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Student financial aid forms are available under the Financial section of myPortal. Parent Financial Aid Forms are also available there or on the Parent Forms page of the website.
To Apply:
Step 1 - Admissions Application
Complete an application for admission to the college.
Step 2 - eConsent
In order to view and manage your account information in an online format, you must provide eConsent on your admission application.
Step 3 - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA can be submitted on or after October 1st of the year prior to the academic year the student plans to attend college. (i.e., the FAFSA is available on October 1, 2025, for those applying for the 2026-2027 academic year, which has a start date of August 2026).
Complete the FAFSA with 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.
The priority deadline to submit the 2026-2027 FAFSA to be considered for Missouri state aid is February 2, 2026, and the final deadline is April 1, 2026. Eligible students who apply between February 3rd and April 1st will be awarded based on funding availability.
Step 4 - Check the Status of your Financial Aid
Activate your myPortal account and monitor Self-Service Financial Aid and CougarMail regularly. The Financial Aid Office will use your Columbia College e-mail address as a primary communication method to inform you about your financial aid application status, upcoming deadlines, and important dates. Correspondence sent through e-mail will not be sent via postal mail.
“Required Documents” in Self-Service Financial Aid, available through myPortal, will show what documents have been received and which are missing or incomplete. It may take up to two business days for a submitted document to be logged into the system.
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 steps, in addition to their FAFSA, to be eligible for student loans:
- Loan Entrance Counseling
- Master Promissory Note
- Accept/decline/modify loans in My Award, available in Self-Service Financial Aid through myPortal.
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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