Answers to Student Accounts Questions

By what methods can I pay my semester bill?

Payments may be made using the following methods:

1. Online
2. By Mail
3. In Person

• Payments online Shippensburg University offers online payment options (credit cards and electronic checks) through our processor, Official Payments. Official Payments accepts Mastercard, Discover and American Express. Visa cannot be accepted for tuition payments. Students may pay online by credit card (with a 2.5% convenience fee) or by electronic check (at no charge). To make an online payment, go to "Students (SIS)" in http://info.ship.edu and click on Student Accounting. Paying online is the fastest way to make last minute payments to get your bill cleared by the due date!
  
  More information and FAQs regarding online payments

• Payments by mail
  Students who want to send payments by mail may do so by sending a check or money order along with the bill to the Student Accounts Office. Checks are to be made payable to Shippensburg University. Payment must be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U. S. bank. Postdated checks should not be submitted.

• Payments in person
  Check, money order and cash payments may be made in person at the Student Accounts Office in Old Main 100, weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.. During the summer months and semester breaks the office closes at 4:00 PM. The university cannot accept credit or debit cards in person, by mail, or over the phone for tuition payments.  

Why am I being billed the full time rate when I am a part time student?

Students who have not scheduled full course loads often pick up credits during the schedule adjustment period in the first weeks of the semester; therefore, all students are billed the full time rate. If you intend to remain a part time student for the upcoming semester, you may adjust your bill to reflect the number of credits you are taking and pay the reduced amount.

Part time students should refer to the Tuition and Fees section of our web site. Make the necessary tuition and fee adjustments to the bill based on the part time rates.You can also call the Student Accounts Office at 717-477-1211.

What happens to my $200.00 advance deposit?

This non-refundable check consists of $100.00 for your enrollment fee and $100.00 for your housing deposit. The $100.00 fee will be shown as a reduction of the amount due on your first semester bill. The university retains the housing deposit until the housing obligation is fulfilled. That $100.00 will show as a reduction on your Spring semester bill.

What are all the fees I am paying?

Each full time undergraduate student is charged the Ed Service, Health, Student Union, Activity, Recreation and Technology Tuition fees. Full time graduate students are charged the Ed Service, Health, Student Union and Technology Tuition fees. Part time students are charged prorated amounts of each fee. These fees are established and set by the State System of Higher Education's Board of Governors and/or Shippensburg University’s Council of Trustees.

• Student Activity Fee This fee is paid by all undergraduate full and part time students, and by graduate students during the summer session only, to support the Shippensburg University Student Association (SA). The SA provides activities ranging from support of intercollegiate athletics to recreational and cultural programming. Such events are made available to all students, most without additional charge.
• Student Union Fee The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State System's Board of Governors require that the cost of construction, operating and maintaining student union buildings on all State System campuses be paid by students enrolled at each campus. This fee, which is charged to all full and part time graduate and undergraduate students, is placed in a restricted fund specifically for expenses associated with the Ceddia Union Building. All students have access to activities in the CUB, including the University Store and snack bar.
• Educational Services Fee This fee, paid by all full and part-time graduate and undergraduate students, is restricted specifically for purposes of providing instructional and library equipment, materials, and supplies. It is used to purchase items such as classroom materials, library books, periodical subscriptions, media services and other instructional equipment. The Educational Service Fee is charged to all students for all courses regardless of the geographic location of the courses.
• Recreation Fee This fee is paid by all full and part-time undergraduate students. It is used to fund the construction, maintenance/operational and personnel costs related to the student recreation building and the outdoor recreational facilities.
• Health Services Fee This fee is paid by full time graduate and undergraduate students and students residing in the residence halls, regardless of full or part time status. It is used to finance, in part, the Etter Health Center and its various programs of treatments and education. Students have access to the services of the health center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Under the policies of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, auxiliary enterprises, such as health centers, must be financially self-sufficient. The Health Services Fee is not an insurance fee and must be paid whether or not the student has his/her own health insurance.
• Technology Tuition Fee This fee is established by the Board of Governors of the State System of Higher Education. The purposes of the technology tuition fee are
  • to acquire, install and maintain up-to-date and emerging technologies for the purpose of enhancing student-learning outcomes
  • to provide equitable access to technology resources
  • to ensure that State System graduates are competitive in the technologically sophisticated workplace.
• The technology tuition fee is not a user fee, but is instead a fee that is paid by all students, proportional to their enrollment status (full-time/part-time) and to their residency status (in-state/out-of-state).
• Off Campus Activity Fee  This fee is charged to all students in degree completion courses held off campus, and is used to provide basic student support services to those programs.

