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182 COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2016-2017 FINANCIAL AID
FINANCIAL AID
When students are unable to fully fund their education from personal resources, it is Columbia International University’s
policy to attempt to assist them in obtaining additional financing from federal, state, institutional, and private resources to
the fullest extent possible. Students who wish to be considered for aid from these sources must meet general eligibility
requirements as well as fund-specific criteria. Eligibility requirements and instructions for applying are outlined below.
International students are not eligible for federal or state aid but may qualify for institutional aid. The following requirements
are necessary to be considered for all forms of financial assistance:
• Acceptance by the CIU Admissions office
• Completion of the FAFSA (annually) for US citizens
• CIU Financial Aid Questionnaire
• Enrollment as a degree-seeking student
• Full-time enrollment for institutional aid
• Minimum half-time enrollment for Federal student loans (6 hours per semester undergraduate; 4.5 hours per
semester graduate/seminary)
• Enrollment in at least 1 credit hour for Federal Pell Grant
• For federal aid, a student must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen and certify that funds will only be used for
educational expenses
• Recipients of federal student loans must certify that they are not in default on any federal student loan and do not
owe a repayment on a federal student grant
The two applications needed to determine a student’s eligibility are the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
and the CIU Financial Aid Questionnaire. The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. CIU’s federal school code is
003429. The CIU Financial Aid Questionnaire is available on Financial Aid Online (accessible through MyCIU ).
Federal Financial Aid
Once students submit their FAFSAs, the Financial Aid Office will send them an e-mail regarding the completion of their
financial aid file. The student must respond immediately to any request for additional information or documentation. Failure
to do so could cause the student to forfeit awards. Undergraduate students, if eligible, can receive federal grants, loans,
and work-study. Graduate-level students, if eligible, can receive federal loans and work-study. Current information on federal
aid is available online at or by visiting the Financial Aid Office.
Undergraduate Students
Federal Pell Grant provides need-based grants to qualifying undergraduate students. Award amounts vary depending on
financial need and enrollment status.
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) provides need-based grants to help the neediest
undergraduate students finance the costs of postsecondary education. When making FSEOG awards, the institution must
give priority to those students with “exceptional need” (those with the lowest Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) at the
institution) and those who are also Federal Pell Grant recipients.
Undergraduate & Graduate-level Students
Federal Direct Loan Program
Direct Loans are low-interest loans for students and parents available to help pay for the cost of a student’s postsecondary
education. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education rather than a private lender. Eligibility for Direct Subsidized and
Unsubsidized Loans is based on the information reported on the FAFSA. No interest is accrued on subsidized loans while
the student is enrolled at least half-time. Direct Subsidized Loan eligibility is determined by the student’s financial need and
number of college credits earned. Interest accrues on unsubsidized loans after the loan is disbursed. The borrower can
either chose to make interest payments while in school or allow the interest to be capitalized (added to the principal). All
Direct Loans go into repayment following a one-time, six-month “grace period” after graduation or after dropping below half-
time enrollment.