Faculty & Staff | FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions: Billing

1. How are bills calculated ?
2. What is waived by an assistantship, internship, etc .?
3. What is the refund policy ?
4. Who does the student contact when there is a problem with a bill?
5. When can graduate students pick up loan excess checks ? What does this have to do with pre-registration?
6. Why are graduate students billed so late -- even if they register early?
7. How long does it take for a TA/RA appointment to be processed to show on a student's bill?
8. Why is the Supplemental Health Charge on the student's bill if it is an option?
9. Can I get a bill early?
10. When are the bills due?
11. What is the Graduate Entering Fee?
12. Why am I being billed as a non-resident when I've lived in state for more than a year?
13. Where can I get some financial help like an emergency loan?
14. Can an international student ever qualify for instate tuition?

1. How are bills calculated?
Bills are calculated based on the number of credits (including audits, thesis and/or dissertation credits), for which a student registers. Some adjustment is made if a student drops a course within the first five weeks (see Refund Schedule).

2. What is waived by an assistantship, internship, etc.?
If sufficient funding is provided, tuition and the curriculum fee are waived. GEO eligible students will also receive a health fee waiver (please see http://people.umass.edu/geo/gp/contract.html#a33m if you would like to determine if you received sufficient funding).

3. What is the refund policy?
Students are not charged for courses dropped by the end of the Add/Drop period. After that, the refund is based on the "last day of attendance" in each class.

Refund Schedule

Regular Term
Within the first two weeks from the beginning of the semester or term (Registration Day) - 80%
• During the third week -- 60%
• During the fourth week -- 40%
• During the fifth week -- 20%
• After the fifth week -- no refund

Summer Session
• During the first week -- 60%
• During the second week -- 20%
• After the second week -- no refund

4. Who does the student contact when there is a problem with a bill?
If an assistantship is not recorded, contact the Graduate Assistantship Office. If the number of credits a student is billed for is incorrect, contact the Graduate Records Office. Contact the Bursar to make arrangements to pay the bill.

5. When can graduate students pick up loan excess checks? What does this have to do with early registration?
In order to process a loan excess check, a student must be registered, and his/her appointment papers must be completed and processed. Because graduate students pay their bills after the semester begins, the student must pre-register if they wish to pick up their loan excess check at the beginning of the semester. 

6. Why are graduate students billed so late -- even if they register early?
The Graduate School waits until the thirteenth calendar day of the semester to turn the file over to the Bursar for billing so that all registration, adds, drops, and assistantship/fellowship data will be accurately reflected in the billing.

7. How long does it take for a TA/RA appointment to be processed to show on a student's bill?
All appointments received by the Graduate Assistantship Office by the Add/Drop deadline will be shown on a student's bill. After that date, it may take up to a week for the appointment to be recorded at the Bursar's Office.

8. Why is the Supplemental Health (SHIP) charge on the student's bill if it is an option?
SHIP is required for all students unless they can document that they have comparable coverage. Students must supply proof of other coverage in order to have the Supplemental Health charge waived. Even students covered by the GEO contract must provide waiver information if they have other coverage.

9. Can I get a bill early?
Student bills are calculated periodically prior to the beginning of the semester. These bills can be viewed on SPIRE. Paper bills are mailed only once per semester - during the third week of the semester.

10. When are the bills due?
Your payment is due by the due date indicated on your bill, generally about the end of the fourth week on the semester.

11. What is the Graduate Entering Fee?
First-semester graduate students are required to pay a one-time fee for the Graduate Transcript, Library Binding, Commencement fee and student identification card, commonly referred to as the UCard. Regardless of the number of official transcripts requested, degrees earned, or manuscripts that are bound, a student will pay the Graduate Entering Fee only once. Non-degree graduate students are not assessed the Graduate Entering Fee.

12. Why am I being billed as a non-resident when I've lived in state for more than a year? The fees are too high!
Residency for Tuition Purposes is determined at the time of acceptance to the Graduate School . Anyone coming to Massachusetts to attend school does not qualify for instate rates. A person who is resident in Massachusetts for at least one year before enrolling may qualify for the instate rate.

13. Where can I get some financial help like an emergency loan?
Short Term emergency loans are available on a limited basis through the Graduate School Business Office, 239 Whitmore.

14. Can an international student ever qualify for instate tuition?
The same regulations apply to international students as to domestic students. Students who are in this country on student, exchange visitor or other temporary or time specific visas do not qualify for instate tuition.