1. How can I find out what the status is of my Stafford or Parent (PLUS) Loan?
   
   
2. How can I find out whether or not my financial aid award money is on my account? Has any resulting credit due me been sent to me?
   
   
3. I dropped down to 9 credits. Why am I being charged tuition for more than 9 credits?
   
   
4. Can you send my bill to an address different from my permanent address?
   
   
5. Why do you charge late fees?
   
   
6. Why am I being charged mandatory fees for services that I may not use?
   
   
7. Why don't I see a credit for TAP on my invoice?
   
   
8. When do I pay my bill, and how can I pay my bill?
   
   
9. Does UAlbany offer a payment plan?
   
   
10. My financial aid is not in yet, how can I buy books?
    
    
11. I know there is a debit-type plan on campus called Podium. How does it work?
    
    
12. Can I pick up my check in person at the Office of Student Financial Services?
    
    
13. How do I qualify for an exchange of aid?
    
    
14. If I meet these conditions, when will I get my exchange of aid?
    
    
15. I can't wait two weeks for an exchange of aid. How can I speed it up?
    
    
16. Why can't my bank loan check simply be given to me rather than applied to my account and then refunded?
    
    
17. How do I change my meal plan?
    
    
18. What must I do if I receive a scholarship from outside the University At Albany? What if my employer is paying my tuition?
    
    
19. If I drop a class, will it affect my financial aid? If I withdraw, do I have to pay back financial aid?
    
    
20. Is it possible to receive financial aid for study abroad?
    
    
21. Will living off campus affect my financial aid award?

More FAQs

Q1:  How can I find out what the status is of my Stafford or Parent (PLUS) Loan?

A1:  Go to the web site http://www.hesc.com/ and click on "Managing Your Loan or Grant" then click on "Your Account".

Q2:  How can I find out whether or not my financial aid award money is on my account? Has any resulting credit due me been sent to me?

A2:  Go to the webpage MyUAlbany to access your account screen. The screen will reflect all account activity. If any financial aid award monies have already been sent to you, the date and amount of the disbursement will be reflected on your account, as will other changes, adjustments, payments and disbursements.

Remember: it may take as many as five business days from the date of disbursement for your check to arrive through the US mail system.

Q3:  I dropped down to 9 credits. Why am I being charged tuition for more than 9 credits?

A3:  If you dropped a semester-length course after the first week, you have some or full liability for the dropped credits. Click here for a complete listing of drop/withdrawal deadlines and tuition liability percentages. Note that 8 Week 2 courses have refund schedules that begin about half way through the semester. Dropping an 8 Week 2 course after the first week of the semester may affect your full-time status as well as your financial aid eligibility -- so if you are thinking of dropping an 8 Week 2 course, leaving you with fewer than 12 credits, check with the Office of Financial Aid before doing so. Because Summer Session courses are condensed into fewer weeks, the adjustment schedule is also shorter. Please click here for Summer refund/liability deadlines.

Q4:  Can you send my bill to an address different from my permanent address?

A4:  Invoices are sent to the permanent address on file (as reflected under "My Address Information" in MyUAlbany) unless a student has designated an alternate billing address in MyUAlbany. Please remember, it is the student's responsibility to ensure the permanent address (or billing address) is current and accurate. Late payment penalties are not waived if you do not receive an invoice due to an out-dated or incorrect address.

Q5:  Why do you charge late fees?

A5:  It is a common business practice to establish payment due dates and to enforce them in some way -- either through late fees or interest charges. Late fees are not routine charges, and most students avoid them entirely by simply taking care of their finances in a timely manner, meaning applying for financial aid on time, making payments at least five business days prior to invoice due dates, etc.

Q6:  Why am I being charged mandatory fees for services that I may not use?

A6:  In response to the dramatic decline in state support for the University, and in order to maintain academic programs, certain student services previously covered by state appropriations must be operated on a self-sufficient basis. In order to generate the revenue required for self-sufficiency with the least cost to individual users, the University, after extensive consultation with student leadership, decided to assess a mandatory service fee to all students to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the Health Service facility and providing access to technology, bus service, parking, etc.

Q7:  Why don't I see a credit for TAP on my invoice?

A7:  There may be several reasons why TAP does not appear on your invoice:

(1) At the time the invoice was printed, you may have been registered for less than full-time (Full-time is 12 credits during the Fall/Spring, 6 credits during the Summer.);

(2) You may have indicated a school other than the University at Albany on your TAP application (code 0895 for undergraduates, code 5390 for graduates);

(3) You may simply have forgotten to complete a TAP application.

(4) The new State Budget may not yet be in effect. This means that the Higher Education Services Corporation cannot yet determine the amount of your award, even though the Corporation has received your application.

Remember, estimated TAP on your Financial Aid award letter is just that - an estimate of what you may receive when you actually complete a TAP application. You may not defer payment of your charges based on estimated TAP on your award letter - only TAP awarded by the Higher Education Services Corporation may be used to defer payment of charges.

Q8:  When do I pay my bill, and how can I pay my bill?

A8:  Generally, the first Fall semester invoice is mailed during the second week in July; the first Spring invoice is mailed during the first week in December; the first Summer invoice is mailed during the second week in May. To see the invoice and payment due date schedules, please review the Invoice Schedules.

