Getting Started

You should be able to set up and activate your UNI (University Network ID) approximately one to two weeks after your deposit has been processed by the School of the Arts Admissions Office. Once your UNI is activated, which also activates your Columbia email address, you should begin checking your Columbia email immediately and on a regular basis, as your Columbia email address is the University’s official means of communication with all students.

To activate your UNI

1. Proceed to the following website: http://cuit.columbia.edu/cuit/manage-my-uni. Click  "Activate my UNI or Lionmail Account."
2. Accept the "Computer and Network Use Policy"
3. Accept the "Your Responsibility on the Columbia Network" policy
4. You will then be directed to a page asking that you enter your UNI. On this page, click next to "Don’t know your UNI" to begin the UNI activation process; then follow the instructions from there.

If you are considering Columbia housing, we recommend you apply as soon as possible.

Columbia has a limited supply of graduate student housing units. Therefore, not all students who apply will receive housing. Columbia-owned housing is managed by Columbia Residential. Columbia Residential's inventory consists of apartment shares and dormitory-style rooms, with a limited number of studio/efficiency, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Most student housing is located within walking distance of campus. Students who do not receive housing will be placed on a waitlist, at which point housing will be provided only if a unit becomes available. 

A few important hints about University housing: 

• Admitted students who have not paid their tuition deposit in full are not eligible for University housing.
• If you decline an offer or if you do not make the required reservation fee payment before the expiration date indicated in the offer, the offer will expire and the unit will be reassigned. If, at a later date, you still wish to be considered for University housing, you will need to reapply and will likely be placed on the waitlist.
• You may retract your housing application at any time.
   

To apply for Columbia housing, visit https://residential.columbia.edu/content/students/apply. Additional information on the Application Process, including the Fall 2026 Student Housing Application & Selection Timeline, can be found on Columbia Residential’s page for prospective students. 

Additional information regarding Columbia Residential’s Open Selection process, used for students placed on the Waitlist, can be found at https://residential.columbia.edu/content/students/waitlist. 

If you have additional questions, you may contact Columbia Residential directly at [email protected].

All incoming International Students should visit the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) website ISSO website to review the section on Getting Started.

If you are attending Columbia on an F-1 student visa, you will need to apply for an I-20, which is issued by Columbia’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO). You will then use the I-20 to apply for an F-1 visa. We strongly encourage you to apply for your I-20 as soon as possible, as many embassies may have significant wait times for student visas.

Watch ISSO’s video on how to get a visa. 

You will need to: 

1. Prepare Supporting Documents for your I-20 application)
2. Login to Compass to apply for your I-20 (AFTER accepting your admissions offer)
3. Receive your I-20 via email as a PDF
4. Apply for your visa and register for an appointment at a U.S. consulate/embassy outside the U.S as soon as possible.

If you have questions regarding the I-20 and visa application process, please contact ISSO at [email protected] directly without cc-ing any other email addresses.

Some important things to consider:

• Columbia’s International Students and Scholars Office requires all incoming students to provide proof of ability to pay for tuition and all other expenses related to their education.
• Funding resources for international students are extremely limited. Therefore, it is critical that international students arrive with a plan in place to fund the entire length of their program, not just the first year. Tuition and fees can be found at https://arts.columbia.edu/tuition. Costs for the 2026–2027 academic year will be posted as soon as they are finalized.
• While the School of the Arts offers some fellowship support based upon a combination of merit and need, such funding is not guaranteed and, if granted, is not available during the Research Arts year for programs that have one.
• While loans to international students by U.S. lenders may be an option, the vast majority require a co-signer who is a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident. For more information, visit https://www.sfs.columbia.edu/financial-aid-international-students.

A per-semester monthly tuition payment plan is available. Information about the Payment Plan can be found at https://sfs.columbia.edu/pay-plan. There is also a single prepayment option available. Information on this plan can be found at https://sfs.columbia.edu/content/single-prepayment-plan.

Columbia University has partnered with Gradguard to offer both renters and/or tuition insurance. 

Columbia University School of the Arts and the Office of Student Financial Planning can work with you to arrange the financing of your degree. Institutional scholarships, federal aid (including federal work-study and federal loans), private loans, and other options are available for eligible students.

Some important resources to help answer your financial questions: 

The School of the Arts’ Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid webpage 

https://arts.columbia.edu/tuition  

This is the School’s specific website that describes the types of financing available. 

Columbia’s Office of Student Financial Services 

https://sfs.columbia.edu
https://sfs.columbia.edu/content/student-financial-planning-school-arts

These comprehensive links cover topics like:

• Payment Options (including the monthly payment plan through Nelnet)
• Graduate Institutional Aid
• Graduate Federal Aid (including information about loans and federal work-study)
• Graduate Private Loans
• Loan Repayment
• International Student Loan Information

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Website 

https://studentaid.gov/ 

This website is geared toward U.S. citizens and permanent residents and provides comprehensive information regarding the types of graduate funding available, application instructions, repayment options, and other helpful topics.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or “FAFSA” 

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have not yet completed this important application must file this form if they wish to be considered for federal aid. Columbia’s School Code is 002707. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to be considered for one or more of the School’s “service positions” should also complete this form as soon as possible. 

SOA Financial Aid Application 

https://apply.arts.columbia.edu/apply  

Priority for institutional aid will be given to students who submitted a School of the Arts Financial Aid Application by the February 3, 2026 deadline.

Students may contact the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].

Your offer of admission is provisional until we receive a final, official transcript, showing the conferral of your undergraduate degree. 

All students who have attended schools in the U.S. must have electronic transcripts submitted directly from their school, or from the vendor that provides that service for their school, to [email protected]. If the school does not offer electronic delivery, applicants must write to [email protected] and provide the link to their institution’s webpage concerning transcript orders. 

Please visit https://arts.columbia.edu/admissions/graduate for more information regarding official transcripts. We must receive your final transcript no later than June 30, 2026.

If you are not exempt from submitting a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo score, or Cambridge English test, and we have not received proof of a score of at least 100 on the TOEFL, or 7.5 on the IELTS, or 120 on the Duolingo English test, or with C2 Proficiency or a minimum score of 191 on C1 Advanced, your offer of admission will be provisional until we receive proof of a sufficient score. 

We must receive your score no later than June 30, 2026.

Columbia Health provides disability accommodations to students registered Disability Services (DS). DS supports accommodations for a disability or temporary injury. If you may require accommodation(s) through DS, please contact their office as early as possible, as the review process does not begin until after your completed registration form has been received along with all required documentation for each disability type received. The review process takes approximately three weeks. Registration information can be found at https://www.health.columbia.edu/content/register-disability-services.

Contact Information
https://www.health.columbia.edu/services/register-disability-services
Voice/TTY: (212) 854-2284
Fax: (212) 854-3448
Email: [email protected]

A Columbia University Morningside Accessibility Map is available at https://www.health.columbia.edu/content/disability-access-map

Forms, guides, and instructions new students need to meet student health requirements and submit immunization documentation can be found here.

Mandatory Orientation Week begins Monday, August 31, 2026. Classes begin Tuesday, September 8, 2026. You will receive more information about Orientation, as well as course and registration information, from your program and the Office of Student Affairs this summer.

For a full 2026-2027 Academic Calendar, visit the Office of the University Registrar's website.

For next steps, please see the New Student Checklist, as there are a number of additional actions new students need to complete before arriving in the fall.

For information or to book a tour of the School of the Arts, go to https://arts.columbia.edu/about/visit-campus.

For information or to book a tour of the University, go to https://visit.columbia.edu/.