Navigating Simple Tuition Solutions: A Comprehensive Guide

Simple Tuition Solutions (STS) aims to streamline the financial aid application and payment processes for educational institutions and families. This guide provides a detailed overview of using STS, covering account management, application procedures, document handling, payment plan setup, and security measures.

Account Management

Creating and Accessing Your Account

To begin, fill out the required fields on the Simple Tuition Solutions website to create an account. If you already have an account but have forgotten your password, select "Forgot your password?" on the login screen. Ensure your new password meets the specified requirements: a minimum of 8 characters, including one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and a number. A success banner will confirm the password reset. If the banner doesn't appear, double-check that your new password meets all criteria.

To manage your account, log in and select "My Account" in the top right corner. If you have multiple STS accounts, verify that you are using the correct one, as your information may be on a different account.

Security Measures

STS prioritizes the security of your information. Only STS and the institution(s) you are applying to can view the data provided on your account. The platform employs various security measures, including data encryption during transit using HTTPS, multi-disk data storage, daily encrypted data backups using GPG, and well-tested disaster recovery procedures. STS's infrastructure is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). They submit a self-assessment (SAQ A 3.2) for PCI compliance annually, and a copy of their PCI compliance certificate is available upon request, along with the results of their latest vulnerability scan. STS has also completed a SOC 1 Type II audit, and copies of the SOC report are available upon request. All sensitive information and passwords are one-way encrypted using industry best practices and are filtered from their logs.

Financial Aid Application Process

Starting Your Application

To begin a financial aid application, you may need to enter a code provided by the institution. After entering the code, make sure to click "Lookup Code" to proceed. If the system indicates that the institution is not yet accepting applications or the deadline has passed, you will be unable to proceed. Remember, only one application can be submitted per year on your account, and application deadlines are determined by the institution.

Completing the Application

The application process consists of eight steps. Complete all required fields, marked with a red asterisk (*), on each page to advance. A green progress bar at the top of the page indicates your progress. You can navigate back to previous steps by clicking the green circle tabs at the top.

Be prepared to provide the social security number and date of birth for all applicants and students, as well as proof of income for all those residing in the home who receive income. Typically, all those residing in the household who receive income will be required to submit a Federal Income Tax Return (1040, 1040-SR) and Wage and Tax Statement (W2). Based on the income type, you may be asked to provide additional/different documentation, such as a SS Benefit Statement (SSA-1099), Unemployment (1099-G), Schedule 1, C, K, etc.

Required Documentation

After completing the application, your assigned Application Processor will inform you of the necessary documents for review. This may include Federal Income Tax Returns (1040, 1040-SR), Wage and Tax Statements (W2), Social Security Benefit Statements (SSA-1099), Unemployment statements (1099-G), and Schedules 1, C, or K, depending on the income type.

Additional documentation may be required for verification purposes. You may be asked to provide all non-taxable income, social security cards, all dependent birth certificates, legal custody agreement, tax documents of those who claimed the student as a dependent, proof of residency, etc. Please note, this is not a comprehensive list and you may be asked to provide other documentation.

Special Circumstances

If you are applying for a school that participates with STS, include all students on the same application, even if they attend different private schools. Include all adults in the household who receive income, even those who do not directly contribute to the expenses of the students on the application.

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Fill out the income portion based on the applicant’s most recently filed Federal Income Tax Return. If needed, you may hover or click on the blue information bubbles next to each field to pull up an explanation of what we are asking for.

If your application is still in Pending Docs status and it is requesting incorrect documents, please click Edit Application and review step 4 for possible common errors, such as filing status.

Income Verification and Tax Documents

STS uses your most recently filed taxes to verify your income, as per the guidelines set forth by your institution. However, if your current financial situation differs significantly from your filed taxes, there is a section in the application to explain any expected decrease in income for the current year. Providing this information allows the institution to have a more accurate understanding of your financial situation.

Refer to your application document upload page to see your institution’s year requirements for income documentation. Most income documentation is available to obtain wherever you filed taxes.

Tax transcripts cannot be accepted in lieu of your official tax return. Guidelines set forth by your institution require STS to verify the income indicated on your tax return along with any corresponding income documents, such as a W2, 1099-G, etc. Unless otherwise indicated by your institution, STS accepts the previous year’s tax documents instead if you have not yet filed for last year. Please refer to your application document upload page to see your institution’s year requirements for income documentation.

Household Income

The institution's guidelines require STS to verify the income of the entire household, regardless of their contribution to the student's expenses.

Document Management

Uploading Documents

To upload documents, navigate to the appropriate application on your homepage, select "Manage Documents," and then "Choose File." Note that only one file can be uploaded per document placeholder. To upload additional documents, use the "Upload Additional Supporting Documents" section at the bottom of the page. Select the appropriate document type from the drop-down list.

Editing Applications

If your application status is "Pending Docs," you can make edits by selecting "Edit Application" on the homepage and navigating through the application steps. However, once the application status changes to "Review," you will no longer be able to make edits.

Application Status and Review Process

Viewing Application Status

You can monitor the status of your financial aid application by logging in to your account at any time. If your application is marked as "Complete," contact your institution for further information on its status.

Application Status Definitions

Pending Docs: The application is incomplete, and further steps are required.
Pending Docs: One or more documents are needed before the Application Processor can begin reviewing.
Review: Uploaded documents have been received, and the application has been submitted for review by an Application Processor.
Complete: The application has been processed by Simple Tuition Solutions and provided to your institution for aid consideration.

Review Timeline

Typically, it takes up to a week to review and complete your application.

