Student Account Refunds
A student may receive an account refund if financial aid disbursements or personal payments exceed the cost of tuition and fees. We strongly encourage students to set up direct deposit to ensure timely receipt of funds.
Students can check if they have a credit on their account and if they are eligible for a refund by reviewing the account details section in SSOL.
All students, with the exception of students who choose to opt out, will automatically receive refunds of any account credit one month after the start of the fall and spring terms. The beginning refund dates are October 1 for the fall term and February 17 for the spring term. Please note, refunds will take 5-7 business days to process after the credit is posted to the student’s SSOL account.
Students who wish to opt out of the automatic refund process may do so in SSOL by selecting “I decline to participate in the Automatic Refund Process.” If you would like to receive a refund of your account credit, go to SSOL and update your selection to “I elect to participate in the Automatic Refund Process.” Please note that you may opt in or out of Automatic Refunds at any time.
If you live in Columbia Residential, your rent will be charged to your student account in SSOL on a monthly basis. If you would like to receive a full refund of your account credit, you must make rent payments each month as your rent is billed throughout the semester. If you would like to use your account credit to cover the monthly Columbia Residential bills, go to SSOL to opt out of the Automatic Refunds.
Note: Anticipated activity (e.g., pending Pell Grant disbursement, etc.) listed on a student’s account detail does not count towards a refund.
While the automatic refund process is preferred for timely and accurate distribution of funds, some students may need their funds before the automatic refund dates. In such cases, students with a credit can request a refund starting on the first day of classes by logging into the Student Success Portal and accessing the "Forms" tab. Note that the Student Account Refund form will only appear during the first month of the term and if there is a credit on the student’s account.
During the Change of Program period (the first two weeks of classes), refunds are limited to $5,000 or less based on the actual credit on the student’s account. If there is remaining credit after the first two weeks, students can either wait for the automatic refund or submit another Student Account Refund Request through the Student Success Portal.
Note: Anticipated activity (e.g., pending Pell Grant disbursement, etc.) listed on a student’s account detail does not count towards a refund.
All manual refund requests will be reviewed by the GS Office of Educational Financing, to ensure accuracy based on enrollment and financial aid.
Students are strongly encouraged to set up direct deposit in SSOL to avoid the paper check process and receive funds more quickly. For detailed instructions on how to sign up for direct deposit, please visit the Student Financial Services Direct Deposit page.
If you do not set up direct deposit, your refund check will be mailed to the U.S. local address listed in SSOL. If no local address is provided, it will be mailed to your permanent U.S. address.
To update your U.S. local address, log into SSOL, go to “Account,” select “Refund Status,” and click on “Addresses.” Then scroll down to “Add local address” and enter the required information. Ensure you list your apartment unit number if applicable.
Note: Direct deposit can only be set up using a U.S. bank account. The University cannot mail refund checks internationally.
If total federal financial aid (Title IV aid) exceeds tuition and fees (also known as "allowable charges"), the excess funds must be returned to the student even if a refund is not requested. In such cases, Columbia University Student Financial Services will notify the student.