Summer Aid at Columbia College Chicago
If you plan to attend Columbia during the Summer Term, there are certain steps that you must take to ensure that you are reviewed for summer aid eligibility:
1) Calculate Your Costs
Budgeting for summer costs is a key element in creating your financial plan. All costs, including tuition, fees, housing, books, supplies, and transportation must all be taken into account when creating your summer financial plan. Visit our Cost of Attendance page for more information.
2) Complete Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
You must have a valid FAFSA for the appropriate academic year on file in order for Columbia Central to determine your summer aid eligibility. Summer is part of the preceding Fall/Spring academic year (e.g., Summer 2023 is considered part of the 2022-23 academic year). In addition to completing the FAFSA for your summer term, it's important that you also complete the FAFSA for the future academic year in which you'll be enrolled. This will provide continuity and ensure that you have a focused financial plan for your entire education. You can complete your FAFSA at fafsa.gov.
3) Complete your Columbia Summer Financial Aid Application
The Summer Aid Application is now available in our Resource Center and through the MyColumbia student portal, under the Online Forms section.
4) Receive your Summer Award Letter
Continuing students: After you complete a Summer Aid Application, you will be notified of your summer aid eligibility through your student email account within 10-15 business days of the date you submit your completed application. Students are only allowed to complete one summer financial aid application. Note: the summer term is the final term of the academic year at Columbia. Students who are enrolled full-time during the Fall and Spring semesters often use their full student federal aid eligibility prior to reaching the sumemr term. The result is that the Summer Award Letter may state that there is no aid eligibility for summer. Columbia Central has information about other ways to cover summer term charges, including a payment plan, PLUS Loan (for dependent students or graduate students), Pell Grants, and private loans.
Incoming students: You will be notified of your summer aid eligibility via a mailed paper Award Letter, as long as you have completed the FAFSA for the appropriate academic year with Columbia's school code: 001665.
5) Review your Financial Aid Awards
Continuing students: Read the Summer Aid Application confirmation email sent to your student email.
Incoming students: Review the paper Award Letter you received in the mail, which includes the types of financial aid you ahve been awarded and the requirement that are associated with those funding options. It is imperative that you understand and complete the requirements, or you risk losing financial aid funds.
6) Secure your Funds
In order to secure your summer financial aid, all requested documents must be on file with SFS. Keep in mind that additional steps may be required to secure your aid. If additional steps are needed, you will receive an email from Columbia Central at your student email account.
7) Review Summer Billing Dates
Summer e-bills will be available in May. Payment dates are due June 1 and July 1 for all students. An Account Maintenance Fee will be assessed every month during which a balance remains. Please visit our How to Pay page for information on payment methods.
