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Student Accounts

Student Accounts Policy Highlights

You don’t know what you don’t know!

You may or may not feel you need this information today, but we have a compelling need to point you in the right direction. We want to protect you financially and need to help you understand that choices you make, both in our office and in other areas, affect how much you are required to pay.

We also need you to know that your George Fox email is our method of communications, so it is critical that you read it. We know you are busy and we will try not to waste your time, but please be patient if we sometimes state the obvious. For example, you need to utilize MyGeorgeFox and the financial screens therein. Obvious perhaps, but many students do not bother and it becomes a problem. Also, please pay attention to Daily Bruin emails.

The bottom line is that you are responsible for your level of engagement with our office. This page is our heads-up!

Table of Contents

Timing matters – be ready before the term begins!

Many processes at George Fox are contingent on whether or not you have registered fully and have taken care of all of your requirements. “Requirements” is a big word. In Student Accounts, we are talking about anything that affects your school bill.

To name a few:

Our strong recommendation is that you be ready a full month prior to the start of each semester. After that point, if you need to make changes, be sure you know how those changes will change your financial plan for the semester. See Tuition/Fees and Financial Aid for more information.

A Quick Look

Typically students register and then, roughly six weeks prior to when the semester starts, Student Accounts “brings on” charges. Usually, the same day, the Financial Aid Office triggers the MyGeorgeFox display of “Pending Aid” for that semester. Financial aid moves from “Pending” to “Disbursed” when applied to your account. The first opportunity for this to happen is ten days prior to the semester, except when “ten days prior” results in a December date. In that case funds will disburse in January to ensure financial aid payments are reflected in the same tax calendar year in which the term starts. Curious? See 1098-T Tax Form.

Billing statements are sent to your George Fox email address around the 1st of each month. Depending on when you register, it is possible you will have a due date prior to receiving a statement. This is why it is important to track your account in MyGeorgeFox. Here you can access up-to-date account history, due dates, and make payments 24/7. If you have someone helping you with payment, you can easily forward the emailed statement.

If your aid has not disbursed and you wonder why; you can find out by looking in MyGeorgeFox for incomplete Tasks. While you are finding out, you need to pay the amount reasonably due, which means your charges minus your pending aid. It is a good idea to email us so we understand your reasons for a short-payment. Please send that email to studentaccounts@georgefox.edu.

Due Date Basics

Undergraduate

For accounts in good standing, payment is due August 15 for fall semester and one week prior to the start of the semester for spring. Insurance is a week later so you have time complete the Health Insurance form which will allow you to accept or waive insurance. Additional due dates may be seen in MyGeorgeFox by clicking the Financial Account tile. Based on payment history, a student may be approved to pay monthly or conversely, may be required to pay prior to registration.

Graduate/Accelerated Online Degree Programs

For accounts in good standing, payment is due one week prior to the start of each course session. The “session” is not the same as the class meeting dates. For a list of the course-specific class sessions visit class.georgefox.edu. If registering after the start of the session, payment is due immediately. Based on payment history, a student may be approved to pay monthly or conversely, may be required to pay prior to registration.

Other Due Dates

Some charges have unique due dates. All due dates may be seen in MyGeorgeFox by clicking the Financial Account tile.

Monthly Payment Plans

A monthly payment plan option is available to U.S. students who have accounts in good standing. A per semester fee applies. For more information visit the Payment Options page for your program.

The full billing terms and conditions can be found our billing and payment policies page.

How do you see what we are talking about in MyGeorgeFox?

To access account information, visit our account page for detailed instructions:

Payment

The absolute best way to pay is online through MyGeorgeFox. It is quick and your payments clear the bank fast. You can choose to pay with a card or through your checking account. Paying with a card results in an additional cost to the cardholder (2.95%), so we encourage you to pay directly from your checking account.

If online access is an issue for you, you may send a check to:

Student Accounts
George Fox University
414 N. Meridian St. #6129
Newberg, OR 97132

Please remit early because the clearance process takes longer when the payment is by check; online payments clear in a week, and paper checks take twice that long.

Instructions on how to pay can be found our payment page.

Refunds

At the start of the semester, some students plan to use excess financial aid to cover living expenses and books. The Student Accounts team works very hard to expedite that process. The following will help to expedite or delay the process:

Direct Deposit

Enrollment

Account Balances

Academic Progress

Financial Aid Changes

Personal Payments

 For the official word on refunds, see the catalog information on refunds.

Holds, Penalties, and Other Sometimes Misunderstood Things

Timely, successful payments are the norm at George Fox. When a surprise happens, and a student finds they are not as prepared as they had hoped, we are here to help. The holds we set are mechanisms that help us identify who might need a bit of help and they help the university collect debt. They also protect the student and family from getting into a situation that they simply cannot financially bear. In our role, that is the worst possible debt of all. This is why we front-load our business processes.

What can be confusing is when holds are present that do not seem to make sense. Yes, it can happen. When it does, there is likely a reason that is not plain and evident. Please contact us so we can explain. It could also be an error. Yes, those can happen too. There are limits to what we can automate, and we might have something wrong. Again, please let us know so we can look into it on your behalf. The fastest resolution is to come see us or email studentaccounts@georgefox.edu.

For waitlisted class enrollment, we generally override a 1-30 days past due hold. If your hold is older than that, you will be prevented from getting into waitlisted classes.