Scholarship Awards

Simple Tuition Solutions only verifies your application for accuracy. Therefore, they do not have any input, control, or insight into scholarship amounts or when they may be awarded. Once processed by STS, your application is provided to your institution for aid consideration, and they will be in contact. Please contact your institution for more information on when they will contact you regarding your financial aid.

Payment Plans

Setting Up a Payment Plan

To set up a new payment plan, be sure to follow every step carefully to ensure a successful set up. If you are seeing TBD on your Payment Plan & Billing account, this means the school is still in the process of reviewing your plan and has not made it Active yet.

To advance to the next page in your Payment Plan setup, you must complete all required fields noted by the red asterisk (*). If you are not seeing a manual pay option during your Payment Plan setup, this means your school requires auto pay and you must add a payment method to complete the setup process. All Payment Plan frequency options offered by your school will be available for review during the setup process.

Payment Methods

You can use funds from a 529 account to pay tuition. Contact the company associated with your 529 account to discuss accessing and dispersing these funds.

Unless otherwise specified by your school on your invoice, please make checks payable to Simple Tuition Solutions and send to PO Box 779 Camp Hill, PA 17001. If you made a payment directly to the school via cash or a check made payable to them, the school is responsible for entering the payment into the STS system. If this is the case and you are not seeing a recent payment reflected on your account, please contact the school to inquire. Please note, it may take up to a few weeks for your check to arrive due to common postal delays. STS checks their PO box several times a week and all checks are applied to your account the same day they receive it. You may also go online at any time to see whether or not the payment has been received.

Making Payments

To make a payment, navigate to "Payment & Billing" on the top right and select the appropriate school. Choose from the following options:

Pay Current Due: Automatically selects all currently due invoices and inputs the correct amounts.
Pay Total Amount: Automatically selects all invoices on your account.
Other Amount: Allows you to manually allocate the payment by entering amounts next to the appropriate invoices or by clicking "Auto Apply" to have the system automatically apply the payment based on due dates.

If the "Save and Continue" button is grayed out, ensure that you have fully allocated the amount you originally entered at the top of the page. If this is occurring after you selected Pay Current Due or Pay Total Balance, please be sure you are not editing any of the amounts. When these options are chosen, the system automatically selects and inputs correct amounts and will allow you to click Save and Continue without the need for you to edit. If this is occurring after you selected Other Amount, please be sure to enter the total payment amount at the top without commas and then also allocate the payment by entering desired amounts next to the appropriate invoices OR you click Auto Apply to have the system automatically apply the payment for you based on due dates.

You can make a lump sum payment at any time by selecting "Other Amount."

Managing Auto Pay

To switch your Payment Plan off auto pay, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Payment Plans and select the appropriate school year. Select Edit Payment Plan, then select Manual and hit Save at the bottom. Please note, switching your Payment Plan off auto pay will not affect the auto pay status for Incidental Invoices. If the manual pay option is not appearing on the screen, this means your school requires auto pay and does not offer a manual pay option for Payment Plans.

To switch your Incidental invoices off auto pay, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Incidentals and hit Cancel Incidental Autopay. Please note, switching your Incidental invoices off auto pay will not affect the auto pay status for your Payment Plan. If this option is not appearing, this means your school requires auto pay and does not offer a manual pay option for Incidental invoices.

To enroll in auto pay for Payment Plans, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Payment Plans and select the appropriate school year. Select Edit Payment Plan, select Automatic Credit Card or Bank Account, add or select a payment method and hit Save at the bottom.

To enroll in auto pay for Incidentals, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Incidentals and hit Enroll Now, add or select a payment method and hit Save.

Updating Payment Methods

To update the payment method for Payment Plans, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Payment Plans and select the appropriate school year. Select Edit Payment Plan and add/select a new payment method, then hit Save.

To update the payment method for Incidentals, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Incidentals and select Change next to Payment Method on File to add or select a new payment method, then hit Save.

Managing Payment Methods on File

To view all payment methods on file, navigate to "My Account" on the top right and select "Payment Methods." To delete a payment method, click the trash can icon next to it. Note that a payment method cannot be deleted if it is currently in use on your account.

To add a payment method, select "Add Credit Card" or "Add Bank Account." Adding a payment method here will not automatically attach it to a Payment Plan or Incidental auto pay.

Canceling Payment Plans

To cancel your Payment Plan and Billing account, contact your school as soon as possible, as only they are authorized to make this change.

Viewing Payment Plans and Invoices

To view your Payment Plan, on the top right, select Payment & Billing and then select the appropriate school. Locate the box titled Payment Plans and select the appropriate school year. To view all invoices instead (Payment Plan and Incidentals), on the top right, click Payment & Billing and select the appropriate school.

Understanding Invoice Types

Payment Plan invoice (PP-00000-000000): Any invoice within your established Payment Plan, most often used by the school to bill tuition.
Incidental invoice (IN-00000-000000): Any invoice outside of your Payment Plan that your school may issue throughout the year, most often used by the school to bill misc. fees such as sports, field trips, after school care, etc. Please note, Incidental invoices are different from your Payment Plan invoices and must be handled separately.

Please contact your school to inquire about the tuition or invoice amount billed.

Customer Reviews and Reputation

Simple Tuition Solutions has received mixed reviews. Some users have praised the platform for providing a comprehensive list of student loan options based on university. However, other users have reported negative experiences, citing issues such as discrimination, lack of approval despite meeting income requirements, and difficulty in contacting customer support. Some reviewers have noted that the site did not provide clear reasons for decline or steps for improvement.

It's important to consider these reviews and weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks before using Simple Tuition Solutions.

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