2011-2012 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

family’s financial situation. Continuing
students must reapply for financial aid
each year. The student’s name and
Columbia ID number should be printed
on all documents submitted to the
Office of Financial Aid and Educational
Financing. Financial aid applicants
whose application materials are
submitted after the published deadlines
cannot be guaranteed institutional
financial aid.
All Columbia application materials
can be accessed through www.
studentaffairs.columbia.edu/finaid.
1. College Scholarship Service (CSS)
PROFILE Form
First-time applicants (first-year and
transfer applicants, and continuing
students who are applying for financial
aid for the first time) must register with
CSS for the PROFILE Form by visiting
CSS online at www.collegeboard.com/
profile. Applicants who register online
should complete the CSS Profile online
(requires a secure browser and credit
card). All students must include the
Columbia University School of Engineering
and Applied Science’s CSS code on
their PROFILE Form.
CSS code for Columbia: 2116
The deadlines to submit online are:
November 15: First-year early decision
March 1: First-year regular decision
April 20: Transfer applicants
May 5: Continuing students
2. Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA)
First-year applicants should obtain a
FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov/,
from their high school guidance office,
or by calling 1-800-4FED-AID.
Transfer applicants should obtain
a FAFSA online, from their current
college’s financial aid office, or by calling
the number above.
Continuing students should apply
online each year.
All students must include the
Columbia University School of
Engineering and Applied Science’s
school code on the FAFSA form.
FAFSA code for Columbia: 002707
Students and their parents submitting
the FAFSA online should request PIN
numbers from the FAFSA website, so
that they may complete the FAFSA with
an online signature. FAFSA applicants
without PIN numbers may print a signature
page and mail it in to the FAFSA
Processor. All online FAFSA applicants
should wait for and print out the confirmation
page, to ensure that their online
submission has been received.
Columbia recommends waiting until
after federal income tax returns have
been completed before completing
the FAFSA form, but no later than the
following deadlines:
March 1: First-year candidates (early and
regular decision) and combined plan
April 20: Transfer applicants
May 5: Continuing students
3. Noncustodial Profile
Columbia believes that the principal
responsibility for meeting educational
costs belongs to the family and offers
financial aid only to supplement the
family’s resources. If the student’s
natural parents are divorced or
separated, Columbia requires each
parent to provide financial information
as part of the student’s application for
financial aid. The parent with whom
the applicant lives most of the year
should complete the PROFILE Form and
the FAFSA. The noncustodial parent
should submit an income tax return and
the CSS Noncustodial Profile (online
form provided as a link once the CSS
PROFILE is submitted).
First-year and transfer applicants and
continuing students should complete
the CSS Noncustodial PROFILE. The
deadlines for completing this form are:
November 15: First-year early decision
candidates
March 1: First-year regular decision
candidates and combined plan
April 20: Transfer applicants
May 5: Continuing students
4. Business/Farm Information
If the student or parents own all or
part of a business, corporations, or
partnership, or are farm tenants, a
complete copy of the most recent
business tax return (including all
schedules) must be submitted to
Columbia. Sole proprietors must submit
Schedule C. The deadlines to return
these documents to the financial aid
office are:
November 15:
March 1:
April 20:
May 5:
First-year early decision
candidates
First-year regular decision
candidates and combined plan
Transfer applicants
Continuing students
5. Federal Income Tax Returns
Signed copies of parent and student
federal income tax returns, including
W-2 forms and all schedules,
are required for verification of the
information reported on the PROFILE
Form and FAFSA. The financial aid
office strongly encourages families of
first-year applicants to complete their
federal income taxes in February. Signed
copies of federal tax returns for parents
and, if applicable, for students should
be submitted to the financial aid office
as soon as they are completed. The
preferred deadlines for submission of
signed federal tax returns are:
March 1: First-year candidates (early and
regular decision) and combined
plan
April 20: Transfer applicants
May 5: Continuing students
Tax Withholding for
Nonresident Alien
Scholarship and
Fellowship Recipients
United States tax law requires the
University to withhold tax at the rate
of 14 percent on scholarship and
fellowship grants paid to nonresident
aliens which exceed the cost of tuition,
books, fees, and related classroom
expenses.
Certain countries have entered into
tax treaties with the United States,
which may serve to reduce this rate of
withholding. However, even when such
a treaty applies, the student and the
University must report the full amount
of such excess to the Internal Revenue
Service.
If a student claims tax treaty benefits, he
or she must also report this amount to
his or her country of residence.
The International Students and
Scholars Office has prepared a packet
of tax information, which is revised
annually and is available to students.
27
engineering 2011–2012