Navigating the University of Oklahoma Bursar's Office: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Oklahoma's Bursar Services plays a crucial role in managing student finances, providing support to the Student Financial Center, academic departments, and administrative offices. This guide provides a detailed overview of the services offered by the Bursar's Office, payment options, financial aid resources, and other essential information for students and their families.

Understanding Bursar Services

Bursar Services at the University of Oklahoma provides operational support to the Student Financial Center, academic departments, and administrative offices. They are primarily responsible for managing student accounts, processing payments, and addressing billing inquiries.

Online Access and Authorized Users

Students can access their accounts and manage payments through the ONE.ou.edu portal. This platform offers a convenient way to view statements, make payments, and monitor account activity.

For added convenience, students can add authorized users to their accounts. Authorized users can view their student's account and make payments using their own login credentials. This feature is particularly helpful for parents or guardians who assist with managing tuition payments.

Payment Options and Deadlines

The University of Oklahoma offers various payment options to accommodate students' diverse financial situations. The quickest way to make your payment is online at ONE.ou.edu. Payments made online with an eCheck from your checking account or savings account or a credit card are easy and convenient and are posted to your account the same day. Credit card payments are only accepted online at ONE.ou.edu.

Online Payments

The quickest and most convenient way to pay your Bursar bill is online through ONE.ou.edu. The platform accepts payments from checking accounts, savings accounts, and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). Payments made online are typically posted to the account on the same day.

Credit Card Convenience Fee

The University of Oklahoma students and employees who choose to pay their Bursar account with a credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) instead of check or money order will incur a 2.95% convenience fee for use of the service. As with other products and services that individuals purchase via a credit card, this measure charges only those using the card. Charging only the user of the service follows best practices nationwide.

Payment Deadlines and Late Fees

It is essential to be aware of payment deadlines to avoid late fees and potential holds on your account. Unpaid billed balances, including those participating in the payment plan, are subject to a 1.5% service charge assessed on the 26th of each month. In addition, a $50 late penalty is added after Nov.

Here are some important deadlines to keep in mind:

Last day to pay Fall without service charges: Sept. 25
Last day to pay Fall without late fee: Nov. 25
Last day to pay Spring without service charges: Feb

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

In our ongoing efforts to combat fraud, maintain a high level of security, and keep your personal information secure, you will be required to utilize multi-factor authentication (MFA) when accessing our tuition payment system. MFA is one of the most effective ways to confirm the identity of the person logging into your account. If you do not have a security profile, you will be prompted to create a profile and enroll in MFA before you are able to make a payment.

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Payment Plans

The University of Oklahoma offers a payment plan to help students spread out their tuition payments over several installments. The payment plan is only available to currently enrolled students. Students participating in the payment plan can pay their bill in four installments each semester. There is no enrollment required to participate in the payment plan.

When a student is not current with the payment plan: Registration, Transcript, and Graduation holds are placed on their account.

Understanding Financial Aid

Financial aid is any financial resource that a student receives to assist in meeting the cost of attending college. These resources include awards such as federal and state grants, loans, student employment, scholarships, etc. Many financial aid programs are available at the University of Oklahoma. Those planning to attend OU and current students are encouraged to apply annually for financial aid.

Types of Financial Aid

Financial aid comes in various forms, including:

Grants: These are typically need-based and do not need to be repaid. Examples include Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.
Loans: These must be repaid with interest. Options include Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Perkins Loans, and Federal PLUS Loans (for parents).
Student Employment: This allows students to earn money through part-time jobs on campus.
Scholarships: These are merit-based or need-based awards that do not need to be repaid.

Applying for Financial Aid

To apply for federal financial aid programs, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually. The FAFSA opens annually on October 1. Apply annually for the following federal financial aid programs: Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Perkins Loan, Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), and Federal Work-Study. The Federal PLUS Loan (Parent Loan) and Graduate PLUS loans require a separate loan application in addition to the FAFSA. Additional financial aid programs (most requiring the FAFSA) include Oklahoma's Promise, Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant, Crimson Commitment, additional need-based scholarships, and several low-interest OU Institutional Loan programs. FAFSA and the OU Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub CASH online applications open every October 1.

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FAFSA Deadlines and Priority Processing

Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after the annual open date, October 1, but before March 1, to be considered for all available aid programs for the following fall/spring semesters. For priority processing, all requested documents must be received in Financial Aid Services by June 1 for the following fall/spring semesters and by November 1 for the spring only semester.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID

Department of Education Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) online. This FSA ID serves as your electronic signature for the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and to access certain financial aid information online. Important Note: The FAFSA must be completed annually.

Scholarship Opportunities

Students are encouraged to apply for scholarships to help meet the costs of attending the University of Oklahoma. Numerous scholarships are available to OU students based on academic merit, talent, athletics, financial need, etc. High school seniors apply for all general freshmen scholarships at OU by completing our online scholarship process which is now a section of the admission application. December 15 of the senior year is the deadline to apply for these scholarships by completing the admission/scholarship application. See Future Sooners Scholarships for general freshman scholarships covered by the admission/scholarship application. Undergraduate transfer students will also find the transfer scholarship application as part of their admission application process. Annually March 1 is the deadline to apply for transfer scholarships by completing the admission/scholarship application. Transfer students may also be eligible for departmental scholarships.

Impact of Other Awards on Financial Aid

Important note: Students who receive academic, talent-based, or other awards that also receive federal financial aid may expect their financial aid awards to be revised. Students are encouraged to apply for outside scholarships, grants, fellowships, and other types of financial assistance that can help pay for their college or general living expenses. Many opportunities are available that require an application from the student. Be careful about possible scholarship scams.

Cost of Attendance

Using federal regulations, the Financial Aid Services office develops standard budgets to determine the estimated costs of attending OU. This budget is used to offer financial aid. The cost of attending the University of Oklahoma includes tuition, fees, books, housing, meals, transportation, and miscellaneous living expenses. Financial Aid offer amounts are subject to change.

Financial Literacy and Support

The University of Oklahoma provides resources to help students develop financial literacy and manage their finances effectively.

MoneyCoaches

A MoneyCoach is a financial professional available to all students at the University of Oklahoma. MoneyCoaches help students build lifelong money management skills and navigate the process of paying for college. The MoneyCoach program also offers financial education workshops. Once a student has met with a MoneyCoach, they are then assigned to that MoneyCoach.

Important Disclaimer

The MoneyCoach team and University of Oklahoma staff who work with students on financial issues such as federal student aid, private student aid, and serving loans do not provide investment, legal, or tax advice. The information provided is for general educational purposes only, and is not intended to substitute for the advice of your investment, legal, and/or tax advisors or to be the basis of specific financial planning activities.

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