Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

Continuing Students

Home / Continuing Students / Continuing Students

Our staff is dedicated to partnering with you in planning how best to finance your education, and we look forward to working with you. We encourage you to review the timeline and explore the important information on financial aid at Columbia on the web site pages below. Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding the financial aid process.

CHECK YOUR FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION STATUS
Log in to view the status of your financial aid application.
types of aid
Review the different resources that a Columbia financial aid award consists of to meet a student's demonstrated financial need.

Estimate your E-Bill

Use our Bill Estimator Tool to estimate what your E-Bill will look like for Fall and Spring.
Financing Options
Review information about available payment and financing options.
Outside Scholarships
Learn about how scholarships from outside organizations may impact your aid.

On-Campus Jobs

Review how to apply for an on-campus job and understand the difference between work-study and student employment.
FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions by continuing students.

Related FAQs

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.

How do my housing and meal plan choices impact my financial aid package?

While individual dining choices will vary, financial aid recipients will receive aid based on a room and meals budget of $17,058*, which includes the new housing rate of $11,600* and meal costs of $5,458* (equivalent to Meal Plan B). Regardless of which residence hall you select, your financial aid will cover your housing cost and up to 175 meals and 200 Dining Dollars or Flex per term.

We recommend that students speak with a financial aid officer if they have any questions on this topic prior to making their housing and meal plan selections.

*For the 2023-2024 academic year

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 Estimated 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 (available in July).

Are there student/parent loans available?

Some students and families choose to finance a portion of their Parent Contribution (PC) or Student Contribution (SC) with education loans. Information on different financing options is available on the Education Loans portion of our website.

May I request a reevaluation of my financial aid package? (Current 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 review the file again 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 done using our Request An Appeal page.

We will begin reviewing financial aid appeals in late July. If you submit an appeal, you should hear from us by email in early August.

See all FAQs