<p>I'll try to keep this brief. Due to various circumstances and serious surgeries over summer, my financial aid paperwork is not quite complete. I've sent in all required documents but worry they won't be processed and applied to my account until after the first week or so of class. Will I still be able to attend fall semester as disbursements of financial aid funds become available to the school as part of my tuition? There's very confusing and contradictory info on Columbia's websites for this. It is my understanding that though all payments are due by Sept. 12 I believe, you may still attend as long as all payments are straightened out by the time the semester ends, albeit with some late fees added. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thank you- ebladez</p>
<p>Hi Ebladez. First off I would make an appointment with the Fin-Aid office and set-up a plan. Even if you don’t live near campus you can setup a call appointment. </p>
<p>With that being said, from what I understand, even if you do not make a payment on or before the deadline you can still attend for the semester. However, there are fines that will be applied to your account and will need to be payed before you register for next semester. </p>
<p>Again, contact the fin-aid office and let them know your situation. They were very helpful when I met with them.</p>