Student Financial Agreement

Enrollment at the School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) is a contract between the student and the College. SLU provides educational services, and the student promises to pay all assessed tuition, fees, and associated costs by the published or assigned due date. These costs include but are not limited to tuition, mandatory student fees, fines, late fees, and other special fees or billable services assessed to a student’s account.

• A bill is generated by the CUNYfirst system within 24-hours of registration.
• Tuition is due by the assigned due date, with a grace period no later than the first official day of the new semester.
• Accounts will be flagged as “not in good standing” unpaid by the first official day of the enrolled semester.

The tuition statement, or e-bill, includes all semester charges, payments and financial aid. Statements are generated for each semester of enrollment and include:

• Tuition, fees and other charges
• Student payments
• Financial aid payments
• Anticipated aid (authorized financial aid that is pending disbursement)
• Class schedule

The School of Labor and Urban Studies uses electronic billing (e-bill) as its official billing method.

• e-bill is available on CUNYfirst within 24-hours of registration; statements are not mailed
• Students are responsible to pay their e-bill by the scheduled due date
• Failure to review the account summary or e-bill does not constitute a valid reason for not paying on time
• Administrative, clerical, or technical billing errors do not absolve students of their financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition, fees and other associated costs
• e-bill is NOT proof of payment for education tax credits/tax filings. The appropriate form for this purpose is the 1098-T. Furthermore, e-bill is not a substitute for a transcript or enrollment verification, if such a document is required for scholarships, medical coverage, loan deferments, jury duty, car insurance etc. Course grades and GPA are not contained on e-bill

Accounts are considered in “good financial standing” when 100% of the billed costs are satisfied by the assigned due date or first official day of the semester. For students on a payment plan, all terms and conditions must be met throughout the term.

Pursuant to University policy, SLU may assign late fees, “past-due” holds, or deregister students if the account has not been settled by the assigned due date or first official day of the semester.

Students are responsible for all dishonored payments that have been presented on their behalf.

• If a payment is returned by a bank, for any reason, a $20 returned check fee will be charged to the account (per occurrence)
• Personal check and e-check payments will be blocked, and the student will only be allowed to pay with certified check, money order, and credit/debit (online); students may request a reinstatement of check and e-Check privileges by contacting Bursar@slu.cuny.edu.

The School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) accepts payments from companies, agencies and miscellaneous organizations who wish to pay a student’s bill. SLU will defer your payment providing that the following conditions are met:

• The entity paying the bill provides written, formal communication on company letterhead (“letter or credit” or “tuition voucher”) dictating exactly what they plan to pay.
• If the organization is not paying the bill in full, the student is responsible for paying the remaining amount due by the due date.

Approval Documents

• A “letter of credit” or “tuition voucher” is required each semester students plan to transfer tuition and fees to a third-party; these documents must be submitted by the tuition due date
• The student is responsible to pay whatever portion of the bill not covered by the third-party

Third-Party Deferral

• The Bursar’s Office will review the documents submitted. If approved, a deferral is posted up to the approved amount (“due from third-party”).
• Liability for tuition is transferred back to the student if the deferral is cancelled. At that point, a hold will be placed on the account and full payment due immediately.
• Cancellations can occur if the student no longer meets the minimum criteria for payment (as outline by the sponsor), or the third-party does not remit payment within the approved deferral period.

“Estimated” financial aid does not represent actual or guaranteed payments, but is an estimate of the aid a student may receive if all of the requirements for that aid program are met.

• Financial aid is not disbursed to the bill until all necessary requirements are met
• Financial aid must be approved to qualify as a tuition payment
• Any financial aid received will first be applied to tuition and fees, including all prizes, awards, scholarships, grants and loans awarded
• Financial aid is contingent upon continued enrollment; dropping a class may decrease a student’s financial aid eligibility, and some or all of the financial aid awarded may be cancelled. The student is responsible to repay all cancelled aid that resulted in a credit balance that was refunded

According to federal Title IV financial aid regulations, a student’s financial aid, including prizes, awards, scholarships, grants and loans, cannot exceed their cost of attendance. If a student receives additional financial aid, their existing financial aid offer may need to be reduced, even if it had already been disbursed.

Tuition bills are considered “past-due” on or any day after the first official day of the new semester and are subject to late payment fees, “past-due” holds, or enrollment cancellation.

Accounts are considered in “good financial standing” when 100% of the billed costs are satisfied by the assigned due date (grace period until first official day of the semester), so long as all terms and conditions are met throughout the term. Pursuant to University policy, SLU may assign late fees, “past-due” holds, or cancel registration* if the student has not settled their account by the stated due date or official first day of the semester.

Payment of tuition may include one or more of the following to cover 100% of the billed costs:

• Credit, Debit, or e-Check
• Personal Check or Money Order
• Approved Financial Aid
• University Payment Plan (not in arrears)
• Veteran’s Tuition Benefit
• Third-Party Payment (Union or Employer)
• Partnership Program
• SLU Scholarship
• External Scholarship

Tuition bills are considered “past-due” on or any day after the first official day of the semester and is subject to late payment fees, “past-due” holds, or deregistration.

