When it comes to paying your Columbia bill, we have three offices to serve you. Student Financial Services manages your billing, payment processing, refunds, and Federal Work-Study pay. Financial Aid and Educational Financing awards all financial aid and can also provide guidance to you and your family about additional education loans and other financing options — whether or not you are receiving financial aid. The Student Service Center can answer questions about your bill and payment methods in addition to inquiries about registration and ID cards.
Your first fall term e-bill will be emailed on Monday, August 12. At that point, students can log into Vergil and click the Student Services Online (SSOL) link to see current charges and credits.
If a family member (or anyone else) will be paying some or all of your bill, you must first set them up as an “authorized payer.” This process is required by Federal privacy regulations. Family members will not be able to view or access your account or bill until you set them up as a payer. Each payer will receive their own login information via the email address you provide. Student Financial Services provides instructions to walk you through the process of authorizing a payer.
You and your family (or other authorized payer) can pay your bill online on the e-billing website. Other options include mail, wire, in-person, and monthly payments, however we strongly encourage you to pay your bill using our online process. For payments drawn on banks outside the United States, the University recommends a wire transfer as the most efficient method of payment.
You may receive a credit or refund on your student account if you are receiving financial aid or earning a stipend. The University prefers to make this refund through direct deposit. International students may receive any refunds from their student account via direct deposit into a U.S. checking or savings account. However, direct deposits of stipends are not available for international students.
You and your family can explore a variety of loan options to finance a portion or all of the total cost of your attendance, minus any other financial aid received. These may include Federal loans or private loans. We also provide a suggested lender list for international students.
Columbia’s Payment Plan enables you and your family to pay your bill over several months, rather than in one payment. It is not a loan, and while there is an application fee, there are no interest charges or credit checks.