Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

Federal Perkins Loan

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The Perkins Loan Program is ending as of September 30, 2017. We are unable to process any Perkins Loan requests after this date.

If you have requested that your Perkins Loan be applied to the Fall and Spring semesters and the fall amount has been disbursed prior to September 30, 2017, you may receive the spring disbursement.

  • Interest Rate = 5%
  • Subsidized Loans: Interest begins accruing after the nine-month grace period (post-graduation or during a period of less-than-halftime enrollment longer than six months).
  • Undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $5,500 annually.
  • For students who have borrowed Perkins Loan funding in prior years at Columbia University: you must first request your full Direct Subsidized Loan eligibility prior to borrowing a Perkins loan.
  • For students who have not borrowed Perkins Loan funding in prior years at Columbia University: you must first request your full Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan eligibility prior to borrowing a Perkins loan
  • Perkins Loan eligibility is based on your individual federal need, as determined by your FAFSA. If you are unsure of your eligibility for a Perkins Loan, please contact our office prior to submitting the loan form.
  • Perkins Loan repayment is handled by Student Financial Services and is administered by ACS Education Services.

How to Apply:

  1. Complete the Perkins Loan Application
  2. Complete the Perkins Entrance Interview and Master Promissory Note after you have received an email from our office that we have processed your loan.
    • The documents will not be available to you to complete online until after we have processed the loan. You may complete the Master Promissory Note by paper, if you would like to complete it sooner.

Loan applications submitted over the summer are available. They will be processed on a rolling basis. If you have applied for institutional financial aid, we will process your loan after you have received a financial aid eligibility letter.