2. When will I get my student invoice?
4. What do I need to provide to the Office of Student Accounts?
5. How does Financial Aid affect the balance I owe?
6. I am taking out a Stafford loan. Do I need to complete an entrance interview?
7. What if I need financial aid to pay for my Summer Session classes?
9. What if I do not pay by the payment deadline?
10. How do I get my refund if my student account has a credit balance?
11. How will I know when my financial aid money has arrived?
12. Will I owe any money if I drop a class or withdraw from college?
A student account is simply the charges and payments related to a student's registration. A student invoice is a summary of a student's account.
2. When will I get my student invoice?
A student's invoice (semester bill) is generated based upon registration. In an effort to move towards paperless billing, invoices will only be mailed to students once per month. Students can access their invoice online at my.newpaltz.edu any time after the initial billing process has started for that particular semester.
The Office of Student Accounts begins the billing process for the Summer semester in late April. Billing for the fall semester begins in mid June. Billing for the spring semester begins in early to mid December.
Please remember: student invoices are sent to the student. If someone other than the student is paying the bill, he or she will need to contact that student if a copy of the student’s invoice is needed.
The payment due date is listed at the top of the student invoice and online at my.newpaltz.edu. In the fall and spring semesters, each student's payment due date is calculated individually based upon the date of the initial registration. Payment for classes added on or after the first day of the semester is due immediately upon registration. Please do not wait for an invoice, as the charges will be available for online viewing instantly. Pay by phone or in person at the Office of Student Accounts, or online with a VISA or MasterCard to avoid late charges and/or deregistration.
Summer Session charges must be paid by the first day of the summer semester regardless of when the first class begins. Students who register after the beginning of a session must pay immediately upon registration. Do not wait for the invoice by mail - either pay online at my.newpaltz.edu or come directly to the Office of Student Accounts.
4. What do I need to provide to the Office of Student Accounts?
Students can accept their financial responsibilities and pay their accounts online at my.newpaltz.edu or by signing and returning their invoice with payment/payment arrangements no later than the due date given on the invoice.
Payment arrangements include enrollment in the New Paltz Payment Plan, actual financial aid, proof of external funding (such as a scholarship) that will be sent directly to the College, VESID benefits, or approved tuition waivers. DO NOT DEDUCT WORK STUDY AWARDS FROM THE INVOICE. Work study money is paid directly to the student for work performed and cannot be applied to any college fees. New students whose financial aid is not finalized may apply for a personal deferral which will extend their payment due date.
Because each summer session is very short, the payment plan is not available during that semester. All charges must be paid in full by the first day of the first summer session.
5. How does financial aid affect the balance I owe?
Prior to the beginning of the fall semester, the Office of Student Accounts will defer to estimated financial aid. All estimated aid is removed from a student's account by the end of the second week of the semester. Delinquent notices are sent for any amount on your student account that has not been covered by payments, enrollment in the New Paltz Payment Plan, or accepted/finalized financial aid.
The Office of Student Accounts will continue to defer against finalized financial aid and it will remain on the student's account. Stafford and PLUS loans are not finalized until the College receives confirmation from the lender that the funds will be disbursed. PELL and other such federal grants are generally finalized when a student returns their financial aid award letter accepting the aid. TAP grants are not finalized until the Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC) notifies the College or the student of the actual amount of the TAP award.
Students who choose not to accept estimated aid that appears on their student invoice (such as a Stafford or Plus Loan) will need to pay this amount by the payment due date listed on their invoice. Students should take into consideration only the aid they plan to accept when determining how much they need to pay.
6. I am taking out a Stafford loan. Do I need to complete an entrance interview?
You will need to complete an entrance interview if this is the first time you are borrowing a Stafford loan while at SUNY New Paltz. This also applies to transfer students who borrowed Stafford money at their former schools; the original entrance interview was applicable only to the former school.
Also, if you have completed an exit interview (if you previously withdrew, or if you completed your undergraduate degree and are now pursuing a graduate degree), you will need to complete another entrance interview.
To complete the entrance interview online, please go to: www.newpaltz.edu/loancounseling.
If you have any questions, you may contact the Student Loan Coordinator at 845-257-3198, or at oslc@newpaltz.edu.
