Office of the Bursar

Information for New Students

Office of the Bursar

The Office of the Bursar is responsible for maintenance of student accounts pertaining to tuition billing, acceptance fees, charges, payments, financial aid disbursements, and refunds of excess funds, when available. We hope that the following information will facilitate your transition to college life. Please see the New Student Checklist.

Deposit information

Your first contact with the Office of the Bursar is when you accept your offer to attend Penn State. In addition to the enrollment fee, all degree-seeking students must have a General Deposit on account. If you will be residing in University housing, you will also have a Housing Deposit. These two deposits are similar to security deposits and do not offset student account charges. The Housing Deposit is transferred to the student's account when the student leaves campus housing and the General Deposit is transferred to the student's account when the student graduates or leaves Penn State. These deposits will be used to cover any last minute charges, and the unused balance will be returned to you.

First-Year Testing, Counseling and Advising Program (FTCAP)

In general, if you receive an offer of admission from the University, you will receive information about FTCAP two to three weeks after you accept this offer.

FTCAP Testing

After you accept your offer of admission, you will be scheduled to take FTCAP testing on the Web. The tests take about three hours or less. You will be given a deadline by which you MUST take these tests online in order to have the results scored, printed, and ready for you when you attend your FTCAP advising day. Details about the testing will be sent to you, along with the notification of your deadline, after March 15.

FTCAP Advising

After you complete testing and your testing materials have been processed, you will be scheduled to participate in educational planning and academic advising activities at your campus of admission. This component of FTCAP begins at most campuses in May or June and possible dates for which you could be scheduled run through July or August (depending on your campus of admission). You are typically notified of the date for which you are scheduled to participate in this program two weeks to one month prior to its occurrence. Details about this counseling and advising portion of FTCAP are included with the notification of your advising date. These details about FTCAP advising will be sent to you starting in the middle of April, but you will not be scheduled for advising or sent information about it until after you have completed FTCAP testing.
Please note:
The information above concerning FTCAP is general in nature and may not pertain to every student. Specific information of a more detailed nature will be mailed to each student individually at the appropriate time. For more information, visit the FTCAP website at: www.psu.edu/dus/ftcap.

eLion Access

At the First-Year Testing, Counseling and Advising Program, you will receive your ID card and computer access. Your orientation will also introduce you to eLion, Penn State's Web-based interactive system. eLion provides current students access to the information and services needed to initiate and complete academic programs, review financial aid awarded, view the transactions on their student account and view/pay their tuition bills each semester. Classes for the upcoming semester will be scheduled on eLion as well. Students will not receive bill information until they have full eLion access.

Online financial access for Parents/Other Individuals

Parents, guardians, or other individuals can view your financial information on eLion with your authorization. To grant access to Bills Tuition/Other, Bursar Account, and/or Hope/Lifetime Tax Credit information, please follow these steps:

1. Parent/guardian/other obtains a Penn State User ID through a "Friends of Penn State" account at elion.psu.edu. Select "Parent/Other" then choose "Create an account".
2. Parent/guardian/other provides you with his/her Penn State User ID.
3. You grant access via eLion by first selecting "Student" then "Parent/Other Access" from the menu.

When will I get a Tuition Bill?

Beginning approximately six (6) weeks prior to the start of classes, bills will be prepared for students who have scheduled classes and have full eLion access. You will receive notification via your Penn State e-mail account that your Tuition Bill is available to view/pay or to confirm registration on eLion. Parents/Other individuals, who have been granted access to the Tuition Bill, will also be notified through e-mail that the Tuition Bill is available. Paper bills are not mailed. Bills are prepared mid-July for fall semester, mid-November for spring semester and mid-April for summer semester. Residence hall charges are included on the bill, if applicable. Bills are prepared on a weekly basis through the first 10 days of the semester for students scheduling later. More billing information is available at: Tuition Bill Instructions.

What do I do if I have additional student aid?

The Anticipated Student Financial Aid Detail section on your Tuition Bill shows your current known available aid. If you have additional scholarships, grants, or loans, please refer to this section at Tuition Bill Instructions for information noting those changes. The Tuition Bill on eLion will reflect current information. Procedures for payment from College Savings Plans are also available on this site.

How can I pay my Tuition Bill?

Payment of tuition/fees or confirmation of registration is due within two to three weeks after your bill is prepared. Electronic payment via eCheck is available on eLion. The eCheck option is a fast and convenient method to pay your tuition bill directly from a personal checking account. There is no charge to pay by eCheck. Additionally, you may pay by credit card (MasterCard, Discover, or American Express) via eLion. A 2% Convenience Fee will be charged for credit card payments made over the Web. We cannot accept credit card payments via mail, phone or in person.

If you wish to mail a check, you may print a remittance stub from eLion and mail it with your payment to Penn State. Your payment must be postmarked by the due date on your bill to avoid a Late Payment Fee. Please allow time for processing (5-7 days).

Do you have any payment plans?

Penn State offers a Deferred Payment Plan which allows you to spread your semester billable charges over three payments. Fall semester payment due dates are in August, October, and November. Spring semester due dates are in December, February, and March. The $45 non-refundable fee covers all administrative costs for the secure handling of your payments.

Enrolling in the Deferred Payment Plan is easy. When you view your semester bill, you will be given the option to sign up. Your Tuition Bill will list your billable costs (tuition, fees, and room & meal if applicable) and the financial aid that is known at the time the bill is produced. To select Penn State's Deferred Payment Plan, simply pay the first 1/3 by the due date on the bill. Your payment may be made with a check (mail to Bursar's Office with payment voucher), credit card, or eCheck. You must also include the $45 deferment fee each semester and payment for any unpaid prior balance with this initial payment.

Additionaly, a 10 month Tuition Payment Plan is available through Tuition Management Systems. The payment plan runs from April until January. Fall semester payments are due April through August; spring semester payments are due September through January. This is an interest free plan which is available to everyone. Tuition Management Systems is the nation's leading payment plan provider, and they administer this plan for Penn State. To enroll, visit www.afford.com/PSU or call toll free 1-800-722-4867. There is a $28 fee to participate in this convenient payment option each semester, or you can enroll in the Annual Plan for $50. The Annual Plan covers both fall and spring semesters.

Completing Your Registration

The Penn State registration process consists of two steps. First, the student "schedules" specific courses. Second, the student is "registered" upon payment of tuition and fees or confirmation of registration electronically (when all charges will be covered by financial aid), if applicable. In all cases, action is required to complete registration.

Refunds of excess financial aid

Penn State will refund the credit balance in a student's account which is the result of Federal financial aid within two weeks of either the date the aid was credited to the student's account or the first day of the semester, whichever is later. For the quickest delivery of this refund, students should sign up for RAPID REFUND by using eLion. Please select "Students" then enter your User ID and Access Account password. Next, from the left-hand menu, select "Refund Information" then "Sign up for Rapid Refund". Student refunds will be electronically deposited into the bank account you specify.

Penn State e-mail account

As a new student, you will receive a Penn State e-mail account. Important information from the Office of the Bursar, as well as other departments, will be communicated to you via e-mail so you will need to view it on a regular basis.

This information is available in alternative format upon request.