CONTROLLER'S OFFICE

Tuition and Billing Services

Fee Petitions

Students who drop a class before the drop/add deadline shall receive a full refund, less non-refundable fees (such as the Owl Card, and Transportation Access Fee.) Students who drop a course, or all courses after the drop/add deadline will be fee liable unless the drop takes place due to exceptional circumstances.

Exceptional circumstances are due to:

  • Death of the student or immediate family (parents, stepparents, spouse, siblings, children or grandparent*)
  • Primary care-giver to ill immediate family member*
  • Physical / mental illness or injury: Illness of a student of such severity or duration, to preclude completion of all courses
  • Military conscription- Involuntary call to military duty
  • Victim of crime
  • University error

Documentation must be submitted along with your petition to provide supporting proof of your claims. Circumstances such as employment changes or conflicts with work hours, relocation of home, transportation problems, dislike of the instructor or the course, inadequate planning and/or course scheduling conflicts or not having met published prerequisites are not considered “EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES." No refunds will be made for these situations.

Fee Petitions cannot be submitted beyond (6) six months from the last day of the semester which the petition applies.

Fee Petition Form

Complete Withdrawal from the University

For a complete withdrawal of all courses from the university, you are advised to contact the Dean of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management to complete an   exceptional circumstance/medical withdrawal  The exceptional circumstance withdrawal (ECW) must be submitted to the Dean of Student’s office during the semester the withdrawal took place. Please view their  website   for important information and term specific deadline dates. For withdrawals after this date, petitioners may complete a fee petition and submit to Tuition & Billing Services. Petitions must be received within  six months  from the last day of the term for which the petition applies.

Student Billing

FAU’s Office of Student Billing is responsible for the billing and collection of tuition and fees and other obligations due to the university. This area includes the Florida Prepaid Program, third party billing, and collections.

Florida Prepaid Program

By administering the Florida Prepaid Program, we will automatically bill your Florida Prepaid account for any student enrolled as of the last day to pay of each academic term. Click  here  for more information regarding the Florida Prepaid Program and FAU. 

Billing Notifications

Monthly billing statements are generated and emailed to anyone with activity on their student account. In addition, to these monthly statements electronic notifications via FAU email will be sent to students for outstanding financial obligations.  Any student with financial obligations more than 90 days past due may be assessed collections fees in addition to the past due balance and be forwarded to a collection agency. Please note it is the student’s responsibility to check their FAU email account often and maintain accurate address information with the university.

Third Party Billing

We also accept authorizations, vouchers, and purchase orders for students who are sponsored by an employer, organization or other third party agency.  Third party students must qualify under the terms set forth under the Third Party Billing authorization. Please visit our  third party billing page  for more information.

Dishonored Payments

A dishonored check is a check payment returned by the bank to Florida Atlantic University, unpaid, for any reason. Stopping payment on a check is considered the same as a dishonored check. When a check is dishonored, students will automatically receive notification through their FAU email on file and a letter will also be sent to the student via mail to their local address. Effective October 24, 2023, check payments returned for Invalid Account Number, Insufficient Funds or Stop Payment, will be assessed a service charge fee based on the chart below:

Check Amount

Service Fee

Up to $50.00

$25.00 service charge

From $50.01 to $300.00

$30.00 service charge

Greater than $300.00

$40.00 service charge

PLEASE NOTE:  
Electronic check payments (WebChecks) returned for any reason will be assessed a service charge fee. Should you have any questions pertaining to your dishonored payment, please contact the Tuition and Billing Office at  webcontroller@fau.edu  or 561-297-6101.

Students may also be subject to cancellation of registration with fee liability. Individuals who have given two or more dishonored checks will be placed on a money order, cashier’s check,  credit card basis only for any subsequent payment of fees.  A personal check will not be accepted to replace a dishonored check.

Students with dishonored checks or students who are paying for a dishonored check  have 15 days from receipt of notice to tender payment to Florida Atlantic University to pay the full amount of the dishonored check. 

Registration and Diploma Holds for Balances Due or Past Due

The Controller’s Office applies registration and diploma holds each semester, prior to advance registration for the next semester. These holds are required because we cannot allow the release of diploma when the balance is due. 

If you have these holds, please take these steps to get the holds released:

  1. Sign into  MyFAU

  2. Select FAU Self-Service

  3. Select Student Bill

  4. Select Account Summary and you will see charges and payments for each semester. Any charge that has an amount in the Balance column is due and has created the holds on registration and diploma.

  5. The holds will remain on your account until the balance on your account has been paid in full. You can pay the balance due by selecting Pay Your Bill.

Tuition and Billing Services

Setting up Authorized Users

Students can authorize others—such as parents, guardians, or sponsors—to view their accounts, access their bills and make payments on their behalf. To authorize a user, the student submits the new user’s e-mail address and signs an electronic authorization on the FAU Billing web site.

Login instructions and a randomly generated password will be sent to the new authorized user. After logging in with the e-mail address and this password, the authorized user updates a profile and chooses a new password.

Authorized users can view account details, view monthly statements and make payments. A user who is authorized by more than one student can choose at login which student account to work with. Then, the authorized user can switch to another student’s account by clicking the Select Student tab in the interface.

To activate this feature, please ask the student to follow these steps:

  1. Sign into MyFAU
  2. Select Sign in to login to your MYFAU account
  3. Select FAU Self-Service
  4. Select Student Bill
  5. Select Pay Your Bill 
  6. Under My Profile Set up (right side of webpage), Select Authorized Users and then hit Add Authorized user and complete the information that is asked for.

If you have any questions or are having difficulty setting up an Authorized User, please call us at 561-297-6101 for assistance.

**Login Link for Authorized Users once the Authorized User receives a password https://epay.fau.edu/C20081_tsa/web/login.jsp

Collections FAQs

Any student account, with a balance more than 90 days past due, is eligible to be placed with one of the University’s collection agencies. Once a student account is placed with a collection agency the account will be assessed significant collection fees up to 30% percent, in addition to the original account balance. Student accounts placed in collections will have holds placed on their account restricting access to make payments directly to the university.

The university will exhaust all attempts to contact the student via email regarding the balance owed. Students will be sent an additional email to their FAU and alternative emails on file once the balance is 90 days past due. This is the final email notice sent by Florida Atlantic University prior to collections placement. 

An official pre-collect letter will be issued to the student via USPS mail to their permanent address on file advising students that they have 30 days from the date of the letter to pay their balance in full to prevent collections placement. 

Once forwarded to collections, the collections agency will exhaust all attempts to contact the student.

Once assigned to a collections agency, you will be directed to send all communications and payments to the collection agency.

FAU is contracted with 4 collection agencies their contact information is listed below:

Agency Name

Phone

Website

Transworld Systems Inc

888-899-6650

https://my.tsico.com/contact-us/consumer

Williams & Fudge

800-849-9791

https://wfcorp.com/

ConServe

800-724-4439

https://conserve.webview.com/

SCHUERGER

614-732-0781

https://www.schuergerlaw.com/

Unfortunately the university does not offer payment plans for past due balances. Students may make partial payments towards their bill online via MyFAU before the the account is sent to collections. However, once the account is sent to collections, all payments must be directed to the collections agency. 

Please note: Partial payments does not defer collections placement. 

Student account balances must be fully satisfied to prevent collections placement. Partial payments will help to lower the overall collections fee the student is assessed should their account be placed in collections.

If your account is referred to a collection agency, you will be assessed collection fees and your account may be reported to a credit bureau. Once assigned, you will be directed to send all communications and payments to the collection agency.

FAU is contracted with 4 collection agencies their contact information is listed below:

Agency Name

Phone

Website

Transworld Systems Inc

888-899-6650

https://my.tsico.com/contact-us/consumer

Williams & Fudge

800-849-9791

https://wfcorp.com/

ConServe

800-724-4439

https://conserve.webview.com/

SCHUERGER

614-732-0781

https://www.schuergerlaw.com/

Payments made at the collection agency are reported to the university once a month. Once the full payment is reported, your hold will be removed automatically. The university will only offer emergency hold lift requests based on extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis. Please send an email to webcontroller@fau.edu explaining the extenuating circumstance, should you need an emergency hold lift after balance is paid in full via the collection's agency. Please note: You will still have access to your view your transcripts 24/7 via your MyFAU.

1098-T Tuition Form

The Form 1098‑T is issued to eligible students and reports payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during the calendar (tax) year. This information may assist you in determining eligibility for certain federal education tax benefits.

Please note: Receiving a Form 1098‑T does not automatically qualify you for any tax credit.

The federal government currently offers two types of education-related tax credits:

  • The American Opportunity Credit
  • The Lifetime Learning Credit

Florida Atlantic University is not authorized to provide tax advice. If you have questions about your eligibility for tax benefits, or how to report education expenses on your tax return, please consult a qualified tax preparer or financial advisor.

Who do I contact if I still have questions about my 1098-T?

If you believe there is an error on your 1098-T tax form, please contact Tuition and Billing Services call center number 561-297-6101 or by sending a detailed email to webcontroller@fau.edu.  Make sure to include 1098-T in the subject line of the email.

Florida Atlantic University cannot provide personal tax advice. Students are encouraged to consult with a qualified tax advisor regarding their eligibility for tax credits.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

  • IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education
  • Form 8863 – Education Credits
  • Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center

Refunds

A refund is the amount of money left over after all of your payments, scholarships, grants, and federal and private student loans are applied toward tuition, fees and other direct educational expenses for the semester. Student refunds are processed automatically when a balance is due to the student. Any amount paid in excess of the amount owed may be applied against charges that are outstanding prior to a refund taking place.

Please note some types of financial aid payments may not be used to pay a balance owed to the university. In addition, credits issued to a student’s account within 10 business days of a web check payment will be held for an additional 10 business days.

 

Options to receive refunds at FAU are as follows:

1. To your bank account via direct deposit 

2. A paper check to the address on file with FAU

Get your refund in as little as 3-5 business days with Direct Deposit! 

  • Sign into MyFAU
  • Select FAU Self-Service
  • Select Student Bill
  • Select Direct Deposit
  • Select Add or Update Direct Deposit Information and complete the information that is requested.

check

  • Click Save when you have finished.

Withdrawals

25% Tuition Adjustment

Students who voluntarily withdrawal from all full term courses after the last day to drop and add of the term and by the deadline on the academic calendar will be eligible for a twenty-five percent (25%) tuition adjustment.  After this date, students are held fully liable for tuition fees.  Please refer to the academic calendar for the specific dates for each term.

Partial Withdrawal from the University

Students who drop a course, or all courses, after the drop/add deadline will be fee liable unless the drop takes place due to exceptional circumstances.  Please click here for addition information.

Complete Withdrawal Due to Exceptional Circumstances

The exceptional circumstance withdrawal (ECW) must be submitted into the Dean of Student’s Office. Please view their website for term specific deadline dates. For withdrawals after this date petitioners may complete a fee petition and submit to Tuition & Billing Services. Petitions must be received within six months from the last day of the term for which the petition applies.

Click here for more information more information about receiving refunds after withdrawals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The FAQ section below is provided to address general questions about Form 1098‑T. It is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as tax advice or used to complete your tax return.

The 1098‑T Tuition Statement is an IRS tax form issued to eligible students to report qualified tuition and related educational expenses paid during the tax year. This form may assist in claiming education-related tax credits. 

  • Forms are made available electronically by January 31st each year via MyFAU Self Service.

  • No paper copies are mailed.

  • Students will be notified by email when the form is available.

Yes, Florida Atlantic University is required to transmit your 1098-T electronically by March 31st.

The IRS does not require Florida Atlantic University to provide Form 1098-T for:

  • Courses for which no academic credit is offered (e.g. continuing education, certificate programs); even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program;
  • Nonresident alien students;
  • Students whose expenses are covered by a formal 3rd party billing arrangement.

To view your 1098-T statement, follow the steps below:

  1. Sign into MyFAU
  2. Select FAU Self Service
  3. Select Student Bill
  4. Select Tax Notification (1098-T)

If you are no longer able to login using MyFAU, please use the link below for instructions on how to activate your FAUNetID. Once you activate your FAUNetID, follow the instructions under “How do I access my 1098-T?”.

http://www.fau.edu/oit/files/how-to-activate-your-faunet-id.pdf

For login assistance, please contact the helpdesk at www.fau.edu