Billing & Payment Questions
Jump to a question:
- How do I authorize my parents to see the bill and pay it?
- How is the bill paid?
- My bill was just paid in full and now we've received a new bill with an amount due. Why?
- Adjustments have been made since my last bill. How do I request an additional invoice?
- Why didn't my loan show up on my bill?
- I have a health insurance bill and I can't pay it. What should I do?
- Why do I have to go to the Financial Aid Office to get a Cash Advance? Why can't I go directly to Student Accounts to get my money?
- My invoice shows that I have a credit balance. How do I get my refund?
- Is there an emergency loan program?
- My bill shows a charge for the ASG and/or Athletic Event fee, but I don't see this fee included in the Estimate of Costs section on my award letter. If this charge is assessed to all students, shouldn't it be included in the budget used to determine financial eligibility?
- What happens to my aid if I live off-campus?
- I want to be a Community Assistant; will my aid change?
1. How do I authorize my parents to see the bill and pay it? Due to the federal law known as FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, parents and others are not allowed to access a student's account or financial information unless the student has authorized the school to do so. Students can provide a parent or other individual guest access. Add each individual to the Guest Center in CAESAR (login to CAESAR with NetID and password > Main Menu > Guest Access) Authorized guests will be able to access the university's electronic billing system, QuikPAY, via the CAESAR Guest Center. Students can add a user by logging on to CAESAR and selecting "Guest Access" from the top left tool bar. Instructions there will guide students through setting up a password to allow an individual to view and pay bills. (Be sure to select "View E-Bill & E-Payments" under the access options.) You can read more about Guest Access at the Student Financial Services website.
2. How is the bill paid? Bills can be paid electronically, by check or money order via the mail, or in person at the Bursar's Office. The easiest way is to use QuikPAY; the QuikPAY ePay service allows you and your authorized payers to make convenient and secure electronic payments from U.S. bank accounts and credit cards.
3. My bill was just paid in full and now we've received a new bill with an amount due. Why?
There are several possible reasons. Your payment may not have been received before the bills printed, or a new charge (such as a library or parking fine, or a heath services fee) could have recently been added to your account. Contact the Office of Students Accounts to inquire.
4. Adjustments have been made since my last bill. How do I request an additional invoice?
If there have been any adjustments, the account activity will appear on your next invoice. However, these invoices are only generated on the tenth day of every month via the QuikPAY® eBill and ePay service. Therefore you are encouraged in the meantime to log on to CAESAR to see real-time billing of your account.
5. Why didn't my loan show up on my bill?
First, be sure that you accepted the loan online via "Accept/Decline My Financial Aid" on CAESAR. Then be sure that you completed the proper loan application materials. (If your award announcement or federal loan applications have not been received by us or are incomplete in any way this will be noted in the "Financial Aid To Do List" section on CAESAR. Also, if you are borrowing a NU Loan, be sure to sign and return your promissory notes to the Student Loan Office. Anticipated credits for the NU Loan, Perkins and Stafford loans will remain on your account until actual funds are received providing you have completed all necessary application materials for the loans. Anticipated credits will be removed later in the academic year if you have failed to complete your promissory notes or entrance interview or if for some reason your loan application has not been processed. You should contact the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid to determine the reason for the delay in processing.
6. I have a health insurance bill and I can't pay it. What should I do?
Students who cannot afford the cost of the Northwestern health plan can request assistance by submitting a Health Insurance Assistance Request Form directly to the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid. If you submitted a certification signed by your parent(s) last year, you can appeal to the Financial Aid Committee indicating that your family's status remains the same. We use specific criteria in determining eligibility for assistance. To be considered for additional assistance for the academic year, your total family contribution must be $5,500 or less. The type of assistance provided to cover the additional health insurance costs will be based upon the availability of funds.
7. Why do I have to go to the Financial Aid Office to get a Cash Advance? Why can't I go directly to Student Accounts to get my money?
Student Accounts cannot release funds to you that they have not actually received. If you have a credit balance but your aid is not yet actual, you will need to see a counselor in the Financial Aid Office to obtain a cash advance voucher which authorizes the release of anticipated funds. Once all of your financial aid for the quarter has been received by Student Accounts, you may contact them directly to get any credit balance you are due.
8. My invoice shows that I have a credit balance. How do I get my refund?
If all of your aid has been paid to the University (none of it is listed as anticipated), you may contact Student Accounts for your refund. If any of your aid is anticipated, then you may come to the Financial Aid Office for a cash advance. Cash advances are limited to $1,000 a month and are available on a quarterly basis starting with the first day of class.
9. Is there an emergency loan program?
Yes. Any Northwestern student may be eligible to borrow up to $500 for each quarter of enrollment, pending Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid approval. You should come to the office to complete the request forms. In order to receive the money, you will need to take the forms to the Bursar's Office and present a valid Northwestern ID. You can request this loan once per quarter, and it must be repaid within 60 days or by the end of the quarter, whichever comes first.
10. My bill shows a charge for the ASG and/or Athletic Event fee, but I don't see this fee included in the Estimate of Costs section on my award letter. If this charge is assessed to all students, shouldn't it be included in the budget used to determine financial eligibility?
You're right, and it is. The Associated Student Government (ASG) fee is a charge that is billed each term. The Athletic Event fee is charged once annually during fall term. Because these fees are assessed to all enrolled students, we do include an allowance for these charges when determining cost of attendance. You will see the allowance for these charges and any other standard fees grouped together on your award letter under the "fees" category. See Components of an Aid Package for more information on how cost of attendance is established.
11. What happens to my aid if I live off-campus?
If you live off campus, your financial need is calculated exactly the same way as if you lived on campus. The major difference is that Student Accounts will not charge you for your room and board expenses. If your financial aid credits exceed your charges, you can obtain a refund or cash advance to help you with your off-campus living expenses. On the other hand, if your tuition and fee charges exceed the financial aid credits, your family contribution will be used to pay off your tuition invoice and off-campus living expenses. See the section on Living Off-Campus for more information.
12. I want to be a Community Assistant (CA); will my aid change?
As a CA, you are not charged for room and board. The Office of Financial Aid takes the average room and board figure used for financial aid and your aid is reduced by that amount. We reduce self-help (subsidized loans and work-study) first. If additional adjustments are needed, Northwestern Scholarship is reduced accordingly.
Still have questions?
You may want to try browsing the other categories of Prospective Student FAQs or Current Student FAQs available on the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid website.
If you don't find the answer to your question or would like to discuss your concerns with a counselor, please contact us by phone at (847) 491-7400 or e-mail us at ug-finaid@u.northwestern.edu.
