Important Information from Lehigh University Office of the Bursar regarding Fall 2023

Dear Parent, Student or Family Member:

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 more important information regarding 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. 

Fall billing statements will be available on the e-Bill suite the week of July 10^th. The bill for the fall semester will be due on August 1^st, unless you are participating in the payment plan (see below for more information about this option).

IMPORTANT – Students need to add any individuals who will be assisting with tuition payments as an authorized user on the e-Bill suite. This should be completed by July 1st to ensure that all authorized users receive the Fall Semester billing notification.  Authorized users will have their own log in credentials and are not permitted to log in using the student’s user ID and password.

Students and all authorized users will be notified via email when a new billing statement is available to view. This is the only method we will use to send billing statements. 

The Semester Educational Payment Plan (PP) option allows you to spread the semester's balance over four equal payments. The payment plan option will be available when fall billing statements are available the week of July 10th. A 25% deposit is required at sign up (due by August 1^st) and 3 installments are due 8/1, 9/1, and 10/1 (please note, these installment dates coincide with the installment due dates of our previous plan). There is a $50 application fee to participate in the PP.  If you choose to participate, sign up is required by August 1^st to avoid a $200 late payment fee. Applications received after the August 1^st deadline will be charged a $200 application fee. A new payment plan must be completed each semester.

Students and authorized users can set up a payment plan by logging into the e-Bill suite and selecting “Payment Plans” from the top menu. All charges and credit on your account will be accounted for in your plan. NOTE: your deposit payment is due at time of set up.

Instructions for completing the application and general information can be found on our website.

Health Insurance is mandatory for all undergraduate students. All students will automatically be billed $2,452 for the health insurance premium. Students must take action to waive or enroll in the health insurance annually on the University Health Plans website.  Students who do not take any action (either waive or enroll in the student health insurance plan) may be dropped from classes or placed on hold for registering for future semesters.

Domestic students who are already covered with an existing health insurance policy may waive the University’s policy by providing information about their existing insurance coverage on the University Health Plans website. International students who are on an F-1 or J-1 Visa are not permitted to waive the Lehigh Student Insurance policy unless the student is covered under a U.S. plan or foreign government insurance plan. International students should contact the Office of International Students & Scholars if they think they qualify for a health insurance waiver.

·         If you are not planning on taking the University Health insurance plan, you must waive the coverage by July 1^st in order for the $2,452 charge to be removed from your Fall semester bill. Students who waive the University’s insurance after July 31st are subject to a $25 late processing fee. 

·         If you are planning on enrolling in the University health insurance plan, we recommend enrolling as early as possible since the policy will be activated earlier, enabling you to obtain prescriptions and medical services sooner.

·        The insurance premium of $2,452 will be due immediately if the insurance has not been waived by July 31. 

Check/Online Check: Bills may be paid via check. Save time and money by taking advantage of the online check option available on the e-Bill Suite. Individuals who will be assisting with tuition payments must be added as an authorized user on the e-Bill suite by the student in order to have access to this option.  There are no fees for this service. 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 bill due date.  This will allow for adequate time for us to receive and process the payment. A $200.00 late fee may 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.

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 of 2.95% (minimum of $3.00) which will be added to your card payment. 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.

Financial Aid: Financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships or loans that you have been offered should be reflected on your billing statement. If you are receiving financial aid that is not reflected on the bill, you should review any outstanding requirements on your Lehigh Portal. If you are applying for additional loans to cover your outstanding balance, be sure to have all approvals in place prior to the bill due date to allow for processing by the financial aid office.  If you have any financial aid or other resources that do not appear on your bill, you will be required to complete the Bursar Payment Worksheet by the billing due date, which allows you to account for financial aid that is not already accounted for on your invoice.

NOTE: Federal Aid will display as authorized or memo’ed aid on your bill and will disperse 10 days prior to the start of classes.

 Any questions about financial aid eligibility or additional financing options should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid. 

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 by selecting the “Electronic Refunds” icon under My Profile Setup in the Ebill Suite.  You will have the option to use an existing ACH profile, or create a new one.  Note: Refund profiles must be associated with a U.S. bank account and cannot be set up using a credit or debit card.  

First year students are required to select a Category I meal plan. Meal plan requirements for returning students are based on their residence. To make a change to your meal plan, log into Banner using Connect Lehigh.

Meal plan changes made prior to July 1 will be reflected in your fall billing statement.  Meal plan changes made after July 1 may not be reflected in your original semester bill. If the change results in additional charges to your account, the amount is due immediately. You may be placed on hold, possibly delaying your registration process, until the balance is paid in full. 

Students can choose to add money to their Gold PLUS account by logging into Banner via Connect Lehigh. GoldPLUS funds can be added throughout the year and you can use a credit or debit card or elect to charge your Bursar account. For more information about using GoldPLUS, visit the GoldPLUS Office website. 

Any GoldPLUS additions made after August 1st may not be effective by the time you return to campus. Any GoldPLUS funds added as a charge to your bursar account after July 1 may not be reflected in your fall billing statement and will be due immediately. You may be placed on hold, possibly delaying your registration process, until the balance is paid in full. 

If you are interested in purchasing tuition insurance, please visit the DEWAR website for complete program information and to sign up for this optional program.

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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