Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a collection of our most commonly asked questions at Student Business Services. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office. 

 


 

Fee and Payment Questions

  1. How much are tuition fees for the semester?
  2. What are Campus-Based Fees, and are they mandatory?
  3. I'm not a resident of California. How much are out-of-state "non-resident" tuition fees?
  4. How much are housing fees for this upcoming academic year?
  5. What if I have Financial Aid?
  6. I have a scholarship. How do I use those funds for my charges?
  7. How do I use my veteran benefits to pay for my fees?
  8. Are there payment plans available?
  9. How do I make payments online?
  10. What happens if I don't make a sufficient payment by the deadline?
  11. What if I paid my tuition before I received my financial aid disbursement?

Refund and disbursement Questions

  1. I just dropped some courses, am I entitled to a refund?
  2. When and how will I receive my financial aid disbursement? 
  3. Where can I sign up for Direct Deposit?
  4. I never received my refund or disbursement. What happened?

Important Dates and Deadline Questions

  1. When is my next payment deadline?
  2. When is the last day to drop my courses for a full refund?

Form 1098-T Questions

  1. When will I receive my form 1098-T?
  2. Where can I find the digital version of my form 1098-T?
  3. What if I have more questions about the IRS Form 1098-T?

Miscellaneous Questions

  1. I don't see my financial aid on my account. What's the status of my financial aid award?
  2. What's Anticipated Aid, and how is that different than my estimated financial aid?
  3. What's the "Anticipated Aid - No Enrollment Canc" hold on my account?
  4. Why do I have a "No Enrollment/Diploma" hold?

Answers


  1. How much are tuition fees for the semester?

State tuition charges depend on the program you are enrolled in. Fees are determined by the total number of enrolled units part-time is 0-6 units, full-time is 7+ units. For more information on tuition and campus fees, please visit the tuition and campus fees page.

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  1. What are Campus-based fees, and are they mandatory?

All students across the twenty-three CSU campuses are charged campus-based fees for each enrolled semester. The funds support various departments on campus and offer in-person and virtual services to the campus community. The optional $2.00 Student Involvement and Representation Fee is not included as a mandatory campus-based fee. 

For information on how the CSUF Campus-Based Fees are used, please view the Fee Reports presented on the Student Affairs Student Fees website.

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  1. I'm not a resident of California. How much are out-of-state "non-resident" tuition fees?

Out-of-state or "Non-Resident" Tuition is charged at $396.00 per enrolled unit. This fee is added on top of the regular state tuition and campus-fees each school term. 

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  1. How much are housing fees for this upcoming academic year?

Housing fees vary from academic year to academic year, and charges depend on the agreed housing contract. Charges can range from about $7,000 to $10,000 (estimate) per semester, depending on the type of room & board and the selected meal plan. Please visit our Housing Fees page for more information or contact Housing and Residential Engagement for additional details. 

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  1. What if I have financial aid?

Students with eligible financial aid must have the funds awarded as Anticipated Aid before it can be applied to the due charges. If the Anticipated Aid  is not greater than or equal to the due charges on the Financial Account Tile of the Student Homepage, a sufficient out-of-pocket payment is required by the payment deadline to protect the courses from being dropped. 

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  1. I have a scholarship. How do I use those funds for my charges?

Scholarship checks must be sent to our SBS Cashiers Office by mail or GH180 drop box at Window #10 with the student's CWID somewhere on the check. After we deposit the funds, it is forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid for authorization and verification. The whole process may take up to ten weeks before the funds will be disbursed to the student's account. If the scholarship funds are not authorized for disbursement by the payment deadline, a sufficient payment will be required to protect the courses.

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  1. How do I use my veteran benefits to pay for my fees?

Eligible veteran benefits must be authorized by the Veteran Resource Center (VRC) before they can be applied to the balance on the account. Please submit authorization requests to the VRC at least two weeks before the payment deadline. Benefits that are not authorized by the payment deadline will require an out-of-pocket payment to protect the courses. After the benefit is applied, overpayments on the account will automatically be refunded.

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  1. Are there payment plans available?

Yes! After eligible students are enrolled in courses, they can enroll in a payment plan online through the Student Homepage. If you are not eligible to register online through the Financial Account tile of the Student Homepage, please contact us to verify your payment plan options.

The Tuition Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) will break up your state tuition and campus fees into three payments for the fall and spring semesters. A payment plan for non-resident tuition is also available. Please visit the Tuition Installment Payment Plan page for more information.  

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  1. How do I make payments online?

Online Payment Tutorial:

  • Log into your Student Homepage.
  • Click on the "Financial Account" tile, then "Make a Payment"  (Pop-up blockers must be disabled).
  • Enter the payment amount and select the payment method.
  • Avoid the non-refundable 2.65% merchant fee from all card payments by paying with your Bank Account. 
  • International payments through Flywire may take 3-5 business.

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  1. What happens if I don't make a sufficient payment by the deadline?

A sufficient out-of-pocket payment (or enough Anticipated Aid) is required to protect the courses by the payment deadline. Enrolled courses may be subject to disenrollment if payment is not made on time. After disenrollment, the original courses are dropped, and students will need to re-enroll in available classes through the Student Homepage. Accounts enrolled in a payment plan may also be subject to a $20 payment plan late fee for late payments ($30 payment plan late fee for housing charges).

