Stipends

Summer stipends are processed between April and October. Registration may not be required for the Summer Term if the student is enrolled in a school that does not have a Summer Term enrollment requirement.

Please note: You must contact your school's financial aid office to complete paperwork or to resolve any concerns about summer eligibility. Student Financial Services can only assist with questions regarding processing and delivery of payments. We do not oversee who qualifies for stipends or how much they receive and why.

All international students must consult with the International Students & Scholars Office if they expect to receive any forms of payment from Columbia.

International students will need to learn about taxation expectations and must complete special paperwork in order to receive different types of stipends from the university.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit to a U.S. checking or savings account is the University's preferred method for issuing stipends to all students.

Paper Check

International students who receive stipends for the first time will receive the check at their domestic U.S. address as listed in SSOL. If students do not enter a domestic U.S. address in SSOL, the check will be mailed to the Payments and Deposits office located at 210 Kent Hall.

International students who continue to receive additional stipends and do not have direct deposit information available will receive stipends at their home address provided in PAC. 

Because stipends for international students are processed through the University payroll system, international students must complete the following steps to update their home address in PAC:

1. Navigate to My.Columbia.edu.
2. Click on People at Columbia (PAC) from the homepage. (You can also find this link on the Faculty and Staff landing page.)
3. Click on the Personal Details tab.
4. Click on your Home Address to update the information.
5. Make sure to click Save before exiting the page.

Direct Deposit and Mailing Processing Period

International students may have to wait 10–15 business days because stipends are processed through University payroll. Check the payroll calendar for your payment date.

Expect additional time if stipends are mailed to international addresses. This is one of many reasons international students are highly encouraged to set up a U.S. bank account to use for direct deposit while at Columbia University.

In Fall and Spring Terms: students must be registered for classes in the term for which the aid has been awarded.

In Summer Terms: registration may not be required for the Summer Term if the student is enrolled in a school that does not have a Summer Term of enrollment. 

Contact your school’s financial aid office for any concerns about eligibility.

Direct Deposit to a U.S. checking or saving account is the University’s preferred method for issuing stipends to students. This reduces the time needed for the funds to reach the student and makes the funds available sooner. It also removes risk of the check getting lost.

To enroll in direct deposit, students will need their U.S. bank routing number and their saving/checking account number. This formation is available on the bottom of your paper checks or can be identified directly from the student’s bank. Please utilize our direct deposits page and enroll.

Yes, to activate your UNI visit the CUIT website and select "Activate UNI or Email."

Students will receive an email notification from Student Financial Services (SFS) when a stipend payment is in process. 

• The local address should represent the location that the student currently resides at or near Columbia University’s campus.
• The country code is a three-digit code related to a student’s permanent address “Home/Home” (address away from campus)
  • For Domestic students the three-digit country code is USA
  • For International students the three-digit country code varies (not USA)

All students must enter their local address and permanent address in Vergil for proper direct deposit setup.

Domestic student stipends are processed through the University Accounts Payable system on a weekly schedule. 

• Direct Deposit funds are received in a student’s bank account within 3-5 business days following the date of the stipend processing email notification.

• Paper Checks are sent to the local U.S. address listed in SSOL (if no direct deposit information is available on SSOL) within 12 business days following the date of the stipend processing email notification. 

International student stipends are processed through the University Payroll system on a weekly schedule. 

International students who receive stipends for the first time will receive a check at the domestic U.S. local address as listed in SSOL.

As part of the direct deposit setup, international students must complete the following steps to update their local mailing address in PAC.

1. Navigate to My.Columbia.edu.
2. Click on People at Columbia (PAC) from the homepage.
3. Click on the Personal Details tab.
4. Click on your Home Address to update the information.
5. Make sure to click Save before exiting the page.

Students should check Vergil / SSOL / PAC to ensure the local address and bank account details are current, as expected and up-to-date to avoid delays in processing the stipend.

• It is important to understand that it can take between 10-15 business days following the date of the stipend processing email notification to receive expected funds.

• Expect additional time if stipends are mailed to international addresses (“Home/Home”). 

If the student’s country does not have a Tax Treaty, then international stipend payments are generally taxed at 14%.  Additional information is available on the International Students and Scholars (ISSO) website and on our tax information page.

If the direct deposit is rejected by the bank (i.e., incorrect banking information) a student must

1. Log into SSOL and update U.S. bank account direct deposit information.
2. Notify Payments & Deposits Office at [email protected] to reissue the stipend

If it has been more than 12 business days since you received confirmation of our stipend processing email, please notify [email protected] to review your inquiry.

210 Kent Hall on the Morningside Campus.

If you need additional guidance, please contact:

Student Financial Services - Payments and Deposits Office at [email protected]