Overdue Balance Hold (BUR/BCH/BIH)

• The account was not settled by the first official day of classes or,
• incurred a financial liability during the term.
• Student will not be permitted to register for an upcoming semester at any CUNY campus.
• A late payment fee of $15.00 may be applied.

To clear this hold, the student must pay the balance in full using any one of the accepted methods.

• Financial aid must be authorized for disbursement – financial aid in a queued or pending status does not warrant a billing adjustment or hold release.
• The semester payment plan initiated once an account is no longer in good standing does not warrant a billing adjustment or hold release.

Students must drop their courses prior to the first official day to avoid financial liability!

Students are financially responsible for any course or courses they drop on or after the first official day of the semester. In such cases, the student will be required to pay tuition and fees in accordance with the University adjustment calendar. Note, non-instructional fees (e.g., Student Activity fee, Technology fee) are never prorated or waived.

** SLU will preserve students’ registration for the Academic Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 regardless of payment status. Any college-wide deregistration measures will be implemented by the Dean and communicated to students well in advance of the enrollment period. Students who choose not to attend SLU after registering must drop their classes by the day preceding the official start of the semester. **

Overpayments are refunded in a weekly payment cycle run by the University and will reach the student within 1-2 weeks. However, overpayments from checks, eChecks, and 529 Plans are subject to a 21-day waiting period before the system can issue a refund to the student.

• Refund checks reach the student within 1-2 weeks are are issued, by default, to the mailing address listed in our records; Students whose refund check was lost or stolen must contact the Bursar’s Office (be sure to always keep your mailing address current in CUNYfirst
• Checks expire five months or 150-days from the check date. Students should cash their refund check promptly by depositing it into their bank account or cashing it for free at any Citibank branch
• Students who no longer wish to receive a paper check must add a direct deposit account to CUNYfirst. For assistance with adding direct deposit to CUNYfirst, please view our Quick Reference Guide or contact the Bursar@slu.cuny.edu
• All refunds, except for those from a Parent-Plus Loan, are made payable to the student. This includes check payments made from an account owned by a parent, guardian, or other relation
• Overpayments are represented as a credit balance, or negative value (i.e., –$200) on your billing statement. While this typically indicates that you are due a refund, that is not always the case. Overpayments from certain types of financial aid, scholarships, or third-party payments cannot always be refunded to a student. In those cases, the refund would be issued back to the financial aid source, scholarship fund, or third-party payer. To inquire about whether an overpayment on your account is eligible for a refund, please contact Bursar@slu.cuny.edu

Pursuant to University policy, the Bursar’s Office is not authorized to discount, waive, or otherwise absolve students of any financial liability occurring from active enrollment as of the first official day of the semester. “Active Enrollment” refers to registration as of or after the term start. Students who drop/withdraw from “active enrollment” are charged by CUNYfirst accordance with the University adjustment calendar.

Students may appeal a tuition liability if their cancellation or non-attendance was due to an extenuating circumstance as defined in the Registration Appeal Policy.

• Appeals are considered for extreme circumstances and when there are documented and compelling reasons to grant an exception to college deadlines.
• Registration Appeals are not accepted after one year from the first official day of the semester in dispute.
• A committee chaired by the Registrar’s Office will review the appeal and supporting documents to render a final decision within 3-5 weeks.

* Financial holds will not be removed from the student’s record until all liabilities are waived or full payment is submitted *

• Once an account is transferred to an external collector, the student may not pay the College directly or enroll in the University Payment Plan. Rather, all payments must be made directly to the assigned collection agency.
• Students are responsible for the balance owed to the college as well as any additional fees or surcharges from the debt holding agency.
• Balances are not negotiated. Payment arrangements with the collector do not permit clearance of account holds.
• University “collector” holds restrict student records at ALL CUNY campuses and are only removed when full payment is received by the collector, including agency fees and surcharges.

Final Notice

• Students will receive a final notice once the account is at risk of transfer to collections. The account must be settled within 30-days of the final notice. Unpaid tuition and fees exceeding $100 will be transferred to collections.

Assignment of Debt

• Accounts owing $100 or more are referred to Collection Bureau Hudson Valley “CBHV” (formerly Immediate Credit Recovery, “ICR”). To make a payment or start a payment arrangement, click here or call 1-800-964-5689. CBHV charges a collector fee that may be up to 15% of the balance SLU refers. For example, if $100.00 is referred, CBHV will charge $15.00 in collection costs. The total balance due to clear all holds is $115.00.
• Debt is reassigned to Transworld Systems Inc. (formerly Account Control Technology “ACT”) if payment could not be collected by CBHV for more than one year since the date of placement. The student will receive notice of this action and have 30-days to settle the account before it is transferred to TSI. To make a payment or start a payment arrangement with Transworld Systems Inc. (TSI), click here or all 1-877-282-1250. TSI charges a collector fee that may be up to 22% of the balance SLU refers. For example, if $100 is referred, TSI will charge $22.00 in collection costs. The total balance due to clear all holds is $122.00.

** Please be advised, collector fees are subject to change per the collector’s policy, university compliance and/or state law **

The Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, is issued to help determine if students or their parents are eligible to claim tax credits under the Tax Relief Act of 1997. Learn more about the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit by accessing IRS Publication 970.