To assist in answering your question(s), select from the following categories:
Q. What are the tuition and fee rates per course?
A. Tuition and fees are charged per credit hour according to your student classification and residency status. View the current rates on our Tuition, Fees, & Surcharges page.Q. What is truth-in-tuition? Who qualifies for the locked-in tuition rate?
A. Read about truth-in-tuition policy on our viewable PDF document.Q. How do I cancel out of Student Major Medical Insurance?
A. All questions regarding insurance should be directed to the Student Insurance Office.Q. What is a technology surcharge?
A. Read about the technology surcharge on the Fees & Common Charges page.Q. Why was I assessed a late payment fee? What is it?
A. Read about the late payment fee within the payment policy.Q. Who do I contact to remove/adjust parking tickets, library fines, late immunization fees, and/or any other miscellaneous charges on my statement?
A. The Office of the Bursar does not have the authority to make adjustments to your account for these types of charges. You will need to contact the appropriate office or department that initiated the charge if you have questions.
Q. When are payments due?
A. View the payment due dates on the Due Dates page.Q. Will my classes be cancelled if my payment is late?
A. No. We do not cancel classes for late payments. However, a late payment fee may be assessed to your student account if not paid in full by the due date.Q. If I have a Bursar hold and I pay my account with a credit card, will I be able to register for classes immediately?
A. No. If you are paying in full by credit card or e-check online, your payment should reflect immediately on your MyNIU student account; however, the hold will be removed during our nightly processes. If you need the hold removed immediately, please contact the Office of the Bursar during regular business hours.Q. Which credit cards do you accept for payment?
A. Currently, the Office of the Bursar accepts American Express, Discover, and MasterCard for credit card payments via MyNIU. Please view the Make a Payment page for additional information on payments. Please Note: A 2.4% convenience fee will be charged for credit/debit card payments. There is no convenience fee for the e-check option.Q. Are the credit card number and electronic check number masked out on MyNIU?
A. Yes. When the student enters the credit card/e-check information, the number is masked after the Enter key is clicked. The credit card and bank account never come to the Bursar's Office. They only report to the bank on a secured system so that no one will have access to this confidential information.Q. I'm having trouble making a payment on MyNIU. What can I do?
A. Follow the step-by-step job aids under the Finances section of the Training Tools website to learn how to make a payment via MyNIU. If you still are having trouble, please contact the Office of the Bursar as soon as possible.Q. My employer has a reimbursement program for a class that I am taking. Does NIU offer a deferment plan for the costs that my employer will pay.
A. No. A reimbursement program represents a contractual agreement between the student and his/her sponsor (employer). Many times, this type of program requires criteria that must be met before the employer will make a payment (i.e. attaining a C or better grade, remaining employed with the sponsor, etc.). NIU will not grant a payment deferment for employer reimbursement since it is not considered to be part of the third-party billing program.Q. I am concerned about not being able to make payments for the semester. What should I do?
A. You should set up an appointment to speak with an account counselor as soon as possible.Q. The College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition (529 Plan) is paying for my tuition and fees. What do I need to do to notify NIU?
A. Please read about College Illinois! on our Third-Party Contracts page.
Q. I have financial aid (loans, grants) but I do not see it reflected in the Account Summary on MyNIU. What should I do?
A. Login to your MyNIU account and navigate to the Finances Section and select the Account Inquiry link. On this page you will see your "Outstanding Charges & Deposits" per term, and any "Pending Financial Aid" for the term. To the right of these columns is a "Total Due" column, which will provide the amount due you need to pay after pending aid has been subtracted from your charges. If your pending aid is greater than your "Outstanding Charges & Deposits", the "Total Due" amount will be blank or nothing due. Any additional questions regarding you financial aid should be directed to the Student Financial Aid Office.Q. What is my account balance?
A. Student may always access their account balance information online via MyNIU.Q. I set up a forwarding email address within my student ZID e-mail. How come I never received a Statement of Account Notice?
A. Although you are able to set up a forwarding address, it still is your responsibility to check all University correspondence via the student ZID email account. A copy of your Account Notice should remain in your student inbox.Q. I never received an e-mail account notification or statement. What should I do?
A. You can view your financial account online via MyNIU 24/7. Notifications via e-mail or paper statements are sent out approximately once a month.
Q. How do I opt to receive a paper statement?
A. If you choose to receive a printed paper statement through the mail instead of an e-mail account notice, you must notify the Office of the Bursar of this request. The student can e-mail this request to the Office of the Bursar via their official university-provided e-mail address. This request should contain the student's name, student's ID number and the address to which the bills are to be mailed.Q. How do I print copy of my billing information on MyNIU?
