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Dear Parent, Student or Authorized User,
Students: Please share this information with whomever is involved in paying your educational expenses.
We are writing to share important information about the billing process, payment options and financial obligations at Lehigh. Please read this information in its entirety to ensure that you are prepared for the billing statement and are ready to fulfill your financial obligations for your educational expenses. Failure to comply with these obligations may result in you being dropped from courses or being placed on hold for registering for future semesters.
1. Billing statements: Payment due January 2nd
- Spring billing statements will be available on the e-Bill suite the week of December 9th. Students and all authorized users will be notified via email when a new billing statement is available to view. Payment for the spring semester will be due on January 2nd.
- ALL STUDENTS WILL BE BILLED AS A FULL-TIME STUDENT! If you are in your final semester and do not require full-time enrollment to complete your bachelor's degree requirements, please complete the “declaring Less then Full-Time Status Survey” located at the bottom of your personal information page on the Self-Service Banner. Select "Declaring Less than Full-Time Status" from the dropdown menu on the Answer a Survey page: https://generalssb-prod.ec.lehigh.edu/BannerGeneralSsb/ssb/personalInformation#/answerSurvey Answer all 4 questions before submitting the survey. ONLY STUDENTS can submit the part-time survey.
- The student’s bursar account is the responsibility of the student:
- It is very important that students maintain and check their bursar account on the eBill suite to determine if all requirements have been met and payments have been received.
- Federal law (FERPA) restricts access to student information. Students can designate Authorized Users to access their student account information, pay bills and discuss the account with the Bursar’s Office. Students, please visit the e-Bill suite to add any authorized users. This should be completed by December 1st to ensure that all authorized users receive the Spring Semester billing notification.
- Authorized users will have their own login credentials and are prohibited from using the student’s user ID and password, as detailed in Lehigh’s ACIS Policy (https://lts.lehigh.edu/about/policies-guidelines/acceptable-use-computer-systems-and-facilities-policy-acis-policy)
2. Payment Options: Allow for adequate processing time to be received by the due date
- Financial Aid: If you are applying for additional loans to cover your outstanding balance, be sure to have all approvals in place 2 weeks prior to the billing due date to allow for processing by the financial aid office. Alternative loans memoed to student accounts after the semester due date are subject to late payment fees. Any questions about financial aid eligibility or additional financing options should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid.
- Check/Online Check: The quickest and most secure method of payment remains online via the eBill Suite. There are no fees for this service. Please note: You have the ability to schedule payments on the eBill suite to avoid late payments. Paper checks, money order, or cashier’s checks can be mailed to the Bursar’s Office. Be sure to give adequate time when mailing a paper check. Please include the student LIN on check payments. Checks received after the due date are subject to a $200 late fee.
- 529 Payments: If you are paying your balance with funds from a 529 account, you should request the check no later than two weeks prior to the billing due date. This will allow for adequate time for us to receive and process the payment. A $200.00 late fee will be assessed for a 529 payment that is not received by our due date. Please be sure to include the student’s name and Lehigh Identification Number (LIN) on the check. Checks from 529 companies cannot be paid on the e-bill suite.
- Credit Card Payments: Credit card payments are accepted and are handled through PayPath, a tuition payment service. This service allows you to make real-time Credit or Debit card payments to your student account. PayPath accepts most major Credit/Debit cards for your convenience. PayPath will charge you a non-refundable service charge which will be added to your card payment. For domestic transactions, the rate is 2.95%, for international transactions, the rate is 4.25% with a minimum of $3.00. Lehigh University does not receive any portion of this service charge. Please note that Lehigh accepts the online check payment option free of charge.
- Wires- Convera and Flywire: Lehigh University has partnered with Convera (International and domestic students) and Flywire (International Students only) to offer our students the ability to make wire payments. These options allow you to pay securely from almost any country and any bank, generally in your home currency. Please visit our website for more information. Wire payments will not be accepted from other sources. You should request the wire two weeks prior to the billing due date for our office to receive the funds by the published due dates.
- Overpayments: Lehigh University will only accept payments to cover educational expenses that appear on your bursar account. Payments to your bursar account should be for tuition and related university expenses only. Lehigh cannot act as an intermediary between international and US bank accounts. Lehigh reserves the right to return any overpayments directly to the originating bank or the overpayment will be applied to future term charges.
3. Spring Semester Payment Plan (Optional): Enrollment in the payment plan is due by January 2nd to avoid a $200 late payment fee. We recommend enrollment when the semester bills are available the week of December 9th.
The Semester Educational Payment Plan (EPP) is a voluntary, interest-free installment plan designed for families who prefer to spread their semester's balance over four equal payments. Enrollment in the payment plan is required each semester. Payments are scheduled when enrolling and will automatically be withdrawn on the installment due date. The payment plan option will be available when spring billing statements are available the week of December 9th.
- A 25% down payment at enrollment
- 1st installment due 1/2,
- 2nd installment due 2/1,
- 3rd installment due 3/1
Please note: Your first 2 payments (your enrollment down payment and 1st installment) are due by January 2nd. There is a $50 application fee to participate in the EPP. If you choose to participate, enrollment is required by January 2nd to avoid a $200 late payment fee. Enrollment after the January 2nd deadline will be charged a $200 application fee.
4. 1098T: Tuition Statement
In January, Lehigh University will generate the IRS Mandated 1098T Tax form for the 2024 Tax Year. The 2024 form will include all transactions posted to Banner in calendar year 2024. If you are concerned with whether a specific payment is reflected on your 2024 tax form, please plan accordingly. Payments posted to the student account after December 31st will be included in the 2025 1098T.
5. Refunds: Set up your bank account information to receive electronic refunds
In the event that your total credits (i.e. payments, financial aid, etc.) exceed your total billed expenses, you may be eligible to receive a refund. We process refunds using the E-refund process in the Ebill Suite. All STUDENTS (authorized users do not have this capability) should set up their information in the Ebill Suite. Setting up your refund profile does NOT initiate your refund.
You are automatically assigned the meal plan you had during the fall 2024 semester. You may submit a change to your meal plan only if you plan to change or drop the meal plan you had during the fall semester.
If the meal plan changes results in additional charges to your account, and were not reflected on your semester billing statement, the amount is due immediately. You may be placed on hold, possibly delaying your registration process, until the balance is paid in full.
We hope you find this information helpful in your financial planning for the semester. If you have any further questions that are not addressed in this email, you can visit our website for more information. You can also contact us via email at bursar@lehigh.edu, live chat (available during normal business hours) or by calling us at 610-758-3160.
Sincerely,
Regina McCormick
Regina McCormick
Bursar
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