Payment Policy

When students register for courses, they assume a legal obligation to pay tuition, fees, and all related charges. Registration for a given semester is not complete until all charges have been paid by the bill due date or until acceptable payment arrangements have been made with Student Financial Services prior to the due date.

Students must be actively registered to reside in campus housing, receive student meal plan privileges, and receive all other university services and amenities.

Student Financial Services participates in 100% online, real-time billing. EBills are accessible via the Mercyhurst student Hub (hub.mercyhurst.edu). Students are encouraged to grant ‘Authorized Party’ access to those who might have an interest in viewing and paying their bill. Summer bills are available in late May and are due in late June. Fall semester bills are available in late June and are due in early August. Spring semester bills are available in early December and are due in early January. Any charges assessed after the initial billing due date are due immediately and must be paid within 30 days to avoid any late fees. Students and those who have been granted ‘Authorized Party’ access should check the eBill regularly for any updates and changes the students have made.

Billing Due Dates for 2023-2024

Summer: June 23, 2023

Fall: August 4, 2023

Spring: January 5, 2024

Traditional undergraduate students must be registered for at least 12 credit hours for each semester to be considered full time and to receive the flat tuition rate and all institutional grants and scholarships. If a student is registered for more than 18 credits, additional tuition charges apply. If a student is registered for fewer than 12 credits per semester, financial aid offers will be adjusted accordingly. Other student types should check with SFS to see how enrollment impacts tuition and fees.

ROTC scholarship recipients must be registered for at least 12 credit hours in their program to be eligible for ROTC Scholarships.

In addition to charges for tuition, fees, room, meal plans, and other expenses, the bill reflects any scholarships, grants, and loans as pending financial aid. Financial aid is listed is pending until a student’s eligibility is confirmed, verification is completed, and a student’s enrollment is verified on the census date. The census date is the morning after drop/add, as published in the official academic calendar.

To receive pending credit on bills for federal student loans, students must have a FAFSA on file and have completed both the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Loan Counseling online for Federal Direct Loans by the preferred submission date of June 07, 2023 for fall bills or December 1, 2023 for spring bills. This is a one-time requirement at Mercyhurst. Loans may still be used after the preferred submission date by completing the two requirements and submitting a request for reinstatement to your SFS counselor. Federal Direct PLUS Loans are not credited to a student’s account until a Promissory Note is signed. Some PLUS borrowers might also be required to participate in PLUS Counseling. Those borrowers will be contacted directly by the U.S. Department of Education. Private Alternative Education Loans are not credited until the loan approval notification from the lender is received by Mercyhurst.

Balances must be paid in full by the specified semester due date. If payment is not made in full by the bill due date, or satisfactory payment arrangements are not made with Student Financial Services by the bill due date, a Business Office Hold and Late Payment Fee will be applied to the student account and students may be deregistered from their courses. Changes to registration will be restricted, including registering for future semesters and a restriction placed on receipt of transcripts and diplomas.

Overdue accounts are placed with a collection agency. If an account is placed with a collection agency, a student is responsible for the balance, plus any collection fees, which might be based on a percentage up to a maximum of 33% of the debt, and all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees that are incurred by Mercyhurst University in such collection efforts. This might negatively impact a student’s credit rating. To register for future semesters, receive transcripts or a diploma, the balance and any collection fees must be paid in full.

The balance can be paid via eBill, which is accessible from the student Hub (hub.mercyhurst.edu). Payment can be made by credit card (convenience fees apply), or electronic funds transfer from a U.S. checking or savings account (no convenience fees apply). The bill can also be printed and mailed with a personal check, cashier’s check, or money order to the address on the bill. Cash or check payments can be made in person by visiting the Student Financial Services office. International students may pay via Flywire on their eBill. For more information, visit the Student Financial Services page on the student Hub or contact Student Financial Services at 814-824-2288. All payments, including those from a third party, such as a 529 Savings Plan, must be received by the bill due date. Plan accordingly to allow for mailing and processing time.

In lieu of paying the student bill in full, a student or family can sign up for a payment plan (partial payments made in intervals) through our partner, Nelnet Campus Commerce, prior to the bill due date. Nelnet payment plans, enrolled in via the student eBill, are the only incremental payment arrangement considered to be satisfactory. Any remaining balance on an account after the bill due date, and without enrollment in a Nelnet payment plan, is subject to a Business Office hold and late payment fee. The Nelnet Campus Commerce Payment Plan divides a student’s financial obligation into interest-free installments over a semester, making financial obligations easier to manage. Options include a five-, four-, or three-month plan. There is a nonrefundable fee for participating in the Payment Plan, regardless of the balance. Nelnet Campus Commerce provides monthly billing, with payments auto deducted on the 10th of each month. Failure to pay by monthly due dates will result in late fees, business office holds, and possible deregistration. Repeated delinquent payments will result in a cancellation of the payment plan, and payment of any outstanding balance will be due immediately to Mercyhurst. Failure to resolve an outstanding balance might result in deregistration and placement of the outstanding account with a collection agency.

Students receiving financial aid may also participate in the Payment Plan. To determine the minimum monthly payment, deduct the amount of financial aid (not including work-study offers) from semester charges, and divide the balance by the number of payments in the plan chosen. It is important for students to review their budgets each semester to ensure the scheduled monthly payment plan reflects actual charges at Mercyhurst. Be sure to use “net” loan proceeds in calculations for federal loans. (Origination fees are deducted before funds are sent to Mercyhurst.)

For more information about the plan or how to calculate monthly payments, contact Nelnet Campus Commerce at 800-609-8056 or visit online.campuscommerce.com. If a student’s projected budget at Nelnet Campus Commerce is less than the actual balance at Mercyhurst, a student might incur late fees at

Mercyhurst, and a business office hold might be placed on a student’s account, preventing future registration. After the bill due date, postings of personal checks and online electronic funds transfer payments (non-payment plan payments) will be credited to the student’s account but will not remove any business office holds for at least 10 calendar days to allow time for the funds to clear with all banking institutions. If funds do not clear, a student might be charged a late fee, in addition to a $75 returned check fee. In this instance, the student would be contacted and given one week to make payment to Mercyhurst in the form of a certified check or money order. Legal action might be taken against any person who has repeatedly submitted checks with insufficient funds, and Mercyhurst reserves the right to reject future check payments.