Billing Procedures
The Student Accounts Office creates an electronic bill (eBill) for students who have course selected prior to the start of a semester. Semester bills are created in mid-July for the Fall semester and mid-December for the Spring semester. Upon creation, an email notification is sent to the student's Fredonia email address in addition to any authorized users email address. Students and authorized users may also enroll to receive text messages when an eBill is created. If the student would like their parent, guardian or another person to receive a copy of their semester bill, the student needs to sign them up as an Authorized User in our TouchNet system, or they may print a copy of the eBill and mail it. Authorized Users have access to view semester eBills, 1098-T tax notifications and current account activity, make payments, and enroll in payment plans.
A student must submit the required payment prior to the billing due date. Failure to make payment by the due date will result in the assessment of a late payment/administrative fee. Late fees are assessed as follows: $30 for balances less than $1,000.00; $40 for balances $1,000.00-$1,999.99, and $50 for balances $2,000.00 or more. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Academic Advising Office if they are not returning so that the charges may be removed and courses may be dropped.
Students are billed for each semester individually. The university bill lists the following mandatory charges: Tuition, College Fee, and Student Services and Programs Charge. Charges for Residence Hall Room, Food Service, FRED Debit Account, Orientation, Course and Music fees may also be included on the eBill. A deduction from the total billed amount is made for the Advance Admission Deposit ($50) and Advance Housing Deposit ($50) when applicable. Deferments are granted only for authorized deferrable financial aid.
Deferment Policy
Deferment of university charges is not permitted except for approved, deferrable financial aid. Estimated financial aid awards may not be used as deferments. Financial aid awards that may be used as deferments against university charges include:
- Excelsior
- Excelsior Tuition Credit
- Tuition Assistance Program (TAP Awards)
- SUNY Tuition Credit
- Stafford Student Loans
- Veteran benefits (only when they are payable directly to the university)
- PELL Awards
- TEACH grant
- Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
- Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS)
- Private Scholarships (only when they are payable directly to the university)
- Parent Loans
- Alternative Student Loans
- SUSTA
- NYS STEM Incentive Program
Work Study Awards and personal loans are not deferrable against university charges.
Payment Requirements and Distribution of Financial Aid
Full payment, less approved deferrable financial aid and pre-payments, must be made by the due date. Cash, personal checks, money orders, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are all acceptable forms of payment. Payments can be made online via personal check, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, or American Express by logging on to “Your Connection.”
Fredonia Installment Payment Plans (FIPP) are available to all students. Students and authorized users can enroll in a two-, three- or four-payment plan on a semester basis; the plan includes all semester charges less any approved financial aid. Students/Authorized users would need to enroll each semester, and can enroll online when viewing the eBill. Payments can be scheduled to automatically be taken from a credit card, checking or savings account, or can be initiated for each individual due date by logging in and making the payment.
Students attending In-Person Registration will have an eBill created and receive email notification at their Fredonia email address and text message (if they have provided a cell phone number in Personal set up under My Profile Setup) near the end of the first week of classes. The due date for payment will be September 15th for the Fall semester and February 15th for the Spring semester. A late payment/administrative fee of up to $50 will be added to an account outstanding as of the close of business on the due date.
The majority of financial aid is distributed during the third and fourth week of classes. Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and SUNY Tuition Credit funds are not distributed until mid-semester. Students who file for their financial aid late will receive their aid later in the semester.
All financial aid received by the university is applied to student accounts on a first-received, first-applied basis after allowing for a pending Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Award. Excess financial aid is generally returned to students within two business days. If direct deposit is not setup, checks are mailed home to the permanent address on file with Fredonia.
Failure to Pay University Charges
Changes in a student’s registration status or credits, residence hall occupancy, food service selection or a reduction in financial aid may result in a balance due after the initial payment has been made. The Student Accounts Office will bill students monthly throughout the semester. Students who fail to make timely payments will be assessed a late payment/administrative fee up to $50 each time their account is billed.
A student who fails to pay any university related charges (this includes tuition, fees, library and parking fines and expenses for equipment and supplies) prior to the end of the current semester will be placed on “hold.” A student on “hold” will not: receive a diploma at graduation, be permitted to register for additional semesters at Fredonia or receive a university transcript.
A student who fails to make payment to the university at the end of the semester will be referred for further collection efforts to the New York State Attorney General’s Office in Albany or to a collection agency contracted by the university. Accounts transferred to these agencies will be subject to additional charges for interest and collection costs of up to 22 percent.