Fall Letter to New Students

Visit our Lionmail @ Columbia page

Log in to your Columbia email and learn how to set it up on your computer, phone, and other devices. Check this email account regularly for important messages from your School, Faculty, and administration.

Upload A Photograph to Obtain Your Student ID Card

New students receive ID Cards from their home Schools during the orientation programs. New students are REQUIRED to upload their own photos. Please upload your photo as far in advance as possible before your arrival on campus. Your ID card WILL NOT be available at the ID Center for pickup. New Students receive their ID Cards from their Schools.

Submit Required Immunization Documentation

New York State law and University policy articulate several pre-matriculation Immunization requirements that all students, regardless of credit load, must complete before they are permitted to register for classes. 

Documentation must be submitted via the Patient Portal (step-by-step instructions) upon admission or at least 30 days prior to your scheduled Registration date. Compliance with all Vaccine requirements must be confirmed before the Immunization Hold is lifted on course Registration.

Pay Your Tuition and Fees

Student Financial Services (SFS) will generate the first Fall 2026 Student Account Statement on August 17, 2026. The payment deadline is September 25, 2026. Your statement outlines the balance owed to the University. Visit the SFS website to learn more about how to view and understand your bill, set up an authorized payer, make a payment, and enroll in a payment plan.

You must monitor your account activity in Student Services Online (Vergil/SSOL), the student portal, so you are aware of your balance owed and any changes to the Amount Due provided to you on the first statement. You can visit the SFS website, Find Tuition and Fees, to verify the charges on your account based on your School’s tuition and fee structure. 

The University does not produce paper bills. You will receive an alert at your [email protected] email address from [email protected] reminding you that your electronic billing (E-Bill) statement is ready.

Note that online payments via QuikPay eCheck or wire transfer are the preferred methods of payment. Checks sent by mail can experience extended delays in mail service that can result in Holds or late fees applied to your account when the payment is not received by the due date. Please allow sufficient time (approximately two to four weeks) for mailing and processing if you mail a check or have the payment sent from a College savings plan.

eCheck payments or payment plan agreements must be made online by 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 25, 2026.  Please visit the SFS website (Unpaid Bills) for more details regarding outstanding balances to the University.

iGrad is a complimentary, web-based financial literacy platform that provides lifetime, no-cost, personalized financial wellness education and loan management resources to users at hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide -- including Columbia. iGrad offers an array of interactive tools, video tutorials, webinars, quizzes, articles, and other resources to help you understand your finances. Non-affiliate students have access to their complimentary iGrad account both now and after completion of their studies.

The University uses the term Withdrawal to formally indicate that a student has dropped or will drop all courses for a given term. Withdrawing differs from dropping courses within a given term because as long as a student retains at least one course, he or she is still considered registered for that term. You will not be permitted to drop the last course on your record. Instead, you must consult with your adviser about the Withdrawal process. 

A Withdrawal is done in consultation with the deans or advisors in your School -- but is initiated by the student in almost all cases. A statement will be added to your transcript indicating that you have withdrawn from the University.

Withdrawing from your program impacts your financial obligation to the University. In most cases, ancillary fees will remain on your account in addition to a $75.00 withdrawal fee. The timing of your withdrawal also affects the amount of tuition you are refunded. See here for the Refund Rate for Withdrawals and additional information.

New Students may not be permitted to register until they have participated in orientation or consulted with their adviser. You will be assigned a registration group, which will allow you to register during specific time periods. Registration appointment times can be viewed from within Vergil Course Search.

Before your registration appointment time, you should begin the course planning process in the Vergil Planner. Vergil combines all the information you need to plan your course registration and enrollment in one convenient location. Once your registration appointment is open, you can register for courses either directly from your  Vergil Planner or within Course Search.

All registered full-time domestic students and all international students are required to have health insurance. Starting July 15 and due by September 30, students must confirm enrollment (step-by-step instructions) in the Columbia University Student Health Insurance Plan (the Columbia Plan) or request a waiver by documenting enrollment in another plan that meets the University’s coverage criteria (step-by-step instructions) on the Patient Portal. All full-time students, even if they waive the Columbia Plan, must pay the Columbia Health and Related Services Fee ($759 per semester).

Part-time and half-time domestic students are encouraged, but not required, to have health insurance and can opt to enroll in the Columbia Plan. All part-time and half-time students are required to pay the Columbia Health and Related Services Fee to access on-campus health and well-being resources. This is a mandatory fee and cannot be waived.  

For students on the Morningside campus that are enrolled in the Columbia Plan, the health insurance premium is $5,823 (billed by semester) for coverage starting August 15, 2026 to August 14, 2027. 

All registered students are eligible to enroll in the voluntary vision or dental insurance plan, regardless of health insurance provider. Learn more about these plans and how to enroll.

For any insurance-related questions, please attend a workshop hosted by the Student Health Insurance Office or contact them at [email protected].

All incoming students are expected to complete the Columbia Health Pre-Arrival Questionnaire before their arrival on campus to ensure a smooth transition of care. Complete the form on the Patient Portal (Medical Clearances section).

Go to vergil.columbia.edu and log in using your UNI (University Network ID) and password (Your Vergil account will be ready 2-3 days after you activate your uni - see step 1 above). On the Personal Information page, add or update your Addresses, Phone Numbers, and Emergency Contacts.

 

• You are required to provide both Local and Permanent Addresses to ensure prompt and accurate delivery of stipends or refunds. Your Local Address is where you are living while attending Columbia University. 
• You should keep at least one mobile number enrolled to receive Emergency Text Notifications. Text message notifications will be used only in rare circumstances to notify you of critical information regarding urgent situations. .
• You are required by Student Financial Services to add a non-Columbia email address. 

Visit the preparedness website for further instructions and additional details on just-in-case emergency preparedness.
 

Learn about Other Important Resources

• Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT): printing services, as well as free licensed software for computer security and other applications.
• The Student Consumer Information website provides the required disclosure of information about the University’s academic programs, costs, educational records, facilities, policies, and more.
• University Policy site: Important policies you need to follow.
• Columbia Transportation services: Intercampus shuttle and on-demand evening service facilitated by Via.