Important Financial Account Information for Incoming Students & Parents

Authorized users with Finances access (referred to as a Financial Authorized User) to SIS can view student's bill, billing history, account activity, view prepared 1098-T tax forms and pending aid, and can make online payments. In order for Student Financial Services to speak in detail regarding a student's financial account to a third party, including parents or guardians, they must first be set up as an authorized user in SIS. 

For complete step-by-step instructions, please visit the Manage Authorized Users in SIS page. 

The university has a sliding scale (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0%) refund policy for term withdrawals. Tuition Refund Insurance is an optional insurance policy that students or families may purchase for a fee before the start of the semester. It provides reimbursement of expenses paid for tuition, fees, and room and board to a student or policy holder if the student must withdraw (physician recommendation) from all classes due to an illness, injury, or a psychological condition. To learn more, get a quote, or purchase tuition insurance, please visit GradGuard. 

The Student Medical Plan may be waived for the Spring 2025 semester if a student is covered under a comparable medical insurance plan. More information about the Student Medical Plan is available on the CWRU Student Medical Plan homepage, including waiver eligibility criteria and waiver process instructions. The deadline to complete the Spring 2025 medical plan waiver is January 24, 2025. The Fall 2024 medical plan waiver is for the entire academic year and will include Spring 2025.

Graduate and professional students will be enrolled automatically every Fall and Spring semester as members of One to One Fitness Center at a discounted rate, with no initiation fee. Students who do not wish to use this benefit may opt out by the end of the add/drop period of each semester in SIS by utilizing the Waive Optional Fees page. The deadline to opt out of One to One membership is January 24, 2025 for Spring 2025. The opt out selection for Fall does not automatically apply to Spring, so if desired, the opt out must be repeated for the Spring 2025 semester. 

Financial authorized users cannot waive these fees.  The student must submit the waiver requests. 
 

By regulation, excess federal financial aid cannot automatically apply to non-institutional charges (ex. Student Medical Plan, One to One Fitness Membership Fee, Parking Permit fee, and other miscellaneous charges). Students who would like to utilize financial aid that exceeds tuition, room and board, and other institutional fees, may complete the FA Permissions authorization in SIS. Permission must be completed before the student's financial aid disbursements, usually around the first day of undergraduate courses. This permission form can only be completed by the student. 

A Statement of Account provides students and financial authorized users a real-time, easily understandable printable statement organized by term. The statements can be created at any time and includes a summary of all charges and credits for the term. Pending financial aid and course enrollment for the term may optionally be included on these statements.

A Billing Statement is generated on a schedule and contains a snapshot of activity for a given time period. Students and their financial authorized users will receive a billing notification via email when one is produced.

Direct deposit is available for student tuition account refunds by enrolling in SIS. A credit balance occurs when payments/credits exceed charges for either the current term or cumulative balance, depending on the source of payment. Direct deposit allows for a refund of the credit balance on a student's tuition account to be delivered into the student's designated bank account. Once enrolled, all future refunds and financial aid overpayments will be deposited in the same manner.

A refund does not mean the account has been paid in full. Students may receive a refund and still owe the University, depending on the type of credit that created the credit balance. Refunds will always be sent to the student, with the exception of refunds that result from a Parent PLUS Loan. The parent on the loan application of the Parent PLUS Loan can not enroll in direct deposit and will be mailed a check. Please refer to the Credit Balance and Student Refund Policy page for additional information. 

 

Please review the various payment methods available to students and financial authorized users. The University's preferred method of payment is electronically (online) thru SIS. However, many more payment options are available, including payment plans.

Educational expenses can be easier to manage when spread over predictable monthly payments. The university offers payment plans ranging from one (1) month to four (4 months). The payment plans have a $25 nonrefundable enrollment (sign-up) fee and certain plans require a down payment.

Students and their financial authorized users can enroll and manage their payment plan through SIS on the CWRUpay tile. Review additional details, including enrollment deadlines, withdrawal dates, and payment options on the Payment Plan page.  

The 1098-T tax form is prepared annually for U.S. citizen and permanent resident students with payments towards qualified tuition and fees, as defined by IRS regulations. Students will receive an email notification when their 1098-T is available to view in SIS, during the month of January. Students and their financial authorized users can access their tax form after granting electronic delivery consent. If no consent is granted before mid-January, the tax form will be mailed to the student's permanent address.