Answers

CC:  Fill out the CC Change Major/Concentration Form and bring it to your adviser in CSA.

SEAS  Fill out the SEAS Change Major/Minor Form, get a departmental signature, and bring the completed form to your adviser in CSA.

CC:  Please note that summer study outside Columbia is only approved for students who are behind in credits or who are studying a language.  Read our fact sheet to learn about summer study at Columbia and at other institutions: Summer Study - Columbia College. 

To receive credit for summer study outside of Columbia, complete and submit this form: Summer Study Approval Form for CC to your adviser, outlining your reasons for taking summer courses and listing the specific course(s) in which you wish to enroll.

SEAS:  Read our fact sheet to learn about options: Summer Study - SEAS

If you wish to receive credit for courses taken outside of Columbia and have read over the criteria and procedures, fill out and submit this form Outside/Summer Course Credit Approval Form for SEAS to your adviser for approval of credit.

Read the following fact sheet for more information about the graduate school application process:
Planning for Graduate School

CC students can designate one class per term to take Pass/D/Fail (not including PE courses and other courses that only allow the Pass/Fail grading option).  You cannot take any Core classes Pass/D/Fail, nor any language courses.  Some majors allow you to elect Pass/D/Fail for the first course you take in the department, but it is your responsibility to confirm that with the department before choosing the Pass/D/Fail option. 

Beginning with courses taken in the Fall 2007 semester, students are allowed to uncover a grade of Pass within two weeks of the start of the semester immediately following that in which the grade of Pass was received. Students have until two weeks into the start of the spring semester to uncover the grade of a fall course and two weeks into the start of the fall semester to uncover the grade of a spring or summer term course. The grade of Pass will not be used in calculating grade point average; the grades of D and Fail will be so used.

The Pass/D/Fail option is not available to SEAS students except in very rare circumstances; any class with a Pass/D/Fail grade will not count toward any requirements or toward the 128 credits you need to graduate.  SEAS students must consult with their adviser and get his or her signature.

The Pass/D/Fail deadline is usually the 10th week of classes.  Go in person to the Registrar (205 Kent) with a completed Registration and Add/Drop Form. 

To take more than 22 (CC) or 21 (SEAS) credits during one semester, submit the Committee on Academic Standing Petition for Action form to your adviser in CSA, along with a Registration and Add/Drop form indicating which course you wish to add.

The mark of "R" or registration credit is equivalent to auditing a course (please note: no point/credits are received). The "R" credit option is available only to Columbia College seniors through a petition process and will only be authorized if the courses are in excess of the 124 points required for the B.A. degree, the courses are not used to fulfill a requirement for the B.A. degree, and the student has the permission of the course instructor.

For more information regarding the "R" Credit option or to pick up an "R" credit petition form, please see your Advising Dean/Counselor.

While participating in the Program may help you with your financial aid needs, all Scholars' aid packages are determined on a case-by-case basis. Your financial aid officer can assist you with questions regarding educational financing.

We want to help you make the most of your time here, and we expect you to make the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program a priority. Certain events are mandatory for first-year Scholars to enable you to experience the breadth of activities and events our office presents, and to develop new friendships with fellow Scholars, professionals, and the CUSP administration.

We are constantly seeking out alumni connections for our current Scholars. Through intimate, small-scale dinners, we unite students and alumni interested in a variety of fields - business, medicine, and even fine cuisine. We are also expanding our alumni database to promote more alumni internship opportunities for CUSP.

Of course. In addition to the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program, the CUSP Office was responsible for prestigious national fellowship advising for several years. As you consider graduate school options, we can assist you with your fellowship search and application process. In addition, we are here to advise you on academic matters, as well as any other questions or concerns you may have.

Please visit our accommodations page and/or the Family Handbook. Remember to mention that you are visiting Columbia University to see if any discounts apply.

Columbia University’s Blue Key Society offers rentals of compact refrigerators for students to use in their rooms throughout the year.

We believe that college is a time when young adults begin to separate from their parents, assume greater responsibility for their decisions and actions, and seek to rely more on institutional support systems. This philosophy, however, does not preclude our belief that familial support systems are extremely important for students, and that parents and families can and should be involved in their student’s education.