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  1. What if I paid my tuition before I received my financial aid disbursement?

If there is an overpayment on the account after eligible financial aid is disbursed, Student Business Services will either send a check of the remaining funds to the mailing address on file or through the enrolled direct deposit account. Enroll in direct deposit online through the Student Homepage to receive your funds sooner than mailed disbursements. 

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  1. I just dropped some courses, am I entitled to a refund?

Because tuition costs depend on the total number of enrolled units, a refund can only be issued if the total unit count drops from full-time (7+ enrolled units) to part-time (0-6 enrolled units) by the drop deadline. For example, dropping from fifteen units to twelve units will not affect the state tuition charges and is not entitled to a refund. Non-resident tuition may be entitled to a refund based on the number of enrolled units if courses are dropped by the refund deadline. 

Refund amounts may also depend on the actual drop date. A pro-rated percentage of fees retained may be applied to refunds if courses are dropped after the term has already started. For more information about refund deadlines and to view the table of pro-rated percentages, please visit our refunds page. 

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  1. When and how will I receive my financial aid disbursement?

The first batch of authorized financial aid will be disbursed a week before the beginning of the semester. If there is an overpayment on the account after eligible financial aid is disbursed, Student Business Services will either send a check of the remaining funds to the mailing address on file or through the enrolled direct deposit account.

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  1. Where can I sign up for Direct Deposit?

Enroll in Direct Deposit online through the link on the left side of your Student Homepage. Afterward, you will be directed to the Duo Multi-Factor Authentication screen for verification. More information about enrolling can be found on our direct deposit page.

For issues with your Duo Multi-Factor Authentication, please contact the 24/7 Student IT Help Desk at 657-278-8888 or StudentITHelpdesk@fullerton.edu for technical support.

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  1. I never received my refund or disbursement. What happened?

Sometimes the checks we send out get lost in the mail or returned to us as undeliverable. If you do not receive your financial aid disbursement check after ten business days, please complete a Stop Payment Application on our SBS Forms page. After some information is verified with our bank, we will resubmit the check for disbursement. 

Additionally, check your Student Homepage to verify if you are eligible for a disbursement. Financial aid or other sponsorships will first be awarded to the due charges on your account, and there may not be an overpayment to be refunded.

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  1. When is my next payment deadline?

Payment deadlines may vary depending on your registration appointment or if you are enrolled in the Payment Plan. After courses are enrolled through your Student Homepage, check the deadline on the Account Inquiry section to see the specific payment deadline. Visit our Important Dates page for more information about deadlines and other important dates.

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  1. When is the last day to drop my courses for a full refund?

All courses must be dropped before the official first day of the semester/session. Although most courses begin on a Monday, the official start of the term could be the Saturday before. Please check the CSUF Academic Calendar page for more information about the start of each term. A pro-rated percentage of fees may be retained if courses are dropped during the semester/session. 

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  1. When will I receive my form 1098-T?

The IRS Form 1098-T will be available by January 31st for the preceding calendar year. Unless the "Go Green"Opens in new window option is selected, a copy of the form will be sent to the mailing address on file.

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  1. Where can I find a digital version of my form 1098-T?

Students can retrieve their eligible form 1098-T online through Heartland ECSI. Search for your tax document by entering your relevant information for the corresponding calendar year into the search fields. More information about how to access your document online can be found on our SBS Form 1098-T page.

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  1. What if I have more questions about the IRS Form 1098-T?

Additional information can be found on our SBS 1098-T FAQ page.

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  1. I don't see my financial aid on my account. What's the status of my financial aid award?

After a FAFSA or Dream application is completed, it will be forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid for authorization. We at Student Business Services unfortunately are unable to determine the status of your financial aid package and awards. For more information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid. After your awards are confirmed, they will be put on your account as Anticipated Aid.

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  1. What's Anticipated Aid, and how is that different than my estimated financial aid?

Anticipated Aid is the confirmed financial aid award for eligible students each academic year. Student Business Services will use the Anticipated Aid amount on your Student Homepage to count toward your due charges by the deadline. If your award is not authorized as Anticipated Aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid to check the status of your financial aid package.

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  1. What's the "Disenrollment Protection" hold on my account?

If your confirmed Anticipated Aid is greater than or equal to the due charges through your Student Homepage, SBS will protect your courses from being dropped with the "Disenrollment Protection" hold. If your Anticipated Aid is less than your due charges, the difference will need to be paid before the payment deadline to protect the courses. When the system calculates that the Anticipated Aid can cover the due charges, it will automatically place the Anticipated Aid hold to protect the courses.

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  1. Why do I have a "No Enrollment or Diploma" hold?

This hold will appear on the Student Homepage if there are any past-due balances on the account. Outstanding charges will prevent enrollment in any future terms until all charges are paid off. The hold will also withhold a diploma until the past-due balance is cleared. After a sufficient payment has been made, the "No Enrollment or Diploma" hold will automatically be released after a short period.

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