BILLING & PAYMENTS

Accessing Your Student Account

All student financial information is available online through the Student Gateway. You can view your student account balance, transaction history, and payment activity at any time. Students will not receive monthly bills and are responsible for keeping track of their payment due dates.

Tuition & Fee Payment

Tuition and fee charges are posted to your student account on the Friday of the first week of each semester and must be paid in full at that time, unless an approved payment plan is in place. All tuition and fees must be paid in full by the end of each semester.

Payment Methods

• Check: made payable to The Colleges of Law
• Credit Card: Visa, MasterCard, or Discover
• Online ACH/check: available on the Student Gateway only
• Approved Student Loans

If you have questions about accepted payment methods or need assistance completing a payment, contact the Student Accounts office.

Late Payment Penalties

Students who have not paid in full by the end of the first week of the semester, and do not have an approved payment plan, will be assessed a late fee. The following apply:

• An account is delinquent if the student has an outstanding balance and is not making timely payments on an approved plan.
• A late payment fee will be charged monthly until the balance is paid or the payment plan is current.
• A student whose account is delinquent will not be allowed to register for any subsequent semester.
• The Colleges of Law will not certify a student as having graduated, or issue a degree, until all outstanding balances are paid in full.
• Accounts not paid within 90 days of a student’s withdrawal date may be sent to a collection agency.

NOTE: Students receiving financial aid will not be charged a late fee if the unpaid balance exists solely because approved financial aid or private loan funds have not yet posted.

Payment Plans

In-Term Payment Plan (Currently Enrolled Students)
This plan allows you to pay your net tuition balance in equal monthly installments due on the 15th of each month over the length of the semester. A Payment Plan Administrative Fee applies. Interest is not charged; however, late payment fees apply when a payment is five or more days late. All payment plan arrangements must be completed by the end of the first week of the semester.

Out-of-Term Payment Plan (Former Students with Balances)
Former students who are no longer enrolled but owe a balance on their COL account may be eligible for an Out-of-Term Payment Plan. The School reserves the right to decline this arrangement. A service fee applies. A missed payment may result in cancellation of the plan.

Obligation to Pay Regardless of Withdrawal

A student paying less than the full amount of tuition and fees when due remains liable for the remaining balance, even if the student subsequently withdraws. The Colleges of Law will enforce its rights to payment through legal action if necessary. A JD graduate’s failure to pay mandatory amounts will also be reported to the State Bar in connection with any inquiry into the graduate’s moral character.

How Financial Aid Applies to Your Account

Loan disbursements are applied to a student’s account to offset owed tuition and fees for all students verified to be enrolled at least half-time and awarded financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will post to student accounts once enrollment is confirmed.

Any aid in excess of the balance owed (credit balance) will be refunded to the student within 14 days of the credit balance appearing on the student’s account, in accordance with federal regulation.

Student refunds are made via direct deposit to a designated bank account after submitting a completed Direct Deposit Authorization Form on the Student Gateway. If no direct deposit information is provided, refund checks are mailed to the address on file. Ensure all information is current at least two weeks before the start of the semester.

Military Refund Policy

U.S. Military personnel, U.S. Military Reservists, or National Guard members who are called into service and, as a result, are unable to meet academic requirements prior to completion of the term/semester will be entitled to receive a full refund of tuition and fees. A student who volunteers for military service will be subject to the school’s standard Refund Schedule. All refunds are subject to presentation of official documentation.

Tuition Refunds for Withdrawal or Cancellation

If you cancel your enrollment during a term, whether through withdrawal or dismissal, you may be eligible for a prorated refund of tuition and fees, depending on when the cancellation occurs.

Key things to understand:

• Refunds are only available after the drop period has ended. Dropping a course during the drop period does not result in a tuition charge; withdrawing after the drop period does.
• When enrollment is cancelled during the first 60% of the term, The Colleges of Law will calculate a prorated refund and apply it to your student account.
• When enrollment is cancelled after the 60% point of the term, no refund is issued.
• You are responsible for any unpaid charges remaining after a refund is applied.
• If you receive federal financial aid, federal regulations, specifically the Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation, determine how much of your federal aid you are permitted to keep. This calculation is separate from the institutional refund calculation and may result in a balance owed to The Colleges of Law, to the federal government, or both.

Before withdrawing, we strongly encourage you to speak with both the Financial Aid office and the Registrar to fully understand the financial impact of your decision.

Course Audits

Under special circumstances, your college dean may authorize you to audit a course. If approved:

• Check the Tuition and Fees page to understand tuition rate plus any applicable fees.
• No academic credit is awarded and the course does not count toward graduation.
• Audited courses do not count toward enrollment hours for financial aid purposes.

Veterans Benefits & Billing

If you are using veterans benefits to pay your tuition and fees, please monitor your student account closely. A few important notes:

• Late fees may be imposed on accounts with outstanding balances even when those balances result from tuition and fees not yet paid by an approved VA fund source.
• Veterans benefits do not cover certain charges, a student’s portion of tuition if eligible for less than 100% coverage, equipment fees, and library fines. You are responsible for these costs directly.
• If you have questions about how your benefits apply to your account, contact the Student Accounts office which manages veterans educational benefits at Saybrook University.
• Contact Student Accounts — Veterans Benefits

Withdrawal — Financial Implications

Withdrawing from The Colleges of Law, whether temporary or permanent, has significant financial implications that are separate from your academic status. Please review the following carefully before initiating any withdrawal.

A student who receives Federal Financial Aid and completely withdraws from the institution is subject to the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policy. The amount to be returned is based on the percentage of enrollment completed for the semester and the amount of financial assistance considered earned. The school and the student are both responsible to return unearned funds to the appropriate Title IV program(s).

Students who remain enrolled through at least 60% of the payment period are considered to have earned 100% of the aid they received.

Returning Title IV funds could result in a balance owed to the University by the student. Students should contact the Office of Student Accounts to arrange payment for any balance owed.

Unearned Title IV funds are returned in the following order:

1. Direct Unsubsidized Loans
2. Direct Graduate PLUS Loans (where applicable, for eligible continuing borrowers under the OBBBA legacy provision)

Students should connect with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing to determine if they will leave the school with a balance on the student account.

Recipients of student loans who withdraw should contact the Financial Aid Office to complete an Exit Interview.

Unofficial withdrawal: A student who stops attending during a term without submitting withdrawal documentation is considered unofficially withdrawn. In this case, the midpoint of the term is used as the last date of attendance for R2T4 purposes — which may result in more aid being returned than if a formal withdrawal had been submitted. Please follow the official withdrawal process to protect yourself.

Exit Counseling

If you are graduating, withdrawing, or dropping below half-time enrollment and you have federal student loans, you are required to complete Student Loan Exit Counseling. Exit counseling ensures you understand your loan repayment obligations before leaving school. It is completed online at studentaid.gov and typically takes about 30 minutes.

Failure to complete exit counseling does not eliminate your repayment obligation. It simply means you may leave school less prepared for what comes next. We encourage you to take it seriously.

• Complete Exit Counseling at studentaid.gov

Have a Billing Question?

Our Student Accounts team handles all questions related to charges, payments, refunds, and payment plans. Don’t let a billing question sit unresolved. Please reach out before it becomes a balance problem.