Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence

Students who wish to withdraw or take a leave of absence from the Law School must notify the Student Services or Registration Services Office in writing.

Any adjustments to tuition and financial aid will be calculated from the date on which the Student Services or Registration Services Office receives this written notification. Please consult the Columbia Law School Student Handbook or the Academic Rules section of the Law School website for more information and the University Registrar or Law School Registration Services for the tuition adjustment schedule. If the student has received student loans or other forms of financial aid, refunds will be made according to federal regulations.

All Law School institutional funds (grants and scholarships) will be reversed if students are eligible for a pro-rated refund of tuition for the semester from which they are withdrawing. Depending on the date of withdrawal, the student may be eligible for a refund based on the University’s tuition refund schedule for withdrawals. Students may access the pro-rated refund of tuition for withdrawals on the University Registrar website. If students are not eligible for any refund of tuition based on the University’s tuition refund schedule (i.e., assumes full tuition costs for the semester), then the student retains the grant funds for the semester from which they are withdrawing.

Remaining funds will be returned to the appropriate programs in the following order: Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, other federal, state, or private sources of aid.

Depending on the date of withdrawal or leave of absence, and the calculation of total University charges, students may have a remaining balance that they will need to pay to the University. Students who received federal or Columbia University loan funds while at the Law School must contact the Financial Aid Office for instructions regarding Exit Counseling.