Billing

Billing, refunds and financial aid 2022-23

The Billing and Refund Information has several purposes: 1) to acquaint you with Bluffton University billing periods and financial policies; 2) to help you calculate what your costs will be; 3) to help you determine a suitable payment option. Please read this material carefully.

Bluffton's academic year has two semesters — Fall and Spring. The cost for each semester will be approximately the same for full-time students. Each semester will be billed separately.

Financial aid for returning students >

BILLING & STUDENT ACCOUNT BALANCE 

The Business Office will send a bill in late June/early July for the Fall Semester and December for the Spring Semester. You can view your student account information online by going to my.bluffton.edu and logging in with your student username and password. Select Student→Financial Information. 

Throughout the semester, the Business Office will notify students regarding their unpaid balance. If you are needing to request a printout of your Student Account Balance transactions, please contact the Business Office. 

PAYMENT OPTIONS
Bluffton offers two payment options (described later in this information):

• Payment-in-Full by Semester (preferred method)
• Monthly Payment Plan by Semester:
  • Fall semester – August-December
  • Spring semester – January-May 

You must select one of these options by indicating your choice on the Payment Agreement Form. The Payment Agreement Form needs to be completed, signed and returned to the business office no later than June 15, 2022.  If you choose the monthly payment plan, your fall semester first payment is due by Aug. 1, 2022, and spring semester first payment is due by Jan. 3, 2023. Subsequent payments will be due on the first business day of the month. You may find the Payment Agreement Form by going to my.bluffton.edu → Student → Day One Ready

**Important** In order to move in or start classes in the Fall, each student must be cleared by the Business Office.  Each student MUST have their Payment Agreement form filled out AND first payment made. 

The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the release of information on a student’s account to anyone other than that student without written permission. This authorization form (FERPA-Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act) is available on my.bluffton.edu. Select Student→ Give Permissions to my Data (FERPA). If this FERPA information is not provided, our staff will not be authorized to discuss student information with anyone other than the student. Once a parent/guardian has been given permission to a student account, they will receive their own login for my.bluffton.edu.

QUESTIONS: 
Questions about billing and payment options should be directed to the Business Office (419-358-3312). Questions about financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office (419-358-3266). 

PAYMENT OPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS
The following payment options are acceptable: 

• Payment-in-Full by Semester. The fall semester bill is due by Aug. 1, 2022, and the spring semester bill is due by Jan. 3, 2023, for all students. The bill is calculated on the costs for that semester as of the date the bill was generated. Additional charges that are added to your student account must be paid at the time they are incurred. An example of these charges may include, but are not limited to: bookstore charges, lab fees, change in tuition hours (e.g. overload), cross cultural program fees, etc. 
• Monthly Payment Plan by Semester. This payment option is divided into five equal installments. There will be a $30 non-refundable fee each semester for being on the payment plan. Payments will be August-December for fall semester and January-May for spring semester. Your first payment for fall semester is due by Aug. 1, 2022, and for spring semester is due by Jan. 3, 2023, with subsequent payments due on the first business day of each month. Additional charges added to your student must be paid at the time they are incurred. An example of these of these charges may include, but are not limited to: bookstore charges, lab fees, change in tuition hours (e.g. overload), cross cultural program fees, etc. 

*Note: All costs per semester are estimated. Please check your balance frequently. You may check your balance by going to my.bluffton.edu → Student →Financial Information →My Account Balance

HOW TO PAY YOUR STUDENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
Payment toward your student account may be paid with the following: 

• Check
  • If sending payment in mail, please mail to: 
     1 University Drive
     Business Office
     Bluffton, Ohio 45817-2104
• Credit Cards/eChecks (online)
  • As a student to pay online, go to my.bluffton.edu. Sign in with your username and password. Select Student →Financial Information →My Account Balances →Make a Payment →Follow prompts to make a payment.
  • As a parent/guardian to pay online after receiving login information. Go to my.bluffton.edu. Sign in with your username and password. Select Parent →Student Name →Student Account Information →My Account Balances →Make a Payment →Follow prompts to make a payment.
  • Please Note: a 3% convenience fee applies to all credit card transactions for payment of tuition, room & board, and fees on student accounts. 
• ACH
  • By selecting the ACH (Automatic Clearing House) Payment Option, your payments can be automatically deducted from your checking or savings account.
  • Note: if there are 3 payments returned due to insufficient funds, the ACH payments will be stopped, and an alternate payment(s) will need to be made. 
• 529 Payment
  • Please notify the business office when a 529 Payment is being processed and on the way to the university for payment. 
• VA Payment
  • Please notify the business office when a VA Payment is being processed and on the way to the university for payment. 

