Ask real questions like, "What are the tuition and fees?"
SFS News
Workshops
Money Mondays Webinars presented by Nelnet
Please clickhere to learn more about this financial literacy webinar
SFS at Spring New Student Orientation SFS will be providing a session during Summer New Student Orientation on Friday, May 11th.
Leaving Columbia in Good Standing
Whether you've reached commencement and preparing to start a new journey in your career or have decided to take some time off temporarily, there are several steps to complete before you leave Columbia College Chicago.
This page provides an outline to guide you on your path to leaving in good standing and also begin your federal student loan repayment.
Leaving Columbia College Chicago in Good Standing
Apply for Graduation Confirm your intended graduation date by completing a graduation application.
Undergraduate application information can be found here.
Graduate application information can be found here.
Check for college wide holds by selecting the Student tab.
Review Your Student Account by selecting the Student Financial Services tab, and clicking on Student Account Detail. Click here for ways to make a payment.
Update your contact information by selecting the Student tab, and clicking on Address/Emergency Update.
Beginning Your Federal Student Loan Repayment
Complete Online Exit Counseling Exit Counseling is required for all students who borrow Federal Student Stafford Loans and have graduated, left school, or dropped below six credit hours. A financial hold will be placed on your account if you fall under any of the previous mentioned status until you successfully complete Exit Counseling. Click here to complete Exit Counseling.
Retrieve Your Loan Information The U.S. Department of Education's National Student Loan Data SystemSM (NSLDSSM) provides information on your federal loans including loan types, disbursed amounts, outstanding principal and interest, and the total amount of all your loans. To access NSLDS, click here and select, Financial Aid Review.
Get to Know Your Loan Servicer Staying in touch with your Loan Servicer is the best way to avoid default. Keep them informed of any address change, phone number change, or any other change in your information. If you're not sure who your loan servicer is, you can look it up on http://www.nslds.ed.gov/ or call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243; TTY 1-800-730-8913). To see a list of Federal Student Aid servicers for the Direct Loan Program and for FFEL Program Loans purchased by the U.S. Department of Education, go to the Loan Servicer page.
Review Federal Direct Loan Repayment Information Click here, to learn about your grace period, repayment plans, interest rate, and repayment options.
Create a Budget for Repayment Use the time allowed by your Grace Period to create a budget on how you will make your payments and formulate a budget to achieve this plan. You may use this online budget calculator to assist you in this process.
Find Out How Much You Can Save Be aware of Repayment Incentives such as Automatic Withdrawal (Page 7 of Exit Counseling Guide).
Tax benefits are available for certain higher education expenses, including a deduction for student loan interest for certain borrowers and may save you money. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education, explains these credits and other tax benefits. You can get more information online at http://www.irs.gov/ or by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
