Application Process

Required Documents

Free Application for Federal Student Aid • FAFSA
In order to be considered for federal aid, students must file a FAFSA application directly with the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid Programs. In addition to general information, the FAFSA requires students to submit income and asset information for themselves and their spouses. It is not necessary to complete the parental section of the FAFSA.

Once submitted, the U.S. Department of Education will process your FAFSA application and mail you a Student Aid Report (SAR). If you have entered our school code on the FAFSA, the Department of Education will also forward this data to our office electronically. Because the application can take up to 6 weeks to process, it is advised that you submit the FAFSA as early as possible.

Note: The Columbia University school code is 002707.