How do I change my meal plan on my bill?

The meal plan listed on your bill defaults to the plan you had during the previous semester. You can add a meal plan or change the plan by writing your selection on the bill. You can also make the meal plan change online.  Instructions for changing your meal plan online [PDF].

Please refer to the meal plans section of our web site to review the various meal plans that are available.

You have the option to change your meal plan one time during the first 2 weeks of each semester.After this period, you may only INCREASE your meals to a higher plan.You may not reduce or drop your plan after the first 2 weeks of the semester.

Please note that students living on campus must choose one of the Resident Student Meal Plans.

What do I do if my financial aid is not deducted from my bill?

If expected financial aid is not showing on your bill, you should first access your student portal to see why your application may be incomplete.Go to http://www.ship.edu/ss and follow log on instructions.Click on My Finances in the upper left corner of the screen.Click on Financial Aid which is located directly under My Finances.Scroll down to my personal financial aid information and click on My Awards or My Statuses and Requirements.If you have remaining questions regarding your financial aid after you have checked your portal, they should be directed to the Financial Aid Office at 717-477-1131 or finaid@ship.edu.

If you are expecting a Parent PLUS loan, private Alternative loan or private scholarship that is not showing on your bill or under My Awards on the student portal, you may deduct those amounts from the bill; however, you must submit documentation of your loan approval or scholarship with your bill.

Does the university have a payment plan?

Shippensburg University offers a prepayment plan that allows you to budget for expenses for the forthcoming semester or academic year through a series of monthly installments. The plan is strictly voluntary. All or part of the expenses may be budgeted.

Students are obligated to pay all tuition and fees in full by the due date set for each semester. If the amount due on that date is greater than the amount paid under the plan, a separate payment for the balance is due to the university prior to registration. If, however, the amount paid is more than the total due, the student may (after the semester begins) request either a refund of the overpayment or credit toward a future semester.

Download a printable copy of the prepayment plan brochure for Fall 2010 & Spring 2011 [PDF 173KB].

To obtain more information on this prepayment plan or for a brochure, call the Student Accounts Office at 717-477-1211.

What do I do if I can't pay my bill?

Refer to the Financial Aid section of the web site to learn more about the various sources of financial aid available.

Consider the Shippensburg University prepayment plan described above.

For extenuating circumstances, call the Students Accounts Office at 717-477-1211.

When will my financial aid arrive and how do I know if I am getting a refund? 

Loan disbursements start to arrive approx 10 days prior to the first day of classes. The disbursements, which are electronically transferred to the university, continue throughout the semester. Most loans arrive within the first month. Grants and Perkins loans are generally disbursed within the first two months of the semester.

When your financial aid arrives, you will be sent a notification of disbursement. Your aid is applied to your account as it comes in. When your semester balance is paid in full, refund checks will be generated. All refunds checks will be mailed to local addresses along with the notification of disbursement. It is very important to keep your local address up to date with the university. You can verify and update your address by going to https://info.ship.edu.

What do I do if my financial aid hasn't arrived and I need to pay my rent? 

The Financial Aid Office can write a letter to your landlord to let them know that your financial aid is forthcoming. Most landlords will accept this letter and allow you to pay when your aid arrives.