Financial Account Management
Sponsored Relations has a dedicated finance staff who answer questions and provide sponsors with itemized invoices after the drop/add period.
Financial Obligations
All students attending Penn State University are directly responsible for their financial accounts. Our sponsoring partners finance sponsored students; however, sponsors may differ on which charges they are willing to cover or even when they will cover specific academic fees. Not all sponsors pay all fees, so please check your LionPATH account regularly. Ultimately, sponsored students remain entirely responsible for their accounts. Examples of fees your sponsor may not pay include late drop/add fees, field trip expenses, housing, and dining charges, or library fees if you forget to return your books on time.
Financial Obligations
All students attending Penn State University are directly responsible for their financial accounts. Our sponsoring partners finance sponsored students; however, sponsors may differ on which charges they are willing to cover or even when they will cover specific academic fees. Not all sponsors pay all fees, so please check your LionPATH account regularly. Ultimately, sponsored students remain entirely responsible for their accounts. Examples of fees your sponsor may not pay include late drop/add fees, field trip expenses, housing, and dining charges, or library fees if you forget to return your books on time.
How to remove common charges from your account?
To avoid late fees and other penalties, Sponsored Relations must have a copy of your most up-to-date financial guarantee (not just "admissions-only" or "prospective" guarantees) as soon as possible, but certainly no later than the semester's add/drop deadline. Once we receive your valid, up-to-date financial guarantee, our finance team will remove your tuition and related fees from your student account and transfer them directly to your sponsor for payment. Our finance team will bill sponsors after the drop/add period has ended.
Please note that we are no longer processing financial guarantees dated longer than two past semesters. If you have an issue for a payment that exceed this threshold, we kindly ask that you contact sponsor@psu.edu as soon as possible.
How to remove common charges from your account?
To avoid late fees and other penalties, Sponsored Relations must have a copy of your most up-to-date financial guarantee (not just "admissions-only" or "prospective" guarantees) as soon as possible, but certainly no later than the semester's add/drop deadline. Once we receive your valid, up-to-date financial guarantee, our finance team will remove your tuition and related fees from your student account and transfer them directly to your sponsor for payment. Our finance team will bill sponsors after the drop/add period has ended.
Please note that we are no longer processing financial guarantees dated longer than two past semesters. If you have an issue for a payment that exceed this threshold, we kindly ask that you contact sponsor@psu.edu as soon as possible.
Penn State Payment Plan
You can pay the balance due on your student account in full by the due date or choose to enroll in a Payment Plan and pay your balance in monthly installments. To use this method of payment you need to enroll in Penn State's Installment Payment plan every semester.
Examples of number of installments include:
- Four (4) installment payments over four (4) months in fall and spring
- Three (3) installment payments over three (3) months in summer
- A $45 non-refundable administrative fee applies every semester you choose to enroll in the Payment Plan.
Who qualifies for a payment plan?
The Installment Payment Plan is designed to accommodate only one payment plan per student per semester. Either the student or an Authorized User on the student account can enroll in the Payment Plan each semester.
The person who enrolls in the Payment Plan (either the student or one of the student's Authorized Users) becomes the owner of the Plan. Only the owner of the plan can manage the Plan and payment method.
When do I need to enroll in the payment plan?
Once the Student Account balance due date for a semester is available to view/pay (August for fall, January for spring, and May for summer), students and Authorized Users will receive an offer to enroll in the Payment Plan. The offer will also appear on the Account Summary and Payment Plans tabs. The earlier you enroll in a plan, the more installments you can have (four in fall and spring, and three in summer), so be sure to note the expiration date on each offer.
Once enrolled, you will receive notification of your monthly installments in advance of their due dates.
Payment Plan Details
- Enrollment in the Payment Plan can only be completed online after logging in to the Student Account.
- The $45 enrollment fee is due at the time of enrollment in the Payment Plan. The installments will be deducted on the scheduled installment dates.
- The Installment Payment Plan is designed to accommodate only one payment plan per student per semester. Either the student or an Authorized User on the student account can enroll in the Payment Plan each semester. The person who enrolls in the Payment Plan (either the student or one of the student's Authorized Users) becomes the owner of the Plan. Only the owner of the plan can manage the Plan and payment method.
- The installment payments are calculated on the balance due after financial aid has been reflected on the semester balance. Please note, external awards (i.e., outside scholarships) or other third-party payments that have not been posted to the student account will not be calculated into the plan installments.
- All payments to satisfy the Payment Plan must be made online via the student account by the owner of the Payment Plan. All other payments and aid sources will only rebalance future installments of the Plan.
- Students/Authorized Users enrolling in the Payment Plan can pay with either a credit card, an eCheck using a U.S. bank account, or Flywire International Payments. Please note that auto pay is required for credit card and eCheck for auto-deduction of the monthly installments, but not for Flywire international payments. A non-refundable service fee applies to all credit card payments.
- The Payment Plan balance is regularly adjusted to match the student account balance. This process is called rebalancing, and it happens every month, about ten days prior to when each installment is processed. Rebalancing may result in an increase in the total amount due within the Payment Plan. Rebalancing will also consider any current semester anticipated financial aid displayed on the Account Summary and Account Activity tabs when it calculates the Payment Plan balance.
- IMPORTANT: Non-compliance with the Payment Plan Agreement (non-payment, returned payments, etc.) will result in the removal from the Payment Plan, which will restrict the ability to continue to enroll in the Payment Plan for future semesters.
What happens if my payment plan is late?
Payment not received by the due date will result in a negative service indicator (financial hold) being placed on the account.