When submitting payments, please identify the student by indication the student's name and Bluffton University ID number. 

UNPAID ACCOUNT POLICIES
Bluffton University expects that all students will follow one of the payment options described above. We treat unpaid accounts as follows:

1. Bluffton University will add interest at the rate of one percent per month to accounts not current. This represents an annual interest charge of 12 percent. Interest is charged on the entire unpaid balance.
2. Students with unpaid balances are not allowed to enroll in a subsequent semester. All accounts past due must be paid in full before a student may register.
3. Bluffton University will not issue transcripts, diplomas, teaching certificates or records of any kind for students having past-due accounts. 

2023-24 FEE SCHEDULE

• Charge per semester hour if less than 12 hours: $1,447 per semester hour
• Charge per semester hour over 17 up to and including 20 hours: $1,022 per semester hour
• Charge per semester hour over 20 hours: $1,447 per semester hour

 

>>> more information about meal plans 

Additional special fees:

All students who are opted into the Slingchot Choice (formerly Textbook Butler) textbook program through the Bookstore will have their textbook fee added to their student account. The bookstore charge is added to student accounts at the beginning of each semester and must be paid in full to the Business Office within 30 days.

CASH CREDIT BALANCES; FEDERAL TITLE IV FUNDS AVAILABILITY AND USE (includes federal grants and loans)
The following statements are provided as required by federal regulations for the Title IV Funds. 

Disbursements of financial aid may create credit balances on student accounts. Federal regulations stipulate that if a credit balance is created by Title IV Funds, it can only be kept on the account for future charges upon written authorization from the student or the student's parent. Bluffton University does not pay interest to students/parents on student accounts that have credit balances. Refunds can be issued to the student or parent after the add/drop periods have been completed.  A form will need to be completed at my.bluffton.edu to request a refund.  If a credit occurs due to a Federal Parent Plus loan, the refund will be issued to the Parent.  

Federal regulations require that if "a student or student's parents be notified of the amount of Title IV, HEA (Higher Education Act) program funds the student can expect to receive, and how and when those funds will be paid." Specific reference to billing and cash management is also outlined in materials sent from the financial aid office, specifically the award letter and the policies brochure. Additional copies are available upon request from the financial aid office. 

REFUND POLICIES
Students who withdraw from Bluffton University and follow the approved withdrawal procedures (see Refund Policies, University Catalog) will receive refunds for tuition, room and board according to the following schedule:

• Up to and including the first day of classes in the semester — 100% refund
• From 2nd day to 10% period of time in the semester — 90% refund
• After 10% and up to 20% period of time in the semester — 80% refund
• After 20% and up to 30% period of time in the semester — 70% refund
• After 30% and up to 40% period of time in the semester — 60% refund
• After 40% and up to 50% period of time in the semester — 50% refund
• After 50% and up to 60% period of time in the semester — 40% refund
• After 60% period of time in the semester — No refund

EMERGENCY POLICY

The university shall not be liable for any failure, delay or interruption in performing its obligations and duties herein stated due to causes or conditions beyond its control or which could not have been prevented or remedied by reasonable effort at reasonable expense. The university’s inability to perform any term or condition of this contract as a result of force majeure conditions beyond its control such as, but not limited to, strikes, fires, flood, government restrictions, acts of nature, epidemics, damage or destruction shall not be deemed a breach of this contract. In such case, the university’s liability will be limited to a pro-rata credit for non-graduating students or a pro-rata refund for graduating seniors. In addition, neither the university nor its officials, agents and employees are liable for the loss, theft, disappearance, damage or destruction at any time or in any place of any property belonging to, used by, or in custody of any resident no matter where such property may be normally used, kept, or stored. Students are strongly encouraged to extend their family's homeowner’s insurance or purchase specific renter’s insurance to cover personal belongings.

For further details, please reference Financial Information in the Academic Catalog.