Billing Procedures 

Statement of Account

The Business Office bills students twelve times each year.  Charges and credits are added as they arise.  The 2009-2010 schedule for billing dates and dates when payments are due is:

The Student Tuition Account

Tuition, housing, and board charges constitute most of what is billed through your tuition account.  These charges are billed before each semester commences.

Other charges that may appear on your tuition bill are health center charges, fines for campus traffic violations, library fines, damage fines, ID card replacement fees, health insurance premiums, and automobile registration fees.

Student Health Insurance

Hamilton College requires that all students have some form of health insurance coverage.  For students who are not covered under a parent's policy, or students who would like additional coverage, Hamilton offers a limited benefits health insurance plan.  Coverage under this plan is voluntary.  However, if proof of other comparable health insurance coverage has not been provided to the Health Center, students will be automatically enrolled in and billed for this plan.  An outline of the plan and premium information may be obtained from the Director of Purchasing and Property Management at 315-859-4999.

Other than the provisions of the Medical Service and Health Insurance programs described above, the College assumes no responsibility for medical or health services to its students.

Billing

Late Payments

Semester charges are billed in July and in December.  Semester charges are due in August and January, respectively.  If payment is not received by the due date, a late payment fee of $100 is assessed.  An additional late fee of $200 will be assessed if the amount due for the semester is not paid by October 1 for the fall semester and March 1 for the spring semester. 

Questions about Your Bill

General questions about your bill can be answered by the Business Office (Philip Spencer House; open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; for student accounts, telephone 315-859-4324, fax 315-859-4947, or e-mail (ehemmel)The Business Office acts as a clearinghouse for the various charges and credits which appear on the bill.  In many instances the Business Office will not have detailed records concerning the items on the bill.  We suggest that you contact the specific office if you have a question concerning an item.  The general College number is 315-859-4444.

Registration

Financial Requirements for Registration

Although students register for classes with the College Registrar rather than with the Business Office, their standing with the Business Office can affect their registration.

Before any students are permitted to register, they must pay the prior semester's tuition, the student activities fee, room and board charges, and any pervious balances.

In computing the amount a student must pay before registration, the College takes the following sources of payment into consideration:

• Cash payments
• Financial aid (both actual and pending as of the date of the statement)
• Payment Plan credits

The July and December bills include:

• Balance due from the previous semester
• Current semester charges and credits as of the bill date
• Financial aid included in the aid package but not disbursed ("pending credits")

"Pending credits" refers to aid that has been included in the student's financial aid package but has not been disbursed as of the date of the bill.  Work-study awards will not be deducted from your balance.

Frequently, aid funds such as the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and New York State TAP awards do not arrive at Hamilton until after the semester begins. Although "pending credits" are not actually received by the College, they are used to reduce the amount the student must pay to be financially eligible to register.

To avoid late payment fees and to prevent delays in registering, please be sure that your semester bills are paid by the due dates. A $100 late payment fee may be charged if you pay late.

Payment Methods

Paying Your Bill

You can pay by mail, in person or on line. Checks or money orders must be in United States dollars drawn on a United States bank and made payable to Hamilton College. Postdated checks are not accepted.

• Electronically, Using Net.Pay: Net.Pay is a service, which will enable you to receive your Hamilton monthly student account billing statements over the web and submit payments online using an electronic interface with your bank. There is no additional cost associated with utilizing Net.Pay. Once registered for the service, you will receive an e-mail each time a new statement becomes available. You can directly link into Net.Pay to view your billing information and submit payments. The statement you see on the Net.Pay system will be in the same format as the paper statement you receive in the mail. Students must sign up for the service first and then grant access to to other payers using a PIN#. Each user will access the account with their own user name and password. Each user will also be able to enter up to three email addresses by which they will receive email notifications from Net.Pay. This system provides you with the convenience of web-based electronic payments. Net.Pay payment information and billing statements are kept online for 1 year from the date you enroll. This service is currently not available for loan collection accounts.
• To Pay by Mail: Send the payment stub (top portion of the bill) and a check or money order in the envelope provided. Mail payments are processed by our bank in Newark, NJ. Please do not write notes on the payment stub or enclose correspondence with your remittance to the bank. All correspondence should be directed to the Business Office. NOTE: Payments sent by express mail service must be sent directly to the Business Office, not to our bank in Newark, NJ.
• To Pay in Person: Bring your entire bill and your payment to the Business Office, Philip Spencer House, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Personal checks and ACH transactions returned for nonpayment or inaccurate information are subject to a fine of $20.00. If the returned check was used to pay amounts before registration, the student is also charged a late registration fee of $100.00. NOTE: Checks returned for nonpayment will be redeposited (one time only). If the funds remain uncollected the returned check must be replaced by a certified check or money order. Payments returned via Net.Pay are not redeposited.

Refunds

Financial Aid

If money coming to you from awards, grants, scholarships, and loans exceeds the amount you are being charged on your bill, the bursar authorizes a refund check. The message "Refund" will appear on your bill. Checks can be picked up at the Business Office by currently registered students any time after registration.

When you receive a refund check, look at your bill carefully. Be sure that the bill reflects all charges for which you are receiving aid, as well as anticipated adjustments in Hamilton aid. If, for example, you have not yet been billed for dining and your aid is supposed to to pay for dining, your refund check will contain money that should be used to pay for your dining once the charge appears on your bill. You cannot subsequently receive additional financial aid to cover the charge.

Other Credits

Credit balances on your bill that are not related to financial aid will result in a refund check only if you request one from the Business Office. Credit balances due to overpayment by check or ACH transactions will not be refunded for fourteen days to assure clearance of funds received. If no refund is requested, the credit balance is automatically applied to the next month's charges. A credit balance on one month's bill may therefore be entirely used up in the following month.