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Billing & Payment Information

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Student Financial Services is available to help you through the entire financial aid process, including billing and payment.

 

Contact Student Financial Services at finaid@uarts.edu, 800-616-ARTS ext. 6170, or 215-717-6170.

View & Pay Your Bill

Billing

All bills are issued electronically via Student Self Service and payable through Nelnet Campus Commerce. You will not receive a paper bill in the mail.

You will be sent a notification email each month informing you that a new monthly billing statement is available via the Student Self Service portal. You can also check the portal at any time to see if any new items have been posted to your account since your last billing statement.

Visit Student Self-Service.

Accessing Your Account

Our flexible online platform allows you and users you designate to view all billing information. After you have sent in your initial enrollment deposit, you will receive an email with instructions to register for the billing system.

Using Nelnet through Student Self Service, you can view your account, grant access to authorized users, view and pay your bill, and schedule payment plans.

Log in to Nelnet Campus Commerce.

Adding Authorized Users to Your Account

If you would like to share your account information with a parent, a third-party payer, or another family member, you’ll need to add an authorized user to your account through Nelnet Campus Commerce. 

An authorized party is a FERPA-compliant third party the student has authorized to access their information or to make payments on their behalf. The student can add and remove authorized parties.

  • In Nelnet’s blue navigation bar at the top of the screen, the student clicks My Profile.

  • Depending on the action you want to take, click Add or Edit in the Manage Payers section.

  • Then, add an authorized party.

  • Authorized party information: Complete the First and Last Name fields.

  • Check “Include the details that make up my balance.” This allows the authorized party to view the transaction details that make up the student's balance.

  • Authorized party authentication: The authorized party will receive an email invitation to create an online account. For security purposes, they will have to know the correct answer to the provided security question to gain access.

    • The authorized party should contact the student if they don’t know the answer to this security question.

  • Web access: The student determines whether the authorized party can create an online account by entering their email address. Upon saving, an email will be generated to the authorized party, inviting them to create a user account.

  • Terms and Conditions: This provides information about what they are authorizing.

  • Click Save.

All students may complete an information release form to allow us to speak with parents or third-party individuals about their account, financial aid, and/or academic information.

Learn more about granting information to a third party. 

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Making Payments

Payments can be made easily online through Nelnet Campus Commerce. 

  • Once you are logged in to Student Self Service, select the Student Finance tab and Manage Payment Plan and Refunds, then click Proceed to Processor. 

  • Once you’re on the Nelnet page, look under Payment Plan & Billing and select Set Up a Payment Plan to begin.

Our office also accepts mailed checks. You can mail checks to

University of the Arts
Student Financial Services
320 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

International students can make payments through wire transfer. 

Download the Wire Transfer instructions (PDF).

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Gap Funding

The amount due on your bill is the difference between your total semester charges and your total financial aid awarded for that semester. The majority of our students fund that gap through one or more of the following options: Payment plans, federal direct Parent PLUS loans, and private loans. 

Payment plans

Make college more affordable by paying for tuition and fees in three, four, or five monthly payments through Nelnet Campus Commerce. Tuition payment plans break down your tuition balance into manageable monthly payments. There's no interest, payment options are flexible, setup fees are affordable, and it's easy to enroll!

The sooner you sign up, the more time you will have to make payments based on the date you sign up for the plan. Fall payment plans begin in June or July and spring payment plans begin in November and December. 

Interest-free payment plans are available through Nelnet Campus Commerce with an enrollment fee of $50. 

Note: There is a $50 nonrefundable signup fee per semester for using the Nelnet payment plan. 

Log in to Student Self-Service to enroll in a plan through Nelnet.

Billing Schedule

Due Dates

Fall semester: Bills will be issued in late May. Full payment must be received, or an approved financing plan must be put in place, by July 5.

Spring semester: Bills will be issued in late October. Full payment must be received, or an approved financing plan must be put in place, by Dec. 5.

Summer first five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received, or an approved financing plan must be put in place, by May 8.

Summer 10-week term and summer second five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received, or an approved financing plan must be put in place, by June 1. 

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Financial Aid Disbursement

Financial aid is generally applied to your account on or by the first day of classes. It is applied against university charges, and if there are excess funds creating a credit after charges are paid in full, a refund will be generated that can be used to pay for other costs associated with a student’s education.

In some cases, refunds may need to be returned to the source of payment (in the case of outside agencies). Refunds are processed after registration has closed for the semester (typically the end of the third week) and within two weeks after disbursement. 

Refunds are issued as checks, and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the university has the correct mailing address. 

Aid disbursements are allotted, unless otherwise noted, twice annually on the first day of classes of the fall and the spring semesters. Federal loan funds may disburse up to 15 days before the semester starts. Further crediting of aid and subsequent refunds are generally processed weekly throughout the semester. Loans cannot be disbursed until all required documents are received and processed by the university.

Scholarship Disbursement

If you are receiving a scholarship from another source, you must notify Student Financial Services with a copy of the letter. If your scholarship check is sent to the university, it will all be directly applied to your university student account in the semester it is received, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship sponsor. 

Payments are posted to students’ accounts within 48 hours of receiving the funds and will appear on the next bill.  

If your scholarship check is sent directly to you but it is made out to the university, send or bring it to Student Financial Services for processing. 

Log in to the Student Self Service portal to enroll in a payment plan through Nelnet Enterprise.

Billing & Payment FAQ

If you have any additional financial questions, contact Student Financial Services at finaid@uarts.edu.

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When are bills due?

  • Fall semester: Bills will be issued in late May. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by July 6.

  • Spring semester: Bills will be issued in late October. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by Dec. 5.

  • Summer, first five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by May 9. 

  • Summer, 10-week term, and summer, second five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by June 1. 

What payment methods can I use for one-time payments?

One-time payments can be made online with a checking account for free or with Visa, Master Card, American Express, or Discover. There is a surcharge when you pay with a credit card. Payments can be made online through the Student Self Service portal or via check in the Student Financial Services office.

I set up a payment plan, but my bill still shows a balance.

If your bill reflects the payment plan but still shows a balance due, then your payment plan was not set up for enough to cover the bill in full. Call Nelnet Campus Commerce at 800-609-8056 to adjust your bill, or contact our office at finaid@uarts.edu or 215-717-6170 if you need help finding additional options to cover your balance.

How do I apply a 529 toward my bill?

Check with your 529 agency to see what information they require well in advance of the billing deadline. Many 529 agencies take two to three weeks to process payments, so plan ahead to ensure your funds will arrive on by the billing due date.

How do I apply an external scholarship toward my bill?

Send a copy of your external scholarship notification to finaid@uarts.edu. It must include the amount, the time period (year or semester) you are receiving it for, and the scholarship’s agency or payer contact information.

I’ve taken out a loan to cover my bill, but it won’t disburse until after the due date.

All loans that are fully certified will be credited on your bill, and you will not receive a late fee if the loan was ready for certification by the due date. If you have not received notification that the loan has been certified, ensure that your lender has all required documents.

Why is my balance in carets (<>)?

Carets indicate that your bill has a negative balance or credit. If a refund is due to you, it will be issued according to our policy, specified below under Fees and Policies. 

I paid my old bill, but it still shows as unpaid.

An eBill is different than a NelNet account. If a new eBill is not generated, a balance will still be shown. Students should check their NelNet account for the most up-to-date information.

Fees & Policies

Late Fees

Students who fail to make payment or provide documentation of outside sources of payment (including private loans, scholarships, grants, 529 plans, or agency funding) by the due date for the semester will be subjected to the following late fee.

  • Students with balances greater than $1,000 will have a late fee of $150 added to their bill.

  • Students with balances less than $1,000 will have a late fee of $60 added to their bill.

Refund Policy

By registering for classes, students accept responsibility for paying charges for the entire semester or term, regardless of the payment method and attendance in class.

Students who are considering withdrawing (either from the university or individual classes) should seriously consider the financial consequences. Depending on the time of withdrawal, balances may still be owed to the university, the federal government (if they are a Title IV program aid recipient), state governments, agencies, loan providers, and other non-university grantors of scholarships and awards. 

Students are urged to meet with a financial aid counselor to discuss the monetary impact of withdrawal and their eligibility for aid in the current and future semesters.

Learn more about UArts’ financial policies. 

Need help? Contact us.

800-616-ARTS ext. 6170 or 215-717-6170
finaid@uarts.edu

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