Overview The Office of the Bursar/Student Accounts is responsible for the billing of tuition and fees, the processing of payments and refunds, the collection of receivables, preparation of tax Form 1098-T and responding to student account inquiries. Our office works in conjunction with the Office of Admissions, the Office of Academic Records/Registrar, the Office of Financial Aid and the Student Financial Services Suite to deliver superior customer service to our students and families at Hofstra University.
Important Tasks For Students
FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) Parents may gain access to non-directory information (grades, GPA, etc.) if they obtain consent from the student. The preferred method for students to allow access to parents is by completing the FERPA Authorization form available on the Hofstra portal. Through this form students can, at his or her discretion, grant access to his or her records. (Learn how to complete FERPA Authorization form.) eBill - Establish an Authorized User In order to receive a billing notification email, make payments online, access important tax information or review account activity, one must be an authorized user on the student’s billing account. Students can add more than one authorized user to this account. More information can be found at Office of the Bursar or go to hofstra.edu/EbillAddUser for instructions on how to add an authorized user. Monthly Tuition Payment Plan Hofstra University is pleased to offer interest-free, flexible payment plans to meet your individual needs. This semester-based plan allows you to spread the semester balance due over a 5-month period. Students and Authorized Users are encouraged to enroll early for a discounted fee and to spread your payments out evenly. To learn more about our payment plan options and instructions on how to enroll, please visit hofstra.edu/monthlypaymentplans. Pride Email Account The Office of the Bursar communicates through the student’s Pride email account. The only other email address we may communicate with is an Authorized User’s email address set up by the student. Remember to check your Pride email account on a regular basis. Get Answers! Visit our Student Financial Services web page at hofstra.edu/sfs
Understanding the Billing Cycle All billing is conducted electronically. An email notification will be sent to the student and authorized user(s) when a billing statement is available. Through the payment center, on demand statements can also be generated as needed by students and Authorized Users. Paper billing statements will not be mailed home. Learn more at View my eBill
Fall semester invoices are generated in June and payment is due the first week of August. Spring semester invoices are generated in late November and payment is due the first week of January. Subsequent fall or spring invoices will be generated monthly for all students. Please review all important dates and deadlines at Hofstra.edu/deadlines.
Making a Payment Hofstra University accepts the following payment methods:
Online payments via secure electronic checks • Log in to the Hofstra Payment Center • Click Make A Payment and then select term and amount to pay • Edit the amount if needed in the box for that term • Select a payment method and submit payment to continue
529 Plan and other third-party checks made payable to Hofstra University can be mailed with your Student ID and Name included on the check to: Hofstra University Office of the Bursar – Student Accounts 126 Hofstra University – Memorial Hall Room 205 Hempstead, NY 11549 Check, Money Order and Certified Bank Check can be mailed to address above or dropped in our secure mail slot at Memorial Hall 205 during regular business hours
Credit Card payments now accepted through PayPath
Note: PayPath/Heartland charges a non-refundable service fee of 2.95% (minimum $3) of the amount paid via domestic credit cards. For international credit cards, the service fee is 4.25% (effective 02/23/24). This fee is established and charged solely by PayPath/Heartland and not by the University. The service fee is paid in full to and retained by PayPath/Heartland; the University does not receive any of this fee. The charge for the service fee will appear separately from the payment on your credit card statement.
International wires can be made conveniently through Flywire. Learn more about international payments at flywire.com or make a payment at Hofstra’s Flywire page. Domestic and International wires can be initiated from the Hofstra Payment Center through Convera (formerly Western Union Business Solutions). Learn more and view instructions at How to Make a Bank Wire Payment .
Cash is accepted by appointment only at the SFS Suite, Room 206 Memorial Hall
Student Directions to Access My Payment Center 1.
Log on to my.hofstra.edu
2.
Under Student Services select Student Payment Center; this will bring you to My Payment Center in the TouchNet Payment Gateway and your student account
3.
The homepage will display the balance due, less any estimated financial aid. You will be able to review account activity, retrieve billing statements, and make secure electronic payments (by web check, credit card or bank wire).
