General Information
Continuing Students
Continuing students at Teachers College have likely fulfilled many of the necessary requirements needed to continue receiving financial aid at the institution. However, there are some things that all students need to complete prior to the start of every aid year. Some important things to remember as a continuing student:- Your scholarship application renews: As a continuing student, you should have already completed the Teachers College Scholarship Application. You do not need to complete the application again. The TC Scholarship Application only needs to be completed once; it will continue to roll over from one aid year to the next for your entire time as a student at Teachers College. If you have not completed the TC Scholarship Application, please contact our office.
- You must submit a new FAFSA for the new aid year: Unlike the TC Scholarship Application, the FAFSA does not roll over from one aid year to the next. You must submit a new FAFSA for every new aid year. A new FAFSA is available every January 1st for the upcoming aid year. The 2012-2013 FAFSA for Fall 2012, Spring 2013, and Summer 2013 is now available at fafsa.ed.gov. The 2013-2014 FAFSA for Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Summer 2014 is also available at fafsa.ed.gov. We recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, if possible. You must include the Teachers College Federal School Code (G03979) on the FAFSA. Do not include the Columbia University Federal School Code on the FAFSA! (Note: International students are not eligible for federal aid, however they are eligible to receive scholarships and participate in assistantships under certain conditions.)
- Your Loan Entrance Counseling and MPNs renew: If you used federal loans in a previous aid year, you do not need to complete Loan Entrance Counseling again unless you graduated from your program and are returning to Teachers College to begin a new program. You do not need to complete new Master Promissory Notes for your federal loans. They are valid for ten years. (Note: The only occasion that requires a new MPN is if you have been denied a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan and you are using an endorser for that loan.)
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To continue receiving financial aid for your next year (or semester) at Teachers College, please follow the instructions below. These steps should be familiar to you, as you have likely completed them in the past.
***Step 1: Complete a FAFSA for the new aid year
All students who wish to be considered for federal financial aid are required to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students are expected to complete a new FAFSA every year. FAFSAs become available every January 1st for the upcoming aid year. The 2012-2013 FAFSA for Fall 2012, Spring 2013, and Summer 2013 is now available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The 2013-2014 FAFSA for Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Summer 2014 is also available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you complete your FAFSA before you file taxes, you are able to select "will file" and return to the FAFSA to make the appropriate updates after your taxes have been filed. It can take FAFSA records up to two weeks to reach our office from the federal processor. If possible, you should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to complete your FAFSA.
TC's Federal School Code is G03979. You must select Teachers College, Columbia University as your school. Do not select Columbia University as your school! While we are affiliated with Columbia University, we operate independently and therefore have our own Federal School Code. If your FAFSA record is sent to Columbia, Teachers College has no way of receiving it. The only way to correct this would be for you to return to your FAFSA and update it to include the Teachers College Federal School Code. This will add another two weeks onto your FAFSA processing time.
Before filing your FAFSA, you must apply for your PIN online by visiting the FAFSA PIN website.
Please use your legal name on the FAFSA. This name should match the name that is on your TC record. If there is a name mismatch, the mismatch will likely cause a delay in TC's receipt of your FAFSA. This includes (but is not limited to) students with two last names, students with hyphenated last names, students who have legally changed their names, and students who have changed their names due to marriage. If you need to change the name on your TC record, you should contact the Office of the Registrar. If you need to change the name you used on the FAFSA to match what is on your TC record, you must log back into the FAFSA to make the appropriate corrections. It will take Teachers College up to two weeks to receive the updated record.
International students are not eligible for federal aid and are therefore not eligible to complete the FAFSA. International students should click here for more information regarding financial aid options available to them at Teachers College.
In addition to filing a FAFSA application, to be eligible for federal student aid, you must be enrolled in at least six credits (or the equivalent) per semester in a degree-seeking program. You must not be in default on previous student loans and you must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must also be making satisfactory academic progress. Please click here for more information.
***Step 2: Review your new Student Aid Report (SAR)
After filing the FAFSA, students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which must be reviewed for accuracy. Any necessary corrections must be made. The FAFSA will not be processed unless all necessary corrections are made. Some students are required to submit proof of citizenship and/or copies of tax return transcripts to our office. Your SAR will clearly tell you what to turn in, but you may also contact our office to see how to rectify any errors or fulfill any additional requirements that you see on your SAR.
If you see a flag on your SAR related to your citizenship status but have had that requirement satisfied at Teachers College in a previous aid year, please contact our office.
***Step 3: Review your new award letter
After we receive a student's FAFSA (and all flags are cleared), they are packaged and offered financial aid. After July 1, 2012, there is very little need-based federal aid for graduate students.
The Office of Financial Aid sends out award letters to students via email to inform them of the types of financial aid available to them. For all students, the award letter will be sent to the TC G-mail address. If you make an adjustment to your financial aid package or if you receive additional scholarship/loan funding later in the semester, you may receive a revised award letter indicating the change.
