Student Financial Agreement

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

Access e-bill by following these steps:

1. Login to CUNYfirst 
2. Click Student Center
3. Click Financial Account
4. Select View E-Bill

Accounts are considered in “good financial standing” when 100% of the billed costs are satisfied by the assigned due date and/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

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

• Credit, debit, or eCheck
• Personal check or money order
• Approved financial aid
• University payment plan (not in arrears)
• Veteran’s tuition benefit
• Union or employer deferment
• Partnership programs
• Scholarships

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 eCheck 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 prior to the due date (first official day of the semester)

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 semester and is subject to late payment fees, “past-due” holds, or deregistration.

Past-Due Balance Hold (BCH)

• Account has not been settled by the first official day of classes
• Student will not be permitted to register for an upcoming semester at any CUNY campus

In-House Collection Hold (BIH)

• Account is 30-days past-due. A late payment fee of $15.00 may be applied to the account
• Student will not be permitted to register for an upcoming semester

To clear these holds, 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
• Payment plans and other deferments submitted after the 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 NOT deregister students for non-payment for the 2023 spring term. College-wide de-registration policies are officiated by the Dean and will be communicated to students prior to the enrollment period. Students who register and decide not to attend SLU must drop their classes the day before the official semester start date **

• 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. Student’s who drop/withdraw from “active enrollment” are charged in 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 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 *

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.

The 1098-T includes qualified educational charges include in-state or out-of-state tuition plus other eligible fees including the following:

• Technology fees
• Student activity fees
• Consolidated fees
• Change of program fees

Charges NOT included on the 1098-T:

• Late payment fees
• Late registration fees
• Room and board or similar living expenses
• Transportation
• Meals
• Books
• Family expenses
• Courses taken for no credit (unless taken to improve job skills)
• Insurance
• Medical expenses
• Expenses paid at any time other than in the current year, January 1 to December 31

Students must provide their Social Security number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN) to the Registrar’s Office upon request as required for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1098-T reporting purposes. SSN or TIN may be reported on an IRS Form W-9S (Request for Student’s or Borrower’s Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) or on such other document requested by the College.

By default, forms  are mailed by the CUNY 1098-T server on January 31st of each year. The School of Labor and Urban Studies strongly recommends paperless delivery, as this is a faster, safer and more secure than traditional mail. Students can always access and print their 1098-T through CUNYfirst self-service:

• Login to CUNYfirst 
• Click Student Center
• Click Financial Account
• Select View 1098T

Bursar Operations may issue payment reminders and other announcements via mail, e-mail, and phone.

• Students are responsible for keeping their contact information current on CUNYfirst
• Under no circumstances will a student be excused from missing announcements or deadlines
• Students that require additional information about a notice they received should e-mail Bursar@slu.cuny.edu.

The City University of New York reserves the right to send electronic payment reminders and other notifications to students attending any of the 25 constituent institutions. Messages are delivered from CUNYfirstDoNotReply@cuny.edu. Students that require additional information about a notice they received should e-mail Bursar@slu.cuny.edu.

Updating Contact Information

Students are responsible for keeping their records up to date with a current physical addresses, email addresses and phone numbers in CUNYfirst. Students who wish to make a change to their permanent address, or for name and social security changes should contact Registrar@slu.cuny.edu.

College E-mail Policy

The campus-assigned student email account is the College’s official means of communication with all students. Students are responsible for all information sent to their campus email account. If a student chooses to assign an alternative e-mail as preferred in CUNYfirst, the student is still responsible for all information, including attachments, issued to the campus e-mail. Departments reserve the right to only communicate account sensitive information to the campus e-mail, regardless of whether an alternative e-mail is assigned as preferred.  Students should check their SLU email account regularly. Students can e-mail ITHelpDesk@slu.cuny.edu if they are unable to access CUNYfirst, the campus email, or require other technical assistance.

The School of Labor and Urban Studies is bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prohibits the University from releasing any education records without written permission, except in instances specifically allowed under FERPA. Therefore, students who wish to have their education records shared with someone else must provide written permission to the Registrar.

Updated 4/2022

The novel coronavirus or anything that evolves from it (COVID-19) is a life-threatening disease declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic. COVID-19’s contagious nature means that contact with others, or contact with surfaces that have been exposed to the virus, can lead to infection.

• To prevent infection and subject to limited exceptions, the University recommends all employees, students and visitors to wear face coverings whenever inside a building or whenever outside a building when 6 feet from another person cannot be maintained
• Social distancing in response to COVID-19 may require the School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) to reduce capacity in classrooms and deliver instruction remotely
• SLU may be required to reduce or suspend academic and non-academic services and activities, relocate instruction to alternative space, deliver instruction remotely, and fully or partially close some or all facilities

* Tuition and fees charges will not be reduced, refunded or credited on a full or pro-rated basis if the School of Labor and Urban Studies is required to make any changes due to COVID-19 *