Navigating Tuition Payments at Penn State University: A Comprehensive Guide

Paying your semester bill by the due date is crucial to avoid late fees and ensure future course enrollment. This article provides a detailed overview of the various tuition payment options available at Penn State University, including credit card payments, e-checks, international payments via Flywire, installment plans, employer reimbursement programs, and third-party payments. Understanding these options will help you manage your tuition payments effectively.

Understanding Your Bill

Bills are generated at the beginning of each semester: August for fall, January for spring, and May for summer. Receiving your bill on time is essential, and it will reflect any financial aid you have been awarded and accepted. Note that scheduling courses early does not result in earlier billing; you will still receive your bill in the regular billing cycle for that semester.

You will receive a new monthly billing statement whenever there is activity on your account, even if charges and credits are equal and result in a balance of $0.

Late Payment Consequences

Failing to pay your bill by the due date will result in a 1.5 percent late-payment fee and an enrollment hold on your account. Therefore, it is imperative to stay on top of your payment schedule.

Payment Methods

Penn State offers a variety of payment methods to accommodate different student needs:

Credit Card Payments

Penn State accepts MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and VISA for bill payment through LionPATH. However, a 2.25% service fee is added to all credit card payments.

Electronic Checks (eCheck)

Paying with an eCheck is a fast and convenient method to pay the tuition. Tuition can be paid online with an eCheck (electronic check) by logging in to LionPATH (Students) or the Student Account (Authorized Payers). Penn State has contracted with CASHNet to securely process online eCheck payments. Payments with an eCheck must be made from a personal checking account drawn on a US bank. An eCheck payment will appear on your monthly bank statement as "Penn State Univ Payment". There is no fee to pay by eCheck.

IMPORTANT: A bank debit card or credit card will NOT work when making eCheck payments. Your bank account number is not the same number that appears on your debit card. domestic banks (including most credit unions) work for eCheck payments. Be sure to copy the routing/transit and account numbers very carefully from your check. domestic bank checking account, CASHNet will return the transaction. All returned checking and savings payments are subject to a $25 returned item fee.

As a security measure, an unsuccessful payment attempt or attempts will result on the system placing an irrevocable negative service indicator on your student account, which will prevent you from using eCheck as payment option for the duration of your studies at Penn State. Penn State reserves the right to cancel a future semester enrollment due to a returned payment on the student account.

Checks and Money Orders

Please include your PSU ID on your check or money order. Your canceled check will serve as your receipt. Penn State does not accept post-dated checks. In addition, returned checks will invoke a $25 Returned Item Fee.

International Payments via Flywire

Students needing to send international payments for tuition can use Flywire, Penn State’s preferred international payment method. Flywire offers secure and flexible payment options from over 240 countries and territories, supporting more than 140 currencies (excluding US-sanctioned countries).

Benefits of using Flywire:

Convenience: Choose from local payment methods, including bank transfers, credit cards, and e-wallets.
Cost-Effective: Flywire often provides excellent foreign exchange rates, saving students money compared to traditional banks.
Tracking: Easy payment tracking and reporting.

Installment Payment Plan

Penn State's Installment Payment Plan allows you to pay over a period of several months, with payments divided into equal portions of the semester's charges. The first payment is payable by the original due date of the tuition bill, and the remaining amount is payable over the subsequent months.

For the fall and spring semesters, you can pay over a period of four months, with each payment equal to one quarter of the semester's charges. For the summer semester, you can pay over a period of three months, with each payment equal to one third of the semester's charges.

Enrollment in the Installment Payment Plan

Either the student or an Authorized Payer on the student account can sign up for the Installment Payment Plan each semester. Once the first Student Account Statement for a semester is available (August for fall, January for spring, and May for summer), students and Authorized Payers will see a link to enroll in the Installment Payment Plan on the Student Account. Students who enroll in classes after the first Student Account Statement for the semester is issued can enroll in the Installment Payment Plan if the link to enroll in the Installment Payment Plan appears on their Student Account. To use this method of payment you need to enroll in Penn State's Installment Payment plan EVERY semester.

To enroll with 25% of the balance in fall and spring, or 1/3 of the balance in summer, please make sure to complete the enrollment process and make your first installment payment prior to the first installment payment due date. Enrolling after the first installment payment due date, will require 50% of the balance due in fall and spring, and 2/3 of the balance due in summer, in addition to the $45 enrollment fee by the second installment due date.

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Payment Methods for Installment Plan Enrollment

To enroll in the Installment Payment Plan, students/Authorized Payers must pay using either an eCheck or a Credit Card (a 2.25% service fee applies to all credit card payments). Students/Authorized Payers must agree to sign up for auto-deduction for the remaining installments. Enrollment cannot be completed unless a payment method for the remaining installments is specified.

The first payment is calculated on the balance due after all student aid has been reflected on the semester bill. No form of student aid (including External Awards, i.e., outside scholarships) can be used to satisfy the required installment payment. All payments to satisfy the Installment Payment Plan must be made online via the student account by the Student/Authorized Payer.

Please note: the Installment Payment Plan payment amounts will be adjusted, accordingly, if changes made to the semester class schedule (add/drops) result in an increase or decrease in the total amount due.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

IMPORTANT: Non-compliance with the Installment Payment Plan Agreement (non-payment, returned payments, etc.) will result in the removal from the Installment Payment Plan, which will restrict the ability to continue to enroll in the Installment Payment Plan for future semesters. Payment not received by the due date will result in a negative service indicator (financial hold) being placed on the account. Negative service indicators have multiple implications including not being able to register for a course/future semester, and if graduating a hold on receiving your diploma.

