Columbia University Student Financial Services

In order to be eligible for federal student aid the student must a U.S. citizen or national or one of the following eligible non-citizens:

• A U.S. permanent resident
• A citizen of one of the Freely Associated States (i.e. the Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands)
• A refugee
• Granted Asylum
• A parolee
• A Cuban-Haitian Entrant, status pending
• A conditional entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980).
  

The student is ineligible for federal student aid if they:

• Warrant a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence I-171 or I-464
• Have an F1 or F2 visa
• Have a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa

Acceptable documentation to verify the student’s citizenship is as follows:

• A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing that the student was born in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swain’s Island, or the Northern Mariana Islands
• U.S. passport current or expired
• A certificate of citizenship from INS (N-560 or N-561) which has the certificate number and date of issue.
• A certificate of Naturalization from INS (N-550 or N-570) which must indicate date and certification number.
• A copy of the following State Department documents:

• FS-240 Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the U.S.
• FS-545 Certificate of Birth-Foreign Service
• DS-1350 Certificate of Birth

In order to be eligible for federal and state aid, the student must provide a valid Social Security Number (SSN).

The federal processor of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verifies that the submitted student’s SSN is correct and that it corresponds to the given student’s name and birth date. If the SSN does not match with the Social Security Administration, (i.e., the number is not found in their database) the FAFSA will be rejected:

• When the SSN has been reported incorrectly on the FAFSA, the student must submit a copy of his or her Social Security card to his or her financial aid office.
• If the student’s name and SSN match but the date of birth differs, the student must make a correction on the Student Aid Report (SAR).
• If the SSN exists in the database but there is a discrepancy regarding the student’s name, the student must make a correction on the SAR.

Most male students from ages 18 through 25—including permanent residents and other eligible non-citizens—are required to register with the Selective Service system. Anyone required to register must have done so in order to receive federal financial aid.

The student is exempt if:

• She is female.
• He is male and currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does not apply to members of the Reserves and National Guard who are not on active duty).
• He is male and not yet 18 at the time he completes his FAFSA.
  
• He is male and born before 1960.
• He or she is a citizen of Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

There are certain less common situations in which the registration requirement is waived. Registration is not required for students who are:

• Unable to register due to being hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized.
• Enrolled in any officer procurement program at The Citadel, North Georgia College, Norwich University, or Virginia Military Institute.
• Commissioned Public Health Service officers on active duty or members of the Reserve of the Public Health Service.
• Commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

More information is available on the Selective Service website.

Students who are in default on a federal educational loan are ineligible for Federal student aid funds but can take the following actions to have their eligibility reinstated:

Satisfactory repayment arrangements

A borrower may repay the defaulted loan in full or make satisfactory repayment arrangements, i.e. six consecutive, voluntary, on time, full monthly payments that are reasonable and affordable given the borrower’s financial situation).

Loan rehabilitation

After the student makes more payments, the loan may be rehabilitated, that is, it will not be in default anymore, and the student will have all the normal loan benefits, such as deferments. A loan will not be rehabilitated until the borrower makes 12 consecutive, full, voluntary payments on time.

If you are unsure which loan is in default, your financial aid officer can assist you in identifying the loan.

A student who has been convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this title during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the below table.

The following section lists the period of ineligibility for Federal student aid funds, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or possession and whether the student had previous offenses. If the student was convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs, and the periods of ineligibility are different, the student will be ineligible for the longer period.

Possession of Illegal Drugs:
1st Offense: 1 year from date of conviction
2nd Offense: 2 years from date of conviction
3+ Offenses: Indefinite period

Sale of Illegal Drugs:
1st Offense: 2 years from date of conviction
2nd Offense: Indefinite period
3+ Offenses: Indefinite period

A conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count, nor does one received when the student was a juvenile, unless the student was tried as an adult.

A qualified drug rehabilitation program must include at least two unannounced drug tests and must satisfy at least one of the following requirements:

• The program is qualified to receive funds directly from federal, state, or local government program
• The program is qualified to receive payment directly or indirectly from a federally or state-licensed insurance company
• The program is administered or recognized by a federal, state, or local government agency or court
• The program is administered or recognized by a federally or state-licensed hospital, health clinic or medical doctor