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Student financial aid forms are available under the Financial section of CougarTrack.
To Apply:
Step 1 - Admissions Application
Complete an application for admission to the college.
Step 2 - Accept student eConsent
In order to view your and manage your account information in an online format, you must provide eConsent.
Step 3 - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA can be submitted anytime after October 1st of the year students plan to attend college. (i.e. FAFSA is available October 1, 2020 for those applying for the 2021-2022 academic year, which begins August 2021).
Complete the FAFSA, and indicate the Columbia College school code, 002456.
If you complete a FAFSA application between October and June, there will be two FAFSA applications available for two different academic years. Be sure to complete the FAFSA application for the time frame(s) you plan to attend.
Step 4 - Check the Status of your Financial Aid
Activate your CougarTrack account and monitor Self-Service Financial Aid and your CougarMail on a regular basis. The Financial Aid Office will use your Columbia College e-mail address as a primary communication method to inform you about the status of your financial aid application, upcoming deadlines and important dates. Correspondence sent through e-mail will not be sent via postal mail.
“My Documents” and Self-Service Financial Aid, available through CougarTrack, will show what documents have been received and what documents are missing or incomplete. It may take 1 to 2 business days for a submitted document to be logged in.
The general turnaround time for processing financial aid documents submitted to Columbia College is 10 business days. Turnaround time will likely increase during peak times, such as the beginning of a new school year. Students are encouraged to submit documentation as early as possible.
Step 5 - Applying for Student Loans Online
Student loan borrowers must complete three items in addition to their FAFSA to be eligible for student loans:
- Entrance Counseling
- Master Promissory Note
- Accept/decline/modify loans with the Electronic Award Letter, available through CougarTrack.
Find more information on federal student loans.
Students must reapply each year for financial aid. See important dates for application deadlines.
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