Student Resources

The Food Pantry at Columbia

Did you know that Columbia University has our very own food pantry? Any student who has any level of food insecurity can reach out to Columbia to get a disbursement catered to your individual dietary and household needs.

The Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00–6:00 PM on the 5th floor of Lerner Hall. You can pre-order food and skip the line!

Visit the Food Pantry webpage for more information and stay connected on social media (Facebook and Instagram)! If you have questions, please email [email protected].

Resources beyond Columbia’s campus:
 
      • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits
        SNAP Benefits are now available for college students (who are eligible for federal work-study or who have an Expected Family Contribution of $0)! Find help applying for SNAP Benefits and visit the USDA FAQs for Students.
      • Get Food NYC
        Locate free meals, food pantries, and food distribution sites. GetFood NYC also provides helpful information about Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

      • God’s Love We Deliver 
        Apply to receive meal deliveries from God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit serving people who are living with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Travel Around Safely: Public Safety Resource

      • The Intercampus Shuttle runs Monday to Saturday (excluding University holidays) among Columbia’s Morningside, Manhattanville, and CUIMC campuses.
      • The Manhattanville Loop connects frequently visited places on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses and operates Monday to Friday (excluding University holidays).
      • The Passio Go! app allows you to track University buses in “real-time” as they travel.
      • The On-Demand Evening Shuttle provides transportation around the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses until 3:00 AM. Learn more about how it works and get a unique promo code to ride (UNI login required).
      • Safety Escorts are available to walk with you across the Morningside, Manhattanville, and CUIMC campuses and surrounding areas.
      • Neighborhood merchants serving as Safe Havens are here to help if you ever feel uneasy about walking home, waiting for a bus, or walking to a car. The businesses are easily identified by a “Safe Haven” placard prominently displayed in their front window.
      • Blue Light Emergency Call Boxes, placed in various locations, provide an immediate response to you if you need assistance.
 
 For more information on transportation services visit the Columbia Transportation website.

Public Health Protocols

Amid the continuing public health issues facing all of us, please be sure to refer to the latest guidance from the University and the Monkeypox Information page and the COVID-19 Resource Guide. Please also encourage students and colleagues to stay up-to-date with emails from the Public Health Working Group.  

As of this writing, polio has been reported in NYC and surrounding counties. FYI, this secure message was sent to all students last month with information about risk and vaccination.  

As we continue to grapple with the reduction of abortion access throughout the country in the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson, Columbia Health reaffirms its commitment to supporting students’ reproductive rights, via expedited referrals, factsheets and web content, consultations with confidential resources, and coverage of procedures on the Columbia Student Health Insurance Plan.

Wellness Coaching

Alice! Health Promotion is pleased to launch Wellness Coaching for Columbia students, a program that partners a student with a certified Well-being Advocate to define what living well means for them and to co-create a plan to make that vision a sustainable reality.  

Wellness Coaching takes a positive approach to personal development. It centers individual strengths, values, and motivations to support behavior change(s) through a collaborative and non-judgmental partnership with an advocate who is trained to be your ally in this journey to living a well life. It is not therapy or counseling. 

Wellness Coaching @ Columbia Health is available to any currently enrolled Columbia University student at the Morningside/Manhattanville campuses.

Students who would like to learn more are invited to visit virtual drop-in. Students who would like to get started can fill out the intake form.  

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS)

CPS is starting to offer weekly or monthly in-person support groups again, while continuing to offer virtual spaces as this modality remains quite popular and accessible to many students. Explore support groups and learn how to register here.

CPS has programming for veterans called Veterans Concerns, which consists of 5 counselors on staff with training from the VA and experience working with veterans; including 2 counselors on staff with experience in the Israeli Defense Force. Please visit their site for more information.

Support groups are open to Columbia students on the Morningside/Manhattanville campus who have paid the full Columbia Health and Related Services Fee. For a full list of spaces and groups, visit the CPS website. 

Office of Disability Services (DS)

Disability Services facilitates equal access for students with disabilities by coordinating accommodations and support services. During the current pandemic, Disability Services continues to provide accommodations and services to eligible students, both virtually and in-person, dependent upon student’s location as well as the classroom setting.

Students seeking accommodations or support services from Disability Services are required to register with the office in advance of any referral for an assessment.

The Resilience Center

Part of the Dean Hope Center at Teacher’s College, The Resilience Center provides counseling and free psychological assessments. For an assessment, please register and obtain a referral from DS first.

The Resilience Center for Veterans & Families pairs groundbreaking research on human emotional resilience with clinical training of therapists to assist veterans and their families as they transition back to civilian life.

The center studies the experiences, strengths and difficulties of veterans and their families, while researching and assessing intervention programs that can best enhance their health and well-being.

Columbia Health Resources

Columbia Health has several helpful videos explaining available resources, as well as insurance basics.

The Columbia Recovery Coalition

A student group dedicated to supporting anyone in the Columbia community who identifies as being in recovery or seeking recovery from any condition. To find out more information about check-in meetings and open AA meetings, email them at [email protected]

Crisis and Emergency Contacts

For emergencies, please call 911 or Columbia Public Safety at (212) 854-5555.

For after-hours mental health concerns, please contact CPS at (212) 854-2878.

For immediate psychiatric care, go directly to Mt. Sinai – St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Room at 113th Street and Amsterdam Avenue or call (212) 523-3347.

Support related to discrimination, harassment, or gender-based misconduct

Columbia University is committed to providing a learning, living, and working environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment and to fostering a nurturing and vibrant community founded on the fundamental dignity and worth of all of its members.  Included in this is our commitment to fostering an environment free from sexual harassment and assault, and all other forms of gender-based misconduct. 

Here’s where you can go to ask questions or get help:

      • In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 or call Columbia Public Safety (212-854-5555). Public Safety also provides assistance with law enforcement.

      • Report an incident online, here. Reports are routed promptly to the relevant office. Anyone can report discrimination or harassment using the “Report an Incident” button in the upper right corner of the University Life website.

      • Speak directly with someone in an office that handles your question or concern.

Learn more about Columbia’s resources.