The goal of the Financial Aid Office is to assist students in paying for college. We achieve this by determining a family's ability to pay for educational costs and utilizing federal, state and institutional grants to award financial aid in a fair and equitable way.
To begin the Financial Aid process, the student must submit a Financial Aid Application (FAFSA or CADAA). Both applications are available online through the "Quick Links" below. Be mindful of what years application you are submitting, this will be dependent on what semester you plan on starting college. Always apply early to maximize your grant opportunities.
Our office then determines financial aid eligibility by assigning all students a Cost of Attendance. The Cost of Attendance includes the following costs: tuition & fees, books & supplies,
room & board, transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses. The cost of attendance may not accurately represent how much you personally pay for college.
We then determine a student’s financial need, by utilizing the Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by the completion of the Financial Aid Application. Our office conducts the following calculation to determine a student’s financial need: Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need
Students must submit any additional information to complete their financial aid file. Student's are encouraged to check their Financial Aid Portal though your connectColumbia account to access any additional documents needed.
Once a students file is complete, an offer letter will be created and the student can view any tuition assistance, grants, work-study they have been awarded.
For assistance with any of these steps reach out to the Financial Aid Office using the contact information below.
