After you send a deposit to secure a place in the entering class, Columbia creates a student account for you. Your student account is maintained at the University's Student Service Center in Kent Hall. Charges paid to your student account include:
Tuition
Health Service Fee
Medical Insurance Fee (unless waived; must have proof of comparable coverage)
Apartments rented through University Apartment Housing usually are NOT charged to your student account. Instead, rent is paid each month in accordance with a lease. If you are paying rent for a University apartment with loan proceeds, paying for one term at a time, instead of on a monthly basis, will make budgeting easier.
All students are expected to pay for the fall term by mid-September and for the spring term by the mid-January. Each student receives an e-mail at their official Columbia e-mail address from the University's Student Service Center in August and December announcing that the Student Account Statement is ready to be viewed/paid. These e-mail statements are known as E-Bills.
The Student Account Statement lists estimated charges, as well as an estimate of financial aid, to help students determine what they owe. Students must then calculate and pay any balance not covered by their actual aid. Student balances may be paid on-line using E-Check which debits a bank account directly, by mail, in person at the University's Cashiering windows in Kent Hall, or by credit card through a third party processor (fees apply). Visit www.columbia.edu/cu/sfs for additional information.
Once a student submits a deposit to the Admissions Office and receipt of the deposit is confirmed, students are required to activate their Columbia University e-mail address in order to receive an e-mail of their E-Bill account statement. E-mail accounts can be set up online (www.columbia.edu/cuit). Students that have submitted a deposit are encouraged to complete this process as soon as possible. This will allow students to receive their E-Bill in a timely manner in order to make payment arrangements and avoid late fee charges.
After registration each term, the notification of monthly E-Bills is e-mailed whenever there is activity on the account which indicates actual charges, payments, and also any balance or credit. You may contact the University's Student Service Center directly with any billing questions at (212) 854-4400 or visit the their Web site for further information on E-Billing.