This is the bottom line about holds. If it creates a problem for you, we regret that but need to talk with you, so let us know and we will see if we can work it out. We are good at that! That said, what we can do will be impacted by the situation and your payment history with our office. That is why we send notices like this one. We really want to help you protect your financial records.

Other Financial Penalties (amounts subject to change.)

The Financial Impact of Changing Your Mind

If you want to understand what financial adjustments are possible when you drop, withdraw or otherwise change your class load, the “Removal of Institutional Charges Policy” is what you are looking for, but it is only half of the financial picture. If you receive financial aid, you must also understand what will happen to your disbursed aid. The combination of the two is the net impact to your student account.

Official Removal of Institutional Charges and Removal of Financial Aid Policies

Classes dropped prior to the semester starting will have the full cost of tuition removed. In addition, the Financial Aid Office will evaluate aid eligibility and a removal of financial aid will be required. If we have advanced funds to you for books and other living expenses, you will need to return those funds back to the university. That repayment is due immediately.

Students Enrolled in Traditional Undergraduate Courses Fall or Spring Semesters

Note: Students enrolled in traditional undergraduate courses in summer semester, see Grad/etc. schedule below.

After the semester has begun and regardless of attendance, students who reduce their course load but do not withdraw completely from the semester generally receive a full reduction of tuition related charges during the first two weeks of the semester. Due to the tuition “block,” if the student remains enrolled for 12 to 18 credits there is no financial change except a $25 per course change drop fee and potentially course fees. If the student reduces their credits to fewer than 12, their tuition is reduced and eligibility for financial aid will be reviewed. Eligibility for institutional aid requires students be enrolled for 12 credits. A student taking fewer than 12 credits may still be eligible for some federal funding but not all. Beginning with the third week, there is no adjustment of charges. On Tuesday of the third week (“Census Day”) the Financial Aid Office reviews students for aid eligibility and makes adjustments as required.

Students registered for more than 18 credits are charged the per credit rate for the “over-block” amount. To avoid this cost you must be at 18 or fewer credits before the Last Day to Change Registration (Add/Drop).

If at any time aid is reduced and charges are not impacted, a balance due would result. For that reason, if making changes, we strongly advise that you speak with your Financial Aid Counselor and Student Account Specialist in addition to your CAP Coach and Academic Advisors.

When withdrawing completely from the semester, regardless of whether it is a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal, the adjustment of tuition is as follows:

1st calendar week*

100% of charges and institutional aid removed.  Federal financial aid reduction, % TBD, also required.

2nd calendar week*

90% of charges and institutional aid removed.  Federal financial aid reduction, % TBD, also required.

3rd calendar week*

75% of charges and institutional aid removed.  Federal financial aid reduction, % TBD, also required.

4th calendar week*

50% of charges and institutional aid removed.  Federal financial aid reduction, % TBD, also required.

5th calendar week*

25% of charges and institutional aid removed.  Federal financial aid reduction, % TBD, also required.

6th week or later*

0% of charges and institutional aid removed but Federal financial aid reduction is required up through 60% of the semester.

*Traditional Undergraduate fall and spring semester classes only. All others see below.

Students Enrolled in Graduate, Seminary, Accelerated Online Degree Programs and Traditional Undergraduate Summer Courses

Graduate and accelerated online degree programs offer abbreviated length courses within a given semester. The Traditional Undergraduate summer courses are delivered this way as well. The result is a session based due date and adjustment calculations. To put this in context, this is what makes it possible for a late starting session to be due weeks or even months later than the start of the semester.

Adjustment calculations for sessions are also percentage based using the Class Start Date and Class End Date, not meeting dates and not the calendar weeks. The only way to accurately understand or estimate this is to look up your class at class.georgefox.edu. Find your specific class number and click on it. Then select the “Withdraw Tuition Adjustment Estimator” and enter the date you dropped/withdrew or the future date you might drop or withdraw. The estimated percentage of tuition reduction will display. Try a few dates if you want to find out how long you have to make your decision without impacting your adjustment.

This chart will give you an idea of what we are talking about but class.georgefox.edu is your best resource.

0 to 6.364% of the session length, not meeting dates

100% of charges removed

6.365% to 12.727% of the session length, not meeting dates

90% of charges removed

12.728% to 19.091% of the session length, not meeting dates

75% of charges removed

19.092% to 25.455% of the session length, not meeting dates

50% of charges removed

25.456% to 31.819% of the session length, not meeting dates

25% of charges removed

31.82% of the session length or later, not meeting dates

0% removed - all tuition charges remain

IMPORTANT: In addition to the above tuition adjustments, some circumstances require financial aid to review your eligibility for aid.  When an adjustment is required, it will most likely NOT NET TO ZERO with your tuition adjustment. That means we may owe you a refund or you may owe a balance back to the university.

Financial Aid Consumer Information

You should read the whole enchilada, but here are a few things we think you should know:

If you are earning a bachelor’s degree and you make changes before census date (third Tuesday of the academic semester), Financial Aid is required to review your eligibility for aid.

Medical/Hardship Appeals

Students requesting medical or hardship financial adjustments must do so in writing to the Student Accounts Office within 30 days of Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form submission, otherwise the above Adjustment Chart will be used.

Questions?

Please contact your Account Specialist. We are here to help!

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