Employer Reimbursement and Tuition Deferment

World Campus offers an employer reimbursement and tuition deferment program to students whose employers offer tuition reimbursement. The program allows you to defer your tuition payments until completion of the semester with no finance or interest charges. This program should not be used by students who use authorizations to bill or third-party vouchers to pay their tuition. To participate in this program, you will need to submit an online application.

Third-Party Payments (Company Payments)

Payment of your tuition and fees may be made by a third party - your company, for example. If your company is paying for your tuition and fees, our Penn State Office of the Bursar must receive an Authorization to Bill or voucher. An Authorization to Bill is a letter from your company on letterhead and must include your name, semester, company name, company address, and payment amount. Please submit your Authorization to Bill or employer voucher using our payment document upload form. If you have questions, please call our office at 814-863-8300. Once the Authorization to Bill or voucher is received, Penn State will adjust your tuition as showing expected payment, and the company will be billed.

Financial Aid

If you plan to use financial aid to pay your bill, you will need to accept any financial aid that you are awarded. After you accept your aid, it will be applied to your bill and your balance will be adjusted accordingly. Your bill will reflect any financial aid you have in anticipated status, as long as you have completed all items in your LionPATH To-Do List. To learn more about accepting your financial aid, you can view a tutorial on the LionPATH Support page in the Payment and Financial Aid section.

Aid Disbursement

After you have completed the steps to finalize your aid and semester classes begin, your financial aid will disburse into your account and be credited towards your tuition bill. Pay special attention to your LionPATH account for any Holds and To Do List items as this may prevent the timely disbursement of your aid.

Keep in mind: You will receive your loan disclosures from your Federal Direct Loan Servicer indicating that the semester begin date will be your actual disbursement date, however, this is only an estimated date of disbursement. The process to request Federal Direct Loan funds and disburse them into your student bursar account will take approximately 3-5 business days. Be aware that once the funds disburse, they will no longer show as anticipated aid. But within the same day, you will see the funds posted to your Student Financial Account.

The disbursement of alternative loans will begin at the same time as the Federal Direct Loans. Keep in mind that with alternative loans there is a 10-day rescission period where disbursements are held in order for you to change your mind and cancel the loan. Pay special attention to your loan disclosures to determine the actual disbursement date of your alternative loan funds. Apply early to prevent any delays. We cannot move the disbursement date of your loan.

Other aid sources such as state grants and outside scholarships will disburse into your bursar account when the funding has been received by Penn State. Please check with the relevant outside agency to determine an estimated disbursement date of your funds.

Refunds

If you are due a refund of excess financial aid, you will receive it after your aid disburses. Plan to pay for everything you need to begin courses, including books and materials, without relying on your refund. To have your refund directly deposited into your bank account, enroll in eRefund in LionPATH.

You may be eligible for an advance on your refund for an amount to be used to purchase your books and supplies for classes if you: Have an anticipated student aid credit balance that will generate a refund Have no disbursement holds or To Do List items Your aid is not expected to disburse within the current week

If one of your classes has started, please contact the at your campus* for a review of your account for an Emergency Short Term Loan.*World Campus DOES NOT offer Emergency Short Term Loans for fall and spring.

If You Still Owe on Your Bill

It is best not to wait until your aid disburses to make payment arrangements for the remaining balance on your bill as this may result in a late fee. Instead, take the full balance owed minus the net amount of your expected financial aid and pay the remainder before the due date.

Dropping or Adding Courses

Your individual circumstances, including full-time or part-time status and financial aid, may affect adjustments to your bill for dropped courses. There are a few things to remember when considering dropping or adding a course: If you drop or add courses before the regular drop/add deadline, and then pay your bill, your balance due will reflect your course drop or addition. If you pay your bill earlier, and then drop or add courses, your bill will reflect those changes in the following month. You will not be charged for courses that you drop before the regular drop deadline. If you drop courses after the regular drop deadline, you will be charged for a portion of the course according to Penn State’s tuition adjustment schedule. Drop deadlines differ depending on the start and end dates of your courses.

Authorized Payer Access

You can grant access to Authorized Payers (Parents/third parties) in LionPATH to enable them to view and pay the Student Account Statement, enroll in the Installment Payment Plan, and access IRS Form 1098-T. Please note: Authorized Payer access is separate and in ADDITION to the delegated access the student may have ALREADY granted via LionPATH for academic information. Complete the information requested for the Authorized Payer and click on “Send invitation”.

Accessing Your Account Information

To view up-to-date account information such as tuition charges, payments, and anticipated aid, log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH, click "My Finances" on top of the page, and select "Manage My Account/Make A Payment".

Additional Payment Options for Penn State World Campus

Penn State World Campus makes many options available to help you pay for your education. Whether or not you use financial aid, you have access to several types of payment arrangements to meet your needs. Penn State World Campus accepts payments made by a third party - your company, for example. If your company is paying for your tuition and fees, the Penn State Office of the Bursar must receive an authorization to bill. An authorization to bill is a form from your company on letterhead and must include your name, semester of enrollment, company address, and payment amount. Once we receive an authorization to bill, your employer has 30 days to make the payment.

Penn State World Campus offers an employer reimbursement and tuition deferment program to students whose employers offer tuition reimbursement. The program allows you to defer your tuition payments until completion of the semester with no finance or interest charges. Please visit the Employer Reimbursement and Tuition Deferment Program page for complete details.

Requesting an Itemized Receipt

The Penn State Office of the Bursar can provide an itemized receipt for your payment if you need one for any reason. To request an itemized receipt, please submit the itemized receipt request form.

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