees ranging from $10 to $160. These charges will not appear on the first Student Account Statement, but will appear on subsequent Student Account Statements.

You should plan for additional non-billed costs for books and miscellaneous expenses. Miscellaneous expenses may include such things as academic supplies, personal items, and recreation.

In addition, you should budget for the cost of travel between home and New York City. Students who will be flying to school are encouraged to take advantage of the lowest student fares available by booking as early as possible. We also encourage students to check online for bargains by doing a search for “student travel”.

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