It is imperative that you read all of the information provided to you in your award letter. You should contact our office if there is something on the letter that you do not understand.
***Step 4: Accepting your aid
Your award letter will contain a link that will take you to directions on how to accept your aid. This is the page that you should see upon clicking the link. It is very important that you read and carefully follow all of the instructions presented to you. Otherwise, your financial aid disbursement may be delayed. A delayed disbursement may result in late fees.
If you have received a scholarship, it will be automatically accepted on your behalf. You will be provided with a document detailing the terms and conditions of your scholarship. Please adhere to those terms and conditions. For more information on scholarships, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and click on the "Scholarships" tab.
All students who wish to be considered for federal financial aid are required to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students are expected to complete a new FAFSA every year. FAFSAs become available every January 1st for the upcoming aid year. The 2012-2013 FAFSA for Fall 2012, Spring 2013, and Summer 2013 is now available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The 2013-2014 FAFSA for Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Summer 2014 is also available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you complete your FAFSA before you file taxes, you are able to select "will file" and return to the FAFSA to make the appropriate updates after your taxes have been filed. It can take FAFSA records up to two weeks to reach our office from the federal processor. If possible, you should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to complete your FAFSA.
TC's Federal School Code is G03979. You must select Teachers College, Columbia University as your school. Do not select Columbia University as your school! While we are affiliated with Columbia University, we operate independently and therefore have our own Federal School Code. If your FAFSA record is sent to Columbia, Teachers College has no way of receiving it. The only way to correct this would be for you to return to your FAFSA and update it to include the Teachers College Federal School Code. This will add another two weeks onto your FAFSA processing time.
Before filing your FAFSA, you must apply for your PIN online by visiting the FAFSA PIN website.
Please use your legal name on the FAFSA. This name should match the name that is on your TC record. If there is a name mismatch, the mismatch will likely cause a delay in TC's receipt of your FAFSA. This includes (but is not limited to) students with two last names, students with hyphenated last names, students who have legally changed their names, and students who have changed their names due to marriage. If you need to change the name on your TC record, you should contact the Office of the Registrar. If you need to change the name you used on the FAFSA to match what is on your TC record, you must log back into the FAFSA to make the appropriate corrections. It will take Teachers College up to two weeks to receive the updated record.
International students are not eligible for federal aid and are therefore not eligible to complete the FAFSA. International students should click here for more information regarding financial aid options available to them at Teachers College.
In addition to filing a FAFSA application, to be eligible for federal student aid, you must be enrolled in at least six credits (or the equivalent) per semester in a degree-seeking program. You must not be in default on previous student loans and you must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must also be making satisfactory academic progress. Please click here for more information.
***Step 2: Review your new Student Aid Report (SAR)
After filing the FAFSA, students will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which must be reviewed for accuracy. Any necessary corrections must be made. The FAFSA will not be processed unless all necessary corrections are made. Some students are required to submit proof of citizenship and/or copies of tax return transcripts to our office. Your SAR will clearly tell you what to turn in, but you may also contact our office to see how to rectify any errors or fulfill any additional requirements that you see on your SAR.
If you see a flag on your SAR related to your citizenship status but have had that requirement satisfied at Teachers College in a previous aid year, please contact our office.
***Step 3: Review your new award letter
After we receive a student's FAFSA (and all flags are cleared), they are packaged and offered financial aid. After July 1, 2012, there is very little need-based federal aid for graduate students.
The Office of Financial Aid sends out award letters to students via email to inform them of the types of financial aid available to them. For all students, the award letter will be sent to the TC G-mail address. If you make an adjustment to your financial aid package or if you receive additional scholarship/loan funding later in the semester, you may receive a revised award letter indicating the change.
It is imperative that you read all of the information provided to you in your award letter. You should contact our office if there is something on the letter that you do not understand.
***Step 4: Accepting your aid
Your award letter will contain a link that will take you to directions on how to accept your aid. This is the page that you should see upon clicking the link. It is very important that you read and carefully follow all of the instructions presented to you. Otherwise, your financial aid disbursement may be delayed. A delayed disbursement may result in late fees.
If you have received a scholarship, it will be automatically accepted on your behalf. You will be provided with a document detailing the terms and conditions of your scholarship. Please adhere to those terms and conditions. For more information on scholarships, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and click on the "Scholarships" tab.
If you have been offered Federal Work-Study funding, you will only have access to those funds upon receipt of a Federal Work-Study position at Teachers College. Leaving your Federal Work-Study funding in "Offered" status will not cause a delay in the disbursement of any other aid. You will not be responsible for paying the offered amount back, nor will it accrue interest since it is not a loan. You can browse Federal Work-Study employment opportunities on the Teachers College Human Resources website.
If you wish to apply for assistantships, you will need to visit the Teachers College Human Resources website to browse student employment opportunities. Admission to TC does not guarantee that you will receive an assistantship. International students are encouraged to seek guidance from the Office of International Student Services regarding employment eligibility. For more information on student employment, please visit our FAQ page and click on the "Student Employment" tab.