Columbia University data breach settlement

Who may be eligible

Columbia University has agreed to a $16,125,000 settlement over a May 2025 cyberattack that the case says exposed the personal information of students, applicants and employees. If you were sent notice that your information was involved, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $8,500 in documented losses or, instead, an alternative cash payment sized from what is left of the fund, plus two years of three-bureau credit monitoring with up to $1,000,000 of identity theft insurance. Claims close on January 21, 2027, the deadline to ask to be excluded is December 22, 2026, and the court considers final approval on February 23, 2027. Filing on the official settlement site is free, and the form asks for the Notice ID printed on the notice you received.

The notice states no state limit, so it is usually nationwide. Covered: Columbia University student, applicant and employee records.

Only the official administrator or agency decides who is eligible. Read the official notice before filing, and file only if you believe you meet its criteria.

How much it may pay

Share of a $16.13M fund. Every figure here is an estimate from public materials, not a guarantee: many settlements pay pro rata or only after a claims review, so final amounts commonly land well below the advertised maximum.

A claimant picks one cash option: documented monetary losses up to $8,500, backed by bank or card statements, or an alternative cash payment worked out from what is left of the $16,125,000 fund after fees, costs and documented-loss claims, so it falls as more people claim. Separately, every class member may elect two years of three-bureau credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, up to $1,000,000 of identity theft insurance and managed identity recovery. The claim form asks for the Notice ID on the notice sent by email or post. Amounts are estimates, not guarantees.

What the deadline is

The claim deadline is January 21, 2027.

The deadline to opt out or object is December 22, 2026.

The court's fairness hearing is set for February 23, 2027; payments do not go out until the settlement is finally approved and any appeals are resolved.

The notice says benefits are distributed only if the court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved. The final approval hearing is set for February 23, 2027.

What proof is needed

Notice ID / PIN from the official letter or email may be required.

The official claim form states exactly what it accepts; gather it before you start.

How to file for free

Open the official claim page on this page, run by Angeion Group (Columbia University Data Settlement Administrator), read the criteria, and file there if you believe you meet them. Filing is free: official claims never carry a fee, and this site never files on anyone's behalf.

Never give a Social Security number, bank login or card number to a site that is not the official administrator or agency page.