Welcome again to Columbia University this summer! We are so excited to have you studying with us this term.
Visiting summer students at Columbia University have access to a dedicated Academic Advisor who can guide them through many aspects of their time at Columbia University, but our first role is to help you register for classes. All admitted students must register for their desired courses after receiving their admissions letter, following the steps below.
Please note: listing your desired courses in your application does not automatically register you for those courses nor does it guarantee seat availability.
Enrollment Next Steps
In order to secure a place in the program you must complete the enrollment form within the online application system and submit your tuition deposit, if applicable.
Your UNI is created three to five business days after confirming your enrollment. To activate your UNI, click the “Activate Your UNI or LionMail Account” option on the Manage My UNI page. If you are unable to look up your UNI using the available search tool and more than five business days have passed, please contact apply@sps.columbia.edu.
Use your UNI and password to ensure it is functioning properly. All University communications including bills will be sent to your LionMail account.
New York State Law requires that all students, regardless of credit options or course modality selection, document their immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella. To do so, you must submit the Columbia University Measles, Mumps, and Rubella form to the Columbia Health Immunization Compliance Office and confirm your Meningococcal Meningitis decision online.
We encourage students to take action on this requirement as soon as possible, as it can take up to 10 business days for processing.
After Registration
After registration, follow these important steps to ensure you have access to the full Columbia student experience.
Each registered student is required to open a LionMail email account and to check for email regularly. To open a LionMail email account, go to uni.columbia.edu. A student's LionMail email address is based on the University Network ID (UNI) assigned to the student. Students are required to use a Columbia UNI to access the University's electronic services such as email from instructors and campus offices.
Student account information, including monthly billing statements, is available online only and through a student's LionMail account.
CourseWorks@Columbia the online site used by many instructors for posting electronic course materials and class discussion boards. You will also find a syllabus and a list of any required textbooks on this site 1–2 weeks prior to the start of the session. If you want to buy your books on campus, you can visit the University Bookstore.
ID cards are required for use of the libraries, facilities and may be required for evening entrance to some campus buildings. Columbia University ID cards also provide free admittance to many museums in New York City and discounts on purchases in many local stores. To obtain an ID submit your photo here. You will receive ID pickup details a few weeks before your session begins.
Student Affairs strives to be your primary source for answers to your academic questions, including those concerning policies, procedures and requirements. In addition, Student Affairs can help you with the items below. Please contact your Advisor if you have any questions.
Students can make changes to their schedule free of charge on the second, third, fourth, and fifth days of each session. This timeframe is referred to as the Change of Program Period. Students who wish to add or drop a course during this timeframe can do so by logging on to SSOL during their registration appointment times.
Dropping an Individual Course After Change-of-Program Period
There is no refund of tuition for individual courses dropped after the last day of the change-of-program period. If you wish to drop a course during this timeframe, you must complete an add/drop form.
Important: Failure to attend classes or notification submitted only to the instructor does not constitute dropping a course and will result in a mark of UW (Unofficial Withdrawal) for the course and full tuition will be charged.
The University defines withdrawing as dropping one’s entire program of courses (to 0 points) in any given term. Students who wish to withdraw must notify the School in writing by following the necessary withdrawal procedures.
Withdrawal Process & Tution Refund
The University defines withdrawing as dropping one’s entire program of courses (to 0 points) in any given term or summer session. Withdrawing from the university differs from dropping one or several classes within a given term, because as long as a student retains at least one class, he or she is still considered to be registered for that term.
Students who plan to withdraw from any of the summer sessions should carefully read all of the information below concerning financial considerations, the withdrawal procedure, and tuition refunds.
Financial Considerations
Withdrawal Fee Students who drop their entire academic program during and after the Change of Program Period will be charged a $75 withdrawal fee. The $75 withdrawal fee is not applied to students withdrawing prior to the start of each session.
Tuition Refunds Tuition for courses dropped during the Change of Program Period is refunded in full. After the last day of the change-of-program period, refunds are granted only when students withdraw by dropping all of their courses in a given session. When a student withdraws from all of their courses after the change-of-program period, the University retains a percentage of the remaining tuition as indicated in the withdrawal schedules below that the student remains registered. See the Calendar for the change-of-program periods for each session.
Any adjustment of the tuition that the student has paid or still owes is reckoned from the date on which the Office of Student Affairs, 203 Lewisohn, receives the student's written notification (see How to Withdraw, below). Failure to attend classes or notification submitted only to instructors does not constitute formal withdrawal and may result in the student receiving a grade of F.
Fee Refunds Fees such as the student activities fee, University facilities fee, course fees, and late fees are non-refundable if the withdrawal takes place after the Change of Program period. If the withdrawal takes place before or during the Change of Program period, these fees are refunded in full. The one-time document fee, application fee, and the Columbia Health Fee are non-refundable.
Withdrawal Statement on Transcript
A withdrawal statement is added to the academic transcript for each term a student withdraws from the University.
How to Withdraw
A student in good academic standing who is not subject to disciplinary action may be permitted to withdraw at any time during the session up until the last day of classes (see Calendar). Please follow the instructions below for your respective school:
Barnard College
Consult with your Barnard Class Dean
Barnard Class Dean signs Approval to Withdraw form (click here).
Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized. Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.
Columbia College, SEAS
Consult with your Advising Dean in the Berick Center for Student Advising.
Advising Dean signs Approval to Withdraw Form (click here).
Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized. Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Consult with your Advising Dean.
Advising Dean signs Approval to Withdraw Form (click here).
Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized. Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.
Special Note for GSAS Students Taking Summer Session Courses: Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who are recipients of Columbia University fellowships are advised that if they drop any Summer course or withdraw from a session, fellowship funds covering the tuition for that course or courses will be canceled, and the student will be responsible for payment of tuition charges incurred, as indicated in the schedules below.
General Studies
Consult with your academic advisor and review the GS semester withdrawal/leave of absence policy here.
Complete the withdrawal/leave of absence request form found on the page linked above.
School of the Arts
Consult with your SOA Office of Student Affairs.
Advising Dean signs Approval to Withdraw Form (click here).
Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized. Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.
All Other Students
If you would like to withdraw from your Summer courses, please contact the School of Professional Studies at sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu.
Please contact the School of Professional Studies at sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu with any questions regarding the Summer withdrawal process.
Tuition Refunds
Students must choose to receive automatic refunds. Default participation status depends on a student's school. To opt into or out of automatic refunds, a student should log in to Student Services Online (SSOL) and select "Refunds" from the menu and follow the instructions. General Studies and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students are not currently eligible for automatic refunds. These students should refer to the "Automatic Refund Options" page of Student Services Online.
The University's preferred method of refund distribution is through direct deposit. Students can log into SSOL and click on "Direct Deposit" to set up transfer of funds to a U.S. checking or savings account. Click here for more guidance on how to do this. Refund checks for students who have not signed up for direct deposit are sent to the student's local address.
To check their student account balance, students can log into Student Services Online (SSOL)and click on "Account Detail and E-Billing" and then "View Student Account Detail." If there is a valid credit on the account that is not based on anticipated credits, the refund will generally be processed within 48-hours of the credit appearing. If the credit is based on anticipated credits for financial aid, scholarships, or the payment plan, a refund will not be processed until the funds have actually arrived and been posted to the student account.
Refund schedule for courses that are less than four weeks
In order to receive a full tuition refund, students must notify the Summer Sessions Office of their intention to withdraw by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the second class meeting. Students who withdraw after the second class meeting are not eligible for a refund and will be responsible for full tuition and fees.
Important: Failure to attend classes or notification submitted only to the instructor does not constitute dropping a course and will result in a mark of UW (Unofficial Withdrawal) for the course and full tuition will be charged.