A. Please view the steps on printing your account activity via MyNIU by clicking here.
Q. When are initial refunds processed for the new semester?
A. If you are entitled to receive a refund due to a credit balance on your account, refunds are processed daily.Q. Do I need to apply for a refund of a credit balance?
A. No. Refunds are automatically processed as refundable credit balances occur. A check will be processed and mailed to you, OR if you have signed up for direct deposit, the amount will be deposited directly to your bank account. View the Refunds page for more information.Q. How do I sign up for direct deposit?
A. Complete a direct deposit form on the Direct Deposit page.Q. Can I have my refund deposited to my savings account?
A. Yes. Indicate that you are using a savings account and attach a deposit slip or letter from the bank including your name as the account holder, account number, and routing number.Q. How will the money be sent to the bank when using direct deposit?
A. The funds will be sent electronically through the banking system in the same manner as direct deposit payrolls.Q. How will I know the money was sent to the bank when using direct deposit?
A. Funds are usually deposited in your bank account within three business days of the refund date. You can verify receipt of the funds by contacting your bank.Q. Can I designate more than one account for direct deposit? Can the money go to my parent's account?
A. No. All funds must be deposited in one account in your name. The only exception is that excess funds from a PLUS loan will be refunded by check to the borrower.Q. Can I sign up for direct deposit if I use an out-of-state bank?
A. Yes. The only restriction is that the bank must be located in the United States.Q. What if I want to cancel direct deposit?
A. Simply complete a new Direct Deposit Form and indicate that you want to cancel direct deposit.
Q. How will a course withdrawal/university withdrawal affect my student account?
A. You should contact your college office to apply for any withdrawal. The portion of refundable charges paid will be dependent upon the date of withdrawal as determined by your college office and the established refund period for the term determined by the Office of the Bursar.Q. How will a withdrawal affect my financial aid for the term?
A. If you have received any financial aid such as student loans, scholarships, grants, or waivers, it is important to contact the Financial Aid Office to see if any adjustments/removal of aid will occur.
Q. What is the 1098T Tax Credit?
A. Read about the 1098T on the 1098T Tax Credit page.Q. When are 1098T tax forms sent out?
A. The 1098T tax form is processed in January, before the end of the month.Q. Can I view my 1098T information online via MyNIU?
A. Due to technical difficulties, all students will not be able to view their 2008 1098T via electronic access (MyNIU). A paper copy was mailed to everyone that had eligible educational expenses.Q. What happens if I never received my 1098T tax form?
A. If you did not receive the 1098T please contact the Office of the Bursar.Q. What is reported on the 1098T?
A. The amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses, and scholarships or grants that could be used for payments of qualified tuition and related expenses. (Note: Payments are not reported on this tax form. Retain monthly statements for payment verification.)Q. Which charges are not included on the 1098T tax form?
A. The student resource fee (undergraduate only) and services fee (undergraduate and graduate) are not reported on the 1098T.Q. How do you use your 1098T tax form for tax credit purposes?
A. Please contact your tax accountant.
Q. How do Student Organizations set up an Accounts Receivable account?
A. Read about setting up an AR account on the Student Org. Billing page.Q. Does my student organization need an Accounts Receivable customer number to book events on campus?
A. If your group is SA recognized but not SA funded, YES, you do need an AR customer number. If your group is SA funded, NO, you do not need an AR customer number. Please view the Student Org. Billing page.Q. I forgot my student organization's customer number. Can you tell me what it is?
A. No. The Accounts Receivable Office cannot provide student organization information over the phone. One of the signers of the AR documents must come into our office and show a photo ID in order for any information to be released. Please view the Student Org. Billing page.Q. Why must I provide a SSN to set up an Accounts Receivable customer number.
A. Your social security number is necessary to set up a credit account to allow your student organization to make charges. The signed officers are personally liable for all student account activity. Please view the Student Org. Billing page.Q. What is the "hot list" and why is my student group on it? Why do I have an AR Hold?
A. Read about the Accounts Receivable hot list on the Student Org. Billing page.Q. I was the President or Treasurer of a Student Organization on campus. Why do I owe what is owed from my Student Organization on my student financial account?
A. When you signed your organization up for an account with NIU, you were accepting personal responsibility for the payment of charges for that organization.
Q. When I call the Bursar's Office on the phone, the receptionist would not give me my balance and would say that she cannot provide any information. Why?
A. You may want to check your account status with Registration and Records. Due to FERPA guidelines, our office cannot disclose your account information over the phone if you have flagged all account information as "non-disclose". You must come to Office of the Bursar in person with a photo ID, or change your status with Registration and Records, or online via MyNIU.Q. I noticed that I have a hold on my student account. What is this for?
A. Departments that assign holds to student accounts generally send a separate notification indicating why the hold was assigned. These holds prevent the student from registering for classes and obtaining transcripts. Please read about holds on our Past Due Account Information page.