Understanding Your Bill

Avoid Late Fees Checklist

• If the student is covered under another medical plan, she may opt out of the optional student health insurance charged by Barnard.  Visit Aetna Student Health before August 1.
• In order for a student to register without penalty, Barnard’s invoice must be resolved by August 1 for the fall semester. When charges remain unresolved the College will block registration and reserves the right to revoke move-in privileges.
• Late payment fees begin at $75 on August 2 and increase weekly.
• There is no grace period. Return the Bursar Worksheet with payment to BURSAR by August 1.
• TMS payment plan: You must advise TMS of the exact amount to pay to Barnard each term. TMS does not know your Barnard balance and will not automatically adjust your plan to reflect the actual balance due to Bursar.
• Remember to deduct lender fees from any pending loans you subtract from your invoice.
• Fall and spring term charges may not be exactly the same. One term may include deposits or fees not charged in another term.
• Your “expected family/student contribution” for financial aid purposes is not your outstanding balance.
• Changes/updates to your invoice are available on eBear (disable pop up blockers to access).
• Barnard is not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected mail; allow adequate time for delivery.

Financial Aid

The student's TOTAL GRANT will already be deducted at the bottom of her bill as "Total Grant remaining to be credited." If you have a "Notice of Financial Aid" showing a TOTAL GRANT that is not deducted, deduct it on the Bursar Worksheet after reading the Bursar sections below on TAP, Outside Awards, and Self Help.

Self Help

"Federal Work-Study" or "Barnard College Job" wages will not be deducted from your bill. Wages are paid directly to the student by paycheck for work performed during the term. They do not reduce your payment.

Housing/Meal Plans

All students (full time commuters and all campus residents) are required to enroll in a Barnard meal plan. By default, the minimum meal charge will be added to your bill. If you wish to upgrade your meal plan, calculate the difference in cost to pay to Bursar and enroll with Dining Services. After the fourth day of the semester, no change of meal plan is permitted for that semester.

These charges must be paid prior to move-in. Students will present their receipts to Housing/Dining Services staff prior to being issued a room key or meal card. If the charge is incorrect or missing from the bill, please make the adjustment on the Bursar Worksheet and return it to Bursar with your payment.

Read more about Meal Plans.

Tuition Exemption

1. To avoid progressive late payment fees, make payment for your portion of the balance shown on your Barnard invoice by August 1.
2. Submit the Bursar Worksheet to Barnard Bursar showing your deduction for the exempted amount by August 1. Only tuition (no fees/room/board) is covered.
3. Columbia University (CU) tuition exemption authorization is available to CU employees at hr.columbia.edu. (Click CU Benefits Enrollment System, and login.) To avoid complications with registration, submit your approved Exemption Form to Barnard Bursar by August 1.

Title IV Authorization

In order for Federal financial aid and loans to be credited toward all charges on the student account, return two Title IV Authorizations to Bursar. (They are both printed on the same page.) One is for the student, and the other for parent PLUS loan borrowers. Without these signed documents, we will not be able to apply any federal aid received (including Stafford and PLUS loans) toward all charges assessed to your bursar account.

Federal Perkins and Barnard Loans

These loans will not appear as a credit on the bill until the student has signed a promissory note with Financial Aid. This promissory note is not the same as the Notice of Financial Aid or the promissory notes you may sign for Federal Stafford, Federal PLUS, or Tuition Management Systems (TMS). Perkins and Barnard Institutional Loan promissory notes are available from Financial Aid.

Federal Direct Stafford, Plus, and Other Loans

Credits for any estimated pending loans are already deducted at the bottom of your invoice. This amount is based on the loans for which you applied this year. It reflects the estimated net amount of your loan minus your lender’s fee.

To apply for a Federal Direct Stafford loan you must complete a "Master Promissory Note" (MPN) with Financial Aid. Students must enroll for at least 6 credits to qualify for any federal Direct loan.

If estimated loans are not already deducted at the bottom of your bill, you may deduct them minus an origination fee (deduct a 1% fee for Federal Direct Stafford and 4% for Federal Direct PLUS) on the Bursar Worksheet. (To calculate the Federal Direct Stafford deduction for one semester, divide the borrowed amount by 2 semesters, and multiply the result by .99. To calculate the Federal Direct PLUS deduction for one semester, divide the borrowed amount by 2 semesters, and multiply the result by .96.)

TAP

If the student is a New York State resident taking at least 12 credits this semester and has applied for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the award is already included in her TOTAL GRANT. If she does not have a TOTAL GRANT, send Bursar your NYS TAP award certificate each semester and the Bursar Worksheet showing the deduction for TAP.

Outside Awards

These are already included in the TOTAL GRANT amount, if any. If you have not advised Financial Aid of an outside award, do NOT deduct it without speaking with Financial Aid staff first at (212) 854-2154, and following their instructions. Send your outside award documentation to both Financial Aid and Bursar.

Third Party Payment

If a third party (e.g. parent’s employer) pays any part of the student's bill, return the Bursar Worksheet with authorization for billing the third party to the Bursar before the payment deadline.

Payment Plan

Barnard’s payment plan is administered by a third party, Tuition Management Systems (TMS) at www.afford.com/barnard. There is a $95 fee for using the service. Note that TMS does not have access to your balance at Barnard and will not adjust the amount you budget without specific instructions. If you enroll in the TMS plan before we print your bill, your plan will already be deducted from Barnard's invoice. If our bill still shows a balance after the deduction for TMS, your plan does not cover all charges.

By August 1, send Bursar your payment for any remaining "Balance Due" on your Barnard invoice to avoid Barnard's late payment fee. If your TMS plan is not deducted on Barnard’s bill, use the Bursar Worksheet to deduct it, and submit the Worksheet to Bursar before the payment deadline, or add a late payment fee. Progressive late payment fees begin at $75 and increase weekly. If you need to increase your semester plan amount, make the adjustment prior to Barnard's payment deadline in order to avoid late fees.

JTS Dual Degree Program

Students enrolled in the Barnard/JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary) dual degree program pay each institution separately. If you are expecting a refund from JTS, please contact our office to arrange a payment plan. If you wish to forward a credit balance from your Barnard account to JTS, please complete a Student Refund Request form.

JTS contacts: (212) 678-8830 or mvayda@jtsa.edu.