Business Office Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions

A FEW BASICS  

We bill one semester at a time:

Fall bills are published in July with an August 3rd due date, spring bills are published in November with a December 3rd due date, and summer bills are published in March with an April 3rd due date. Subsequent bills are issued online monthly around the 20th regardless of whether you pay in full each month or you are on the monthly payment plan. 

Important:

Registration payments, the first payment of each semester, guarantees your class registration and housing assignments.  August 3rd, December 3rd, and April 3rd are considered registration due dates. Students may not move onto campus or participate in any university activity or practice without completing their registration payment. 

Payments:

If you choose the monthly payment plan, there is a $50 fee each semester. Payments are due the 3rd of each month. Fall payments run from August-November.  Spring payments run from December-March.  Summer payments run from April-July.  Payments not received by the 8th may result in a $50 late fee.  Call the business office at 330-471-8117 to change your plan between full & monthly. 

ePioneer is an online option for paying by credit card or directly from your checking or savings account.

Take a look at your bill

• At the top of the bill you will see the "Statement Summary".  This shows the statement due date, student ID, previous balance (if there is one), and current account balance.
• Look below the dotted line for some messages.  Throughout the year they may or may not pertain to your account in particular. 
• Below the messages you will see the "Statement Details". This will show your previous balance (if there is one), date of transaction, transaction description, charges and credits. In the "Statement Details" you will see two columns for "Charges" (amount billed) and "Credits" (payments and financial aid). Credits are listed with a minus sign (-).  The "Statement Details" ends with your "Current Account Balance" and "Total Amount Due"; this is the amount you will pay if you are paying in full each month. 
• If you are on a payment plan (making monthly payments) the "Payment Plan Amount Due" will be listed below the "Payment Plan Information".  Keep in mind, the "Payment Plan Amount Due" may be higher than the "Current Monthly Payment Plan" amount because of a previous account balance. 

Charges

I pre-registered for a full-time schedule. Why am I being charged for part-time tuition?

You may have been closed out of one of your classes selected. Please call the Registrar's Office to correct your schedule.

If I'm living on campus, shouldn't I be charged for room & board?

Yes. Please call Student Development  to verify your housing record.

Can I still change my board plan?

Maybe…freshmen are all on the 28-meal plan. Upperclassmen may contact Student Development for more info.

I'm a new student and I paid a $200 enrollment deposit. Why am I only getting credit for $80 or $180?

$20 pays your orientation fee. $100 is applied as a housing/security deposit for resident students. The remaining amount will be applied as a payment to your account. 

I'm a returning student and I paid a $100 room draw fee. Don't I get that back?

If you move into your dorm room, you'll see a credit to your account in September.

What is the Comprehensive Fee? Do I have to pay that?

The comprehensive fee is a mandatory charge to all registered students. It finances the Student Health Center, student organizations, events, publications, parking, and online technology. 

What are Course Fees?

Certain classes involve non-tuition expenses, such as supplies, travel, tickets, entrance fees, etc., purchased on behalf of the students enrolled.

Do I have to keep the Mandatory Athletic Insurance? I have my own coverage.

If you are a student athlete, you must carry the Mandatory Intercollegiate Sports Insurance.

Questions About Your Financial Aid?

I received an award letter, but there is no aid on my bill.

Uh-oh, not good. Refer to the first FAQ in the "Charges" section above: if you have full-time aid and a part-time schedule, your aid will not show. Otherwise, please contact Financial Aid.

Where is my Federal Work-Study credit?

FWS will never show as estimated aid on the bill. A maximum earnings limit is awarded, but you must actually get a job and work before you'll earn work-study paychecks. Some students use FWS for tuition, some for other expenses.

Why are my loans lower than the amounts on the award letter?

With recent direct lending rules, 1.057% is retained by the government in fees before issuing loan funds. We therefore estimated your disbursed loans at 98.943%. The Direct Parent PLUS loan fee percentage is 4.228%; the disbursed Direct Parent PLUS loans will be at 95.772%.

Why is some of my other aid missing?

There might be missing or incomplete paperwork. Please speak with our staff in Financial Aid to help you sort out the details.

Questions about your payment?

Everything looks right, but I just didn't think my payment would be so high. Now what?

Start with the Business Office to review your bill. If you're interested in a Parent PLUS or Alternative loan, call Financial Aid. If there are other issues you'd like to discuss, please contact Cliff Schenk in the Center for Student Success.

Can I make a payment before the August 3 due date?

Certainly. Important! If paying monthly, an early payment (made before you receive your official fall bill) will reduce your total for the fall and not just the August 3 payment. You will still owe a lower August 3 payment.

My ending balance shows a minus sign, Do I owe anything?

A minus sign (-) means a credit balance. If this is not what you expected, please let us review your account with you. If you expected a credit, please remember that it is just an estimate until all of your aid money is received.