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Students can add authorized users including parents, guardians, and sponsors by completing the following steps: •
Select “Authorized Users” located on the right-hand side of the screen
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Type the email address of the authorized user; answer YES to the questions and click Continue
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Read the agreement, check the “I Agree” box and click Continue
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The Authorized User will be notified by email with instructions on how to log in
Users will not be able to access the website until they are authorized to do so by the student.
My Account On Demand Statements
Billing statements can be printed on-demand from your Student Payment Center to see real time activity on your student account.
Monthly Billing Statements
Billing statements are normally generated every month and may not display the most recent activity on your account.
Current Activity
View student billing activity per semester; it is helpful to view activity which occurs after the billing statement is issued.
Payment History
View payments made over a period of time.
How To Read Your Billing Statement
1.
STATEMENT DATE – The date the statement was generated.
2.
SEMESTER BALANCE – The total amount of charges minus credits/anticipated credits for the current semester.
3.
PREVIOUS/FUTURE BALANCE – The total amount of charges/credits that remain on the account from a previous or future semester. This balance may be due/available now or in the future. You can view details of this balance in your account history or account summary by term.
4.
AMOUNT DUE – The amount that must be paid in full by the due date.
5.
DUE DATE – The date the bill must be paid. Late payments may result in late fees/interest and restrictions on services including registration. Please allow time for financial aid, 529 plan payments, and any other outside payments to be processed and received before this date.
6.
TUITION, FEES, ROOM, AND DINING – A summary of all charges, including tuition, University fees, room, dining dollars contract, special course fees, and any fines for the semester. Changes in your registration can affect these charges. You are responsible for charges that result from changes to your class schedule. New students entering in the fall – If you have not participated in orientation, your bill reflects estimated charges based on your anticipated course load. An updated billing statement will be available on the Hofstra portal (my.hofstra.edu) after you register, but the due date will not change.
7.
CREDITS/ANTICIPATED CREDITS – A summary of your payments, including anticipated financial aid and future payment plan payments for the semester. This may include anticipated aid based on your current credit load. Changes in the number of credits for which you are registered may affect your financial aid.
8.
CLASS SCHEDULE – Your class schedule as of the printing of this statement. If you made recent changes to your registration, they may not be reflected here. You can view your most up-to-date schedule on the Hofstra portal (my.hofstra.edu). If a class does not appear on your online schedule of classes, you are not registered for that class and will not receive credit.
View and Print Your 1098-T Statement Form 1098-T Tuition Statement All colleges and universities are required to issue Form 1098-T statement to assist the IRS and the taxpayer in determining if they are eligible to claim an Education Tax Credit. This is an informational form prepared by the University for all students with reportable transactions for a given calendar year. 1098-T statements are generated in January and become available on your student account portal by January 31. For more information on Form 1098-T, visit Hofstra.edu/1098T. Sample 1098-T Statement
Important Notes Credits and Anticipated Credits • Students receiving financial aid must accept their Financial Aid Award for financial aid to appear on their account; financial aid will not be disbursed or listed as Credits or Anticipated Credits if the financial aid file is incomplete • The billing statement reflects credit for one semester’s portion of the financial aid awarded • Anticipated Loans and Scholarships will appear under Credits and Anticipated Credits on your account. • If you are enrolled in a payment plan, future payment plan payments are shown here.
Questions regarding Financial Aid should be directed to the Student Financial Services Suite at 516-463-8000 or sfs@hofstra.edu. Outside or Third-Party Scholarships All outside scholarships and awards from a third-party organization or agency must be reported to the Office of the Bursar – Third-Party Payment Office prior to the due date of your bill. Please view our checklist for important information that will help expedite the proper posting to your account. All questions can be sent to Bursar3rdParty@hofstra.edu. For more information, please visit hofstra.edu/outsidescholarships
Tuition Refund Insurance Have you considered protecting your college investment? To protect your investment and help minimize financial losses due to a medical withdrawal, through A.W.G. Dewar, you may elect optional tuition refund insurance to cover tuition costs only. For more information, visit hofstra.edu/tuitioninsurance