How then can you be involved in your student’s Columbia experience while allowing for his or her development? Here are just a few ways:

Listen—Hear what your students have to say. While respecting their newfound autonomy, check in with them every once in a while to see how they’re doing. Don’t assume you know what it’s like for them; remember that the college experience has changed since you were their age!

Learn—Find out more about Columbia. Learn about the school’s history, constituents, leadership, and mission. Check the Columbia Web site for the latest news on events happening on and off campus. Consult the Family Handbook to learn more about the various resources available to your student.

Help—Help your student take advantage of these resources by directing them to the appropriate office. Remember, we expect students to take responsibility for their own actions and consult these resources themselves, so don’t call on their behalf. Rather, suggest they seek out various resources and follow up with them. Remember that they value your advice, even if they don’t always say so!

Network—Get to know other parents and alumni living in your area. Network with other parents, alumni, and administrators. Attend a College Day, Dean’s Day, panel discussion, or other event.

Volunteer—Get involved through the Parent/Family Program. Welcome new families to campus, help staff a registration table, help with fund-raising efforts, or sit on a panel. Volunteering is a great way to get to know other parents and a great way to give back to Columbia. For more information, please visit the Family Handbook or contact Eleanor J.B. Daugherty, Associate Dean of Student Affairs/ Administration and Planning, at 212-854-2446 or by sending an email to fpse@columbia.edu.

Though Columbia is not need-blind in its admission of foreign students, if you are admitted then we will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need.  If you plan on applying for financial at any point during your four years of study then you must apply for financial aid at the time you apply for admission.

There are no academic, athletic or talent-based institutional scholarships at Columbia as all of our institutional financial aid is need-based. Our students are often the recipients of merit-based scholarships from outside organizations (state grants/scholarships, local/national merit-based awards, etc.); however, no merit-based aid is offered directly from Columbia University.

1. YES, if your family’s financial circumstances changed after you submitted your financial aid application.
2. YES, if you have complicated circumstances, and you would like us to take a second look at how we interpreted your family’s financial situation.
3. YES, if another need-based school has provided you a different interpretation of your family’s financial circumstances.
4. NO, if your sole reason for the appeal is that you are asking us to consider merit-based offers from other schools.

All appeals should be submitted in writing and you may do so at any time during the year.  If you would like to discuss your award, please call the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing to speak with one of our financial aid advisors: 212-854-3711.

It is extremely rare for a family to ask to be released from the Early Decision commitment for financial reasons. However, on occasion possibly due to a lack of understanding of need-based aid (i.e., they were expecting merit-based aid, they did not submit complete information when using a financial aid estimator, etc) families have requested to be released from their Early Decision contract. It is the family’s determination that they cannot afford to pay for a Columbia education that allows them to be released from the binding early decision admission offer. The family must first speak with a financial aid officer, before the release is granted. Ultimately, it is the family’s decision whether or not they feel capable of accepting the need-based Columbia financial aid award. Those who do opt out of their Early Decision contract are released to pursue lower-cost school options, such as state schools and/or schools that award merit aid. The admission offer at Columbia is then cancelled. A candidate who declines Columbia’s Early Decision offer will not be allowed to reconsider Columbia’s financial aid estimate during the spring Regular Decision cycle and will not be able to reinstate the original offer of admission.

The scholarships you receive from outside sources will be used to reduce the work study portion of your financial aid package. For example, if you are awarded a $2,000 National Merit Scholarship, your work study expectation will be reduced by the full $2,000. Only after your work study has been completely eliminated will your scholarships begin to reduce any Columbia Grant you may have received.

The scholarships you receive from outside sources will be used to reduce the work study portion of your financial aid package. For example, if you are awarded a $2,000 National Merit Scholarship, your work study expectation will be reduced by the full $2,000. Only after your work study has been completely eliminated will your scholarships begin to reduce any Columbia Grant you may have received.

Federal Work Study jobs are listed on the Federal Work Study Office website. After you find a job that interests you, you must bring an Employment Authorization Form (available from the Federal Work Study Payroll Office in 207 Philosophy Hall) directly to the employer. If you are hired for a work study position, your employer will complete the Employment Authorization Form, which then must be returned to the Federal Work Study Payroll Office.Non-Federal Work Study jobs are listed on theCenter for Career Educationwebsite.