7. What if I need financial aid to pay for my Summer Session classes?
Financial aid is handled differently in the summer. If you are enrolled during the summer session and want to receive financial aid for the summer, your financial aid file must be complete prior to the end of the Spring semester, otherwise you will need to pay for your summer courses and receive any aid, if awarded prior to the end of the session, as a reimbursement. In other words, your FAFSA information needs to have been received from the federal processor and any verification information, if needed, must have been submitted to the Financial Aid Office and approved. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT. Also, the Student Accounts Office will defer to financial aid for the summer only if you are enrolled for 6 credits or more.
8. I have finalized financial aid, but it does not appear on my student invoice. Is there a problem with my aid?
Your financial aid will appear on your student invoice only if your course load is equal to or greater than the course load upon which your aid is based.
For example, most students expect to be full time (12 credits or more), and their aid is based on the assumption that they will be full time. If a student is registered for only 9 credits now (expecting to add a class or two later), financial aid will not appear on the bill because it is dependent on full time registration.
If you are in this situation, simply note the amount of aid you will be receiving on your student invoice. Once you are enrolled for 12 credits or more, your aid will again appear on your invoice.
If you are registered for less than full time study (less than 12 credits), and you do not plan to register for any additional courses, you will need to contact the Financial Aid Office at 257-3250 to have your financial aid award revised to reflect the fact that you will be enrolled less than full time. It is likely that you will receive less aid as a part-time student than you would if you were a full time student. (A quick reminder: TAP grants are for full time study only and loans are available only if you are registered for 6 credits or more).
9. What if I do not pay by the payment deadline?
Payment must be received in the Office of Student Accounts by the stated due date. Failure to do so may result in the addition of late penalties.
On campus students who do not accept their financial responsibilities and make payment in full or acceptable payment arrangements will not be able to use their meal plan.
Unpaid accounts are subject to deregistration (See Academic Calendar for scheduled De-Registration date).
10. How do I get my refund if my student account has a credit balance?
Students whose finalized financial aid exceeds their charges will be given an exchange check for the amount of the overpayment. Stafford and PLUS loan monies may be disbursed no earlier than the end of the second week of the semester. PELL and TAP grants are typically not disbursed until after the fifth week of the semester.
Students who live off campus will have their exchange checks mailed to them. Students who live on campus will receive notification in the mail requesting that they pick up their checks at the Office of Student Accounts.
Of course, the Office of Student Accounts cannot provide exchange checks until funds arrive.
Students who are due refunds because they have reduced their course load or have withdrawn from the College generally have their refunds calculated. However, SUNY procedures state that requests for refunds must be made in writing, and that students must make their request for a refund within one year after the end of the term for which a refund is requested. In other words, if you believe you should receive a refund, it is your responsibility to contact us. We will review your student account with you and make any necessary adjustments or refunds.
11. How will I know when my financial aid money has arrived?
Students can check their accounts online to see if their financial aid has arrived. TAP and PELL grant monies are not available until after the fifth week of the semester; APTS and SUSTA monies are generally available much later than that. EOP book checks are made available on the first day of classes, providing the student's financial aid has been processed.
12. Will I owe any money if I drop a class or withdraw from college?
It depends on when you drop the class(es). Students who drop classes prior to the beginning of a semester incur no liability for those classes. Students who drop classes during the first week of the Fall or Spring semesters (based upon the official first day of classes for that semester, regardless of when the first class is held) incur liability for the college fee.
Liability for tuition, student activity fee, technology fee, health service fee and athletic fee begins after the end of the first week (7 calendar days) of the semester. The percentage of liability increases each week. By the end of the fourth week of the semester, students will have full liability for any class in which they are enrolled, even if they later drop that class. The refund period for the summer session is much shorter that those of the Fall and Spring semesters due to its brevity.
Certain fees and fines, such as late payment fees, library fines, and residence hall damage charges, are not refundable.
Refund schedules can be found online in the semester's Academic Calendar. Information is also available in the 'Withdrawals and Liability' section of our Web site.
13. I cannot register / I haven't received my grades / I cannot receive a transcript. Is there a problem?
If you are unable to register, or you cannot receive grades or a transcript, you most likely have a hold on your student records.
A hold may be placed on your student records if you owe money for your semester invoice, a telecommunications charge, library fines, or parking tickets. In addition, students may have holds placed on their records for reasons other than financial obligations. If you think you may have a hold on your student records, please contact the Office of Student Accounts and we will check your records and refer you to the department(s) that placed the hold(s).
The Office of Student Accounts may be contacted by phone at (845) 257-3150, fax (845) 257-3495, or e-mail stuacct@newpaltz.edu.