The first invoice is mailed to registered students usually several business days after a major registration period (such as Summer Planning Conference) has ended. Tuition and fee charges are based on the number of credits for which a student has registered. Other charges are based on information provided by other University Offices prior to the invoice date. After the first invoice for the semester, additional invoices are mailed approximately monthly to students with new or unpaid charges. The billing address on file at the time invoices are issued is the address to which the invoice is mailed. Administrative/Late payment fees of up to $50 are assessed for any balance remaining unpaid by each invoice payment due date. 

Several methods are available for paying your bill: submit check or credit card information by mail, fax credit card information, make cash or debit card payments at the Bursar counter. Visit Invoice Schedules for more information.

Q9:  Does UAlbany offer a payment plan?

A9:  Yes, the University at Albany Payment Plan. The UAPP was developed to help students and families meet their financial obligations while attending the University at Albany. The UAPP is not a loan program. Rather, it is a way to help students and families minimize debt by extending the payment period. The plan is managed by the Office of Student Accounts and replaces both the Two Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) and the third-party payment plan offered through Tuition Management System (TMS).

For more information on each of these options, please click here or call the Office of Student Financial Services at (518) 442-3202.

Q10:  My financial aid is not in yet, how can I buy books?

A10:  At the beginning of every term, students may use the Podium+ option on their SUNYCard to buy their books at the University Bookstore. For more information, contact SUNYCard at (518) 442-5989.

Q11:  I know there is a debit-type plan on campus called Podium. How does it work?

A11:  Please visit http://www.albany.edu/uas/podium.html.

Q12:  Can I pick up my check in person at the Office of Student Financial Services?

A12:  Disbursements or refunds by check are mailed to your (the student's) permanent address. If you want us to mail your checks to a local address instead, you must add or update your refund address under "My Address Information" in MyUAlbany. Unfortunately, we do not hold checks for personal pick up - the clerical handling required for sorting, storing, and personally distributing checks is very time consuming and comes at the expense of other students also waiting for their money.

Q13:  How do I qualify for an exchange of aid?

A13:  In order for us to process an exchange of aid, several conditions must be met:

• First, the aid money must have arrived on campus from the program fund or from your lender.
• Second, you must be registered, and for the number of credits specified for the type of aid you have been awarded.
• Third, you must have signed all promissory notes, entrance forms, and any other documents required for your aid programs.
• Fourth, the aid must be eligible for exchange in accordance with exchange timetables established by Federal and State regulations.
• Finally, you must have enough money or other actual anticipated aid on your account to cover your charges so that your aid can be given to you when it arrives.

Q14:  If I meet these conditions, when will I get my exchange of aid?

A14:  Under federal regulations, the earliest we can process Stafford Loan exchanges is 10 days before classes begin, and a large number of students receive their exchanges at that point if the qualifying conditions have been met. However, if your aid arrives on campus and, for example, you are not registered for the number of credits required for the aid program(s), your exchange - when you later add credits - must be handled manually. Depending upon the time of year, it takes up to fourteen days to manually process exchanges of aid.

Q15:  I can't wait two weeks for an exchange of aid. How can I speed it up?

A15:  Apply for aid early so that your money arrives on campus on time. Advance-register for classes, and advance-register for the number of credits you need for the aid (e.g., for TAP you need to be full-time). Complete - prior to the semester - whatever paperwork or action is needed by your academic department, by the Financial Aid Office, by your sponsoring agency, or by us to qualify for the grant, scholarship, or loan. Students who fall into a "routine" status usually receive timely exchanges of aid.

Q16:  Why can't my bank loan check simply be given to me rather than applied to my account and then refunded?

A16:  We apply bank loans to accounts in order to record them in a computerized fashion and to meet our accounting responsibilities to the federal government in the most efficient manner possible.

Q17:  How do I change my meal plan?

A17:  You may change your meal plan until the 10th business day of each semester. To change your plan:

Via MyUAlbany: go to "Change My Meal Plan."

By Email: send your meal plan request, your UAlbany student identification number, and your name to The SUNYCard Office at sunycard@albany.edu.

In Person: Complete a Meal Plan Change Card at the SUNYCard Office, Campus Center B-52.

Q18:  What must I do if I receive a scholarship from outside the University At Albany? What if my employer is paying my tuition?

A18:  If you will receive aid/scholarships from any source outside of the University, please send a copy of the official notification letter to our office. Please provide your name and Albany ID on the notification.

Any financial assistance from outside sources will be added to your financial aid package. In the event that the outside assistance affects your eligibility for previously awarded financial aid, your award will be adjusted and you will be sent a revised financial aid award notice.

Q19:  If I drop a class, will it affect my financial aid? If I withdraw, do I have to pay back financial aid?

A19:  Depending on what date you drop your class, you may be required to repay a portion of the financial aid you have received for the term. For New York State awards, including TAP, dropping classes or withdrawing may affect your award for the current and subsequent terms.

If you have questions or concerns of how a change in your academic schedule may affect your financial aid, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Students withdrawing from UAlbany must contact the Department of Withdrawal and Readmission to complete and sign the Undergraduate Withdrawal/Departure form. Failure to do so may result in any or all of the following:

• Loss of Financial Aid adjustments
• Academic Consequences
• Loss of the opportunity to reenter UAlbany at a later date