We include a standard amount of $2,100 in every student’s cost of attendance for books and other personal expenses.  Normally, students use the earnings from their term time job to help cover these expenses.

Possibly, but only if the verification process has revealed that certain information you provided during the application process is not accurate.  We realize the financial aid forms are complicated and that our deadlines may require you to provide estimated information.  As a result, initial financial aid awards may be based on inaccurate estimates provided by a family.

1. YES, if your family’s financial circumstances changed after you submitted your financial aid application.
2. YES, if you have complicated circumstances, and you would like us to take a second look at how we interpreted your family’s financial situation.
3. YES, if another need-based school has provided you a different interpretation of your family's financial circumstances.
4. NO, if your sole reason for the appeal is that you are asking us to consider merit-based offers from other schools.

All appeals should be submitted in writing and you may do so at any time during the year. If you would like to discuss your award, please call the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing to speak with one of our financial aid advisors: 212-854-3711.

Yes.  The Health Service fee is unrelated to medical insurance.  It is a mandatory fee that gives students access to primary care, counseling, health education programs and other medical services offered by Columbia.  Please consult the Guide to Health and Related Services for detailed information regarding what is covered by this fee.

It is not our policy to automatically match other offers, and we do not negotiate financial aid awards. We will not match offers from institutions that offer merit-based awards. However, if you fax us a copy of another need-based offer, we will review your application to determine if a change is appropriate. We do this because different schools may have different information at the time the application was evaluated. Or perhaps your circumstances are complex and have been interpreted differently by another school. The new documentation you provide our office may give us a better understanding of your family’s financial circumstances.

All continuing students are expected to submit their renewal application materials through the College Board’s IDOC service.  We will mail instructions regarding the IDOC process to your home address by mid-March.  If you do not receive your IDOC instructions by this time, you can print the form from the IDOC Web site.  You will need your (student) social security number and date of birth in order to access the IDOC cover sheet.

1. YES, if your family’s financial circumstances changed after you submitted your financial aid application.
2. YES, if you have complicated circumstances, and you would like us to take a second look at how we interpreted your family’s financial situation.

All appeals should be submitted in writing and you may do so at any time during the year. If you would like to discuss your award, please call the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing to speak with one of our financial aid advisors: 212-854-3711.

If you are participating in a study abroad program you will be charged regular tuition as if you were enrolled at Columbia.  Your financial aid budget will be adjusted to reflect your costs while abroad.  If your financial aid credits exceed the tuition charged then you will be issued a refund to help cover any costs incurred while abroad (e.g., room, board, books, personal expenses, travel).

The scholarships you receive from outside sources will be used to reduce the work study portion of your financial aid package. For example, if you are awarded a $2,000 National Merit Scholarship, your work study expectation will be reduced by the full $2,000. Only after your work study has been completely eliminated will your scholarships begin to reduce any Columbia Grant you may have received.

Your financial aid budget includes the cost of a standard residence hall room and the standard meal plan, both of which all first-year students are required to purchase. After your first year, you will no longer be required to sign up for a meal plan, however, your financial aid budget will include a food allowance based on the availability of kitchen facilities in your dorm. For dorms with no kitchen, your food allowance will be equal to the cost of the standard meal plan. For dorms with kitchens, your food allowance will be lower than the cost of the standard meal plan, since you will be able to cook some of your meals for yourself. If being on a meal plan is important to you, you should select a dormitory without kitchen facilities, so that you do not spend more on room and board than your budget allows.

Aetna Student Health manages the medical insurance waiver process for Columbia, which is separate from Health Services. An overview of the Health Insurance information may be found online at http://www.health.columbia.edu/docs/csmip/overview/index.html. There is an online waiver form, which you must complete and return every year during the summer prior to the beginning of the academic year (and no later than September 30 each year). When they receive the waiver form and are able to determine that you receive adequate medical coverage, Aetna will take appropriate action, and you will not be billed for medical insurance. We encourage you to complete this process no later than July 15 so that an anticipated charge for medical insurance will not appear on your Student Account Statement for the fall term. Please note that the online waiver will not activate for the upcoming academic year until summer: http://www.health.columbia.edu/docs/csmip/waiver/index.html.

Federal Work Study jobs are listed on the Federal Work Study Office website. After you find a job that interests you, you must bring an Employment Authorization Form (available from the Federal Work Study Payroll Office in 207 Philosophy Hall) directly to the employer. If you are hired for a work study position, your employer will complete the Employment Authorization Form, which then must be returned to the Federal Work Study Payroll Office.Non-Federal Work Study jobs are listed on theCenter for Career Educationwebsite.

There is no minimum GPA requirement to qualify for financial aid.  However, the student must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress towards a Columbia degree.

There are no academic, athletic or talent-based institutional scholarships at Columbia as all of our institutional financial aid is need-based. Our students are often the recipients of merit-based scholarships from outside organizations (state grants/scholarships, local/national merit-based awards, etc.); however, no merit-based aid is offered directly from Columbia University.

Possibly, but only if the verification process has revealed that certain information you provided during the application process is not accurate.  We realize the financial aid forms are complicated and that our deadlines may require you to provide estimated information.  As a result, initial financial aid awards may be based on inaccurate estimates provided by a family.

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.

The College Board will mail the IDOC cover sheets to your home address by mid-March.  If you do not receive your IDOC cover sheet by this time, you can print another one from the IDOC Web site.  You will need the student’s social security number and date of birth in order to access the IDOC cover sheet.

At Columbia we call each bill a Student Account Statement.  The student will be sent the first Student Account Statement for the fall term in late July or early August, and the first statement for the spring term in early December.  The payment due date will be approximately 30 days after the first Student Account Statement for the term has been sent. In addition, the student will receive monthly Student Account Statements when there is a current activity on the account (a new charge or credit), or if a debit or credit balance remains on the account. Student Account Statements will not be mailed home.  Instead the student will be able to view their Student Account Statement via Student Services Online (SSOL).  Also, on SSOL the student may authorize you to view the E-Bill.

There are a few payment strategies that Columbia parents commonly use:Payment Plan: Some families simply take the total billed costs minus the total amount of financial aid and pay the remaining amount through the 10-month payment plan.  If you choose this option you would make ten equal monthly payments starting July 1.  Remember that unbilled expenses are not included in this scenario.  For example a family with billed costs of $30,000 would make ten $3,000 monthly payments.  A family receiving some financial aid that has $15,000 in unbilled costs would make ten $1,500 monthly payments.Long-Term Financing: Some families choose to borrow most or all of the cost of education, thereby spreading out the payment of educational expenses over ten years.  For example, a family may take a $30,000 Federal PLUS loan to cover the billed costs and would begin making monthly payments of approximately $372 to the lender, beginning sixty days after the second Federal PLUS loan disbursement.  The second disbursement typically occurs in February since the loan is disbursed one-half for the fall term and one-half for the spring term. Unlike the payment plan only strategy, long-term options like the Federal PLUS loan allows families to finance unbilled costs like books, miscellaneous expenses and travel.  Therefore, a family may choose to borrow more than the billed costs, resulting in a small credit balance for the student each term.  Credit balances are made available as a refund to the student. Please note that there is usually an origination fee associated with long-term financing options and, therefore, the net proceeds received by the school will be slightly less than the total amount borrowed. Combination Strategy: We realize that many families do not have the cash flow or liquid assets to accommodate the payment plan strategy.  In addition, many families strive to keep borrowing to a minimum.  As a result, we often counsel families to use a combination of payment plan and borrowing that fits the family’s circumstances.  In general, it is best to pay as much as possible, interest-free, through the payment plan and borrow the rest using one of the long-term financing options.  For example, a family paying $15,000 may choose to sign up for a $10,000 payment plan and borrow the remaining $5,000 using a Federal PLUS loan.  In this case, ten monthly payments of $1,000 would be made to the Payment Plan and a monthly payment of approximately $63 would be made to the Federal PLUS lender starting sixty days after the second Federal PLUS disbursement. For more detailed Information regarding loans available to students and parents please visit the Student Financial Services Web site.

No, you must have guaranteed housing status.

We do not oversee the summer RA application process. Please go speak with Housing in Wallach 125 or visit their site (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/housing/)

Recommenders can submit reference letters directly to the CUSP Office via regular US Mail (please DO NOT use Campus Mail), email to scholarsprogram@columbia.edu, or hand delivery to the CUSP Office.

The fellowship will cover airfare and other transportation expenses only if these items are listed on the Budget Request Form.

Yes.  This fellowship can be applied anywhere in the world.

Yes.  Please be sure to include all sources of funding that you have secured for this internship.

No.  While we encourage Scholars to seek and develop relationships with Columbia faculty, we support research endeavors with faculty from other universities as well.  If you have chosen a research advisor who is not a professor at an accredited institution, please see a CUSP Advisor before submitting your application.

No.  According to CUSP’s partnership agreement with ACEC, all Scholars in the CUSP-ACEC Program will be enrolled as engineering students and will have begun training in said discipline.

The CUSP Fellows Selection Committee is comprised of the CUSP Administration, Graduate Student Mentors, and members of the CUSP Board of Advisors.

Yes. Please prepare a complete application packet per internship/research position with the exception of the letters of recommendation.  Please submit only one set of recommendations.  For further information, please see a CUSP Advisor.

Yes. For each firm you are interested in, please explain you want to work for the firm, what you intend to learn from this experience and how it aligns with your academic and career interests. This should serve as the answer to the first question on the application form.

It can take anywhere from two weeks to a month, depending on the time of year and whether the University has previously paid the vendor. Make sure to include all information including the tax ID number of the vendor and a detailed contract or invoice in order to expedite the process. You can choose to have the check mailed directly to the vendor or held in SDA for pick-up.

Student organizations work with a wide variety of vendors. C2Media is currently one of the partners working on banners and other print materials. In order to hang your banner, you must request permission through your adviser. Lerner Hall staff will hang and remove your banner.

Barnard Dining Services provides kosher catering. They can be reached at 212-854-6653. In addition, there are several kosher caterers on the Upper West Side. Ask your adviser for specifics.

The vendor list is updated yearly and details all businesses and companies that will accept an eform in lieu of cash/check/or credit card. SDA encourages all groups to take advantage of these vendors (many of which are in the neighborhood). The list is located in the SDA on the 5th floor.

Student Organizations/Clubs/Groups and outside vendors can request that their flyers be placed in student mail boxes.

Please contact Student Mail Services @ 212-854-0101 or click on the link below.

Visit http://mailservices.columbia.edu/content/mailbox-stuffing for further information on this policy

Two members of the Dean of Student Affairs staff and the accused student will be present for the hearing.

No. Witnesses are not permitted to attend the hearing, but you can provide the hearing officers with the names and contact information of individuals who you feel might help the hearing officers determine whether or not a violation took place. The hearing officers will determine whether or not they need to speak with said individuals. You are permitted to present statements from witnesses during your hearing.

You are not required to dress up.

Disciplinary proceedings conducted by the university are subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, also called the “Buckley Amendment”). There are several important exceptions to FERPA that will allow the Office of Judicial Affairs and Community Standards to release information to third parties. For example, it is important to note that the release of student disciplinary records is permitted without prior consent to: University officials with legitimate educational interest such as your advising dean, the Office of Preprofessional Advising, faculty members in academic dishonesty cases, and Columbia Athletics for student athletes; victim/s of an alleged crime of violence or of an alleged sexual assault; and parents of a student who is financially dependent.

Information taken from Dean's Discipline: Section Five, Privacy

Please refer to Essential Policies for the Columbia Community for a complete list of exceptions under FERPA.
 

A file/record contains information related to the incident. Minimally, the contents will include the incident report, correspondence with/from the OJA, hearing notes, and outcome letter. Your file/record is maintained in the OJA.

Please refer to question #9.

A transcript notation may be placed on a student’s transcript if the student has been expelled.

Appeals should be typed and submitted electronically via the form found on this Web site. Information on how to submit an appeal is also located in the bottom part of your decision letter if you are found responsible. Please note:

• The appeal is considered a review of the record and the process, not a new hearing. Therefore, the appeal officer will not conduct an in-person meeting.

• The appeal officer will contact you if he/she needs clarification on the information that you submitted.

• The appeal officer will contact you in writing once he or she has reached a decision.

The decision of the appeal officer is final.
 

Please refer to the answer to question #9. You may also speak with a staff member in the Office of Preprofessional Advising for questions related to medical schools, law schools, dental schools, and with the OJA for all other inquiries.

 

The Office of Parent and Family Programs is a resource for all questions related to your student’s experiences at Columbia. Please feel free to contact the office by calling 212-854-2446.

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