Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

Prospective Students

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How can I request a fee waiver for the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile provides fee waivers to qualifying domestic students who are first-time, first-year, low-income applicants. Eligibility for fee waivers is automatically assessed at the time you complete the CSS Profile. Eligible applicants may apply to an unlimited number of schools free of charge. Columbia does not offer additional fee waivers to domestic students.

Low-income International students wishing to request a CSS Profile fee waiver should contact ugrad-finaid@columbia.edu.

Can families apply for financial aid in future years if they do not apply the first year?

U.S. citizens, eligible noncitizens and students residing in the United States without legal citizenship or residency – You may apply for financial aid in future years. This request must come in writing from the student directly.

International students – You must have indicated that you were a financial aid applicant at the time of your admission application and qualified for need-based aid. If you did not, you will not be eligible to apply for financial aid at any time during your enrollment unless your citizenship status changes.

What assets are factored in when determining financial aid eligibility?

Parents’ assets include cash, savings, investments, home equity, other real estate equity, and business equity. We do not include the value of retirement assets in our analysis. We do provide enhanced financial aid eligibility for low-income families with typical assets. For families with an income up to $100,000, we consider typical assets to be approximately up to $250,000.

What does total family income include?

We calculate a family’s total income by adding all sources of income, including any untaxed income (e.g., tax-deferred pension contributions, social security benefits, child support received, tax exempt interest). In cases of divorced or separated families, the incomes from both parents are considered to determine the total family income.

How is financial aid eligibility calculated?

Because our financial aid program is need based, we determine financial aid eligibility by evaluating each family’s ability to pay for education costs. Our office conducts a thorough review of each applicant’s financial information every year, and we take many factors into consideration during our analysis. Review our Determining Eligibility page for more information about the factors we consider.

Does Columbia have financial aid policies to support low-income students?

Financial aid is awarded to students and families of many income levels; however we do have specific financial aid initiatives designed to make Columbia accessible to students from low-income households.

What percentage of Columbia students receive financial aid?

Approximately 50% of undergraduate students in Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences receive financial aid.

How much financial aid is available for transfer students?

Financial aid for transfer students is need-based, and determined based on a financial aid analysis, in the same manner as for incoming first-year students. We guarantee to meet full demonstrated financial need for transfer students pursuing their first degree.

Is financial aid available for international students?

Yes. Columbia meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for international students admitted as first-years and transfers pursuing their first degree. Please be aware that Columbia is need-aware in its admission of international students. International applicants must apply for and demonstrate financial need at the time of admission. If you plan on applying for financial at any point during your four years of study then you must indicate that you are a financial aid applicant on your admissions application. If you do not, you will not be eligible to apply for financial aid at any time during your enrollment unless your citizenship status changes.

Will my admission decision be affected if I apply for financial aid?

For all applicants who are US Citizens, Eligible Noncitizens or students living in the US without legal citizenship or residency, the admissions process is need-blind, meaning that applying for financial aid will have no bearing on the admission decision.

International students are evaluated in a need-aware process, meaning that among the many criteria taken into consideration in rendering an admissions decision, the student’s status as a financial aid applicant is also considered.

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