If You're Called Up
Students who are members of the National Guard or other reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, or of a state-organized militia, may be called or ordered to active duty. Columbia University will grant a military leave of absence to these students provided the students take immediate action upon receiving their orders.
Students called to active duty have several responsibilities to fulfill before leaving Columbia to ensure their enrollment, financial support, and academic performance are not impacted.
Review the topics below to understand the expectations should you need to leave Columbia for deployment.
Student Responsibilities
All Columbia students who will be on active duty prior to or during a semester—even for just one day—must notify the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs. OVMA is responsible for working with the VA to manage education benefits. Failure to notify OVMA may disrupt your access to VA education benefits.
Please find our contact information at the bottom of this page.
Students in need of a military leave of absence should consult their advisors in the Dean of Students office. A military leave of absence will include the period of active duty as well as one year after.
You should contact your Dean of Students to inform them of your intention to return to Columbia after an active-duty absence. They will assist you in completing all the necessary steps.
If you need to contact your Dean of Students, you can find their contact information in the Deans of Students Directory.
All Columbia students who are called to active duty during a semester should contact their school's financial aid office to ensure appropriate steps are taken to pause any additional funding students may be receiving at Columbia.
Changes in enrollment have a direct effect on student financial aid and need to be addressed before you leave.
If applicable, you must notify student housing of expected changes to your tenancy as a result of being called for active duty.
Contact Columbia Residential or Columbia Housing for assistance.