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.

Log into OASIS

• Check for college wide holds by selecting the Student tab.
• Make sure you're not registered for future semesters. Click here for details on how to drop your course if needed.
• 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. If you leave the college with a balance, your account will be forwarded to our billing service Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) for further resolution. If your balance still remains unresolved, your account may be forwarded to a collection agency.
• 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.  Visit www.studentloans.gov and click on tools and resources 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.

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.

Prepare for Your  Job Search: Portfolio Center Recommendations

• Take advantage of free web tools, including Talent Pool, Virb, and ColumbiaWorks
• Meet with a Portfolio Center staff member for a portfolio and/or resume review
• Save the date for the Creative Talent Expo. Watch the Portfolio Center events calendar for updates about Industry Events.