Negative service indicators have multiple implications including not being able to register for a course/future semester, and if graduating a hold on receiving your diploma. Failure to make a payment by the due date may also result in the suspension of your Payment Plan and the assessment of a 1.5% late fee on the total outstanding balance.
What payment methods are accepted to enroll in the payment plan?
Students/Authorized Users enrolling in the Payment Plan can pay with either a credit card, an eCheck using a U.S. bank account, or Flywire international payments.
Please note that auto pay is required for credit card and eCheck for auto-deduction of the monthly installments, but not for Flywire international payments (students must initiate their Flywire international payment and ensure it arrives to Penn State by the installment due date). A non-refundable service fee applies to all credit card payments.
Important: The Payment Plan payment amounts will be adjusted, accordingly, if changes made to the semester class schedule (add/drops) or aid adjustments result in an increase or decrease in the total amount due.
Where can I learn more about the Bursar's payment plan?
To learn more about the Bursar's payment plan, please follow this link:
Penn State Payment Plan
You can pay the balance due on your student account in full by the due date or choose to enroll in a Payment Plan and pay your balance in monthly installments. To use this method of payment you need to enroll in Penn State's Installment Payment plan every semester.
Examples of number of installments include:
- Four (4) installment payments over four (4) months in fall and spring
- Three (3) installment payments over three (3) months in summer
- A $45 non-refundable administrative fee applies every semester you choose to enroll in the Payment Plan.
Who qualifies for a payment plan?
The Installment Payment Plan is designed to accommodate only one payment plan per student per semester. Either the student or an Authorized User on the student account can enroll in the Payment Plan each semester.
The person who enrolls in the Payment Plan (either the student or one of the student's Authorized Users) becomes the owner of the Plan. Only the owner of the plan can manage the Plan and payment method.
When do I need to enroll in the payment plan?
Once the Student Account balance due date for a semester is available to view/pay (August for fall, January for spring, and May for summer), students and Authorized Users will receive an offer to enroll in the Payment Plan. The offer will also appear on the Account Summary and Payment Plans tabs. The earlier you enroll in a plan, the more installments you can have (four in fall and spring, and three in summer), so be sure to note the expiration date on each offer.
Once enrolled, you will receive notification of your monthly installments in advance of their due dates.
Payment Plan Details
- Enrollment in the Payment Plan can only be completed online after logging in to the Student Account.
- The $45 enrollment fee is due at the time of enrollment in the Payment Plan. The installments will be deducted on the scheduled installment dates.
- The Installment Payment Plan is designed to accommodate only one payment plan per student per semester. Either the student or an Authorized User on the student account can enroll in the Payment Plan each semester. The person who enrolls in the Payment Plan (either the student or one of the student's Authorized Users) becomes the owner of the Plan. Only the owner of the plan can manage the Plan and payment method.
- The installment payments are calculated on the balance due after financial aid has been reflected on the semester balance. Please note, external awards (i.e., outside scholarships) or other third-party payments that have not been posted to the student account will not be calculated into the plan installments.
- All payments to satisfy the Payment Plan must be made online via the student account by the owner of the Payment Plan. All other payments and aid sources will only rebalance future installments of the Plan.
- Students/Authorized Users enrolling in the Payment Plan can pay with either a credit card, an eCheck using a U.S. bank account, or Flywire International Payments. Please note that auto pay is required for credit card and eCheck for auto-deduction of the monthly installments, but not for Flywire international payments. A non-refundable service fee applies to all credit card payments.
- The Payment Plan balance is regularly adjusted to match the student account balance. This process is called rebalancing, and it happens every month, about ten days prior to when each installment is processed. Rebalancing may result in an increase in the total amount due within the Payment Plan. Rebalancing will also consider any current semester anticipated financial aid displayed on the Account Summary and Account Activity tabs when it calculates the Payment Plan balance.
- IMPORTANT: Non-compliance with the Payment Plan Agreement (non-payment, returned payments, etc.) will result in the removal from the Payment Plan, which will restrict the ability to continue to enroll in the Payment Plan for future semesters.
What happens if my payment plan is late?
Payment not received by the due date will result in a negative service indicator (financial hold) being placed on the account.
Negative service indicators have multiple implications including not being able to register for a course/future semester, and if graduating a hold on receiving your diploma. Failure to make a payment by the due date may also result in the suspension of your Payment Plan and the assessment of a 1.5% late fee on the total outstanding balance.
What payment methods are accepted to enroll in the payment plan?
Students/Authorized Users enrolling in the Payment Plan can pay with either a credit card, an eCheck using a U.S. bank account, or Flywire international payments.
Please note that auto pay is required for credit card and eCheck for auto-deduction of the monthly installments, but not for Flywire international payments (students must initiate their Flywire international payment and ensure it arrives to Penn State by the installment due date). A non-refundable service fee applies to all credit card payments.
Important: The Payment Plan payment amounts will be adjusted, accordingly, if changes made to the semester class schedule (add/drops) or aid adjustments result in an increase or decrease in the total amount due.
Where can I learn more about the Bursar's payment plan?
To learn more about the Bursar's payment plan, please follow this link:
Contacting the Sponsored Relations Finance team
Any questions about student accounts must be emailed to sponsor@psu.edu. Please include your full name, the name of the sponsoring organization, and your PSU ID. During normal business days, we strive to respond to financial concerns within 48 -72 hours.
Contacting the Sponsored Relations Finance team
Any questions about student accounts must be emailed to sponsor@psu.edu. Please include your full name, the name of the sponsoring organization, and your PSU ID. During normal business days, we strive to respond to financial concerns within 48 -72 hours.
