Private Loan Programs and Payment Plan

All School of Continuing Education students may arrange a private loan to help cover their educational expenses. For information on payment plan and other payment options, please visit: www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/billing/payment-options.html#N10131.

Federal Stafford Loan

For information on Federal Stafford Loans, visit: www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/Grad_Fin_Aid/index.html.

To meet with a counselor, please visit:

Student Financial Planning
202 Kent
212-854-7040
sfp@columbia.edu
By phone: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM on weekdays
In person: until 6:00 PM on Tuesdays

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for the Stafford Loan.

To be considered for the loan, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States and plan to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (two courses per term)

To apply:

  1. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In the school listing section of the form (Step 6), enter E00817 as the University’s Title IV code.
  2. Approximately three to four weeks after filing the FAFSA, the student will receive a Federal Student Aid Report and the University will receive the same information directly from the U.S. Department of Education.
  3. Student Financial Planning will then review the FAFSA data, inform the student of his or her eligibility for the loan, and provide information on application procedures.

Postbaccalaureate students may be eligible to borrow up to $12,500 in Federal Stafford loans for a 12-month period.

Students must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (two courses per term) to receive loan funds.

For additional information on eligibility, please consult the Office of Student Financial Planning at 212-854-7040.

If a student drops below half time after the term begins, loan funds may have to be returned to the lender.

U.S. Military Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, as well as state and local government, offers a number of educational assistance programs for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents. Based on the time and length of service, as well as current status, veterans can be eligible for one or more of these programs. For more information, visit Columbia’s Veteran Affairs website: http://veteranaffairs.columbia.edu/
 

Private Loan

For information on alternative education loans, please visit: www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs/docs/Grad_Fin_Aid/Private_Loans/index.html.

Loan Repayment

Repayment is an important part of your student loan process. Failure to keep in touch with your lender or to answer requests for information, as well as failure to make timely loan payments, can result in a default judgment against you. This is a very serious matter, as it affects your credit rating and your ability to borrow in the future. If you are having difficulty making your loan payments, contact your lender at once. Often the lender will renegotiate payment amounts. Even after you complete your studies here, you may contact Student Financial Services for help in dealing with your lender in a potential default situation.

Social Security Number Reporting

To comply with current and anticipated Internal Revenue Service mandates, Columbia University requires students who will be receiving financial aid or payment through the University payroll system to report their Social Security number at the time of admission. Newly admitted students who are eligible but do not have a Social Security number should obtain one well in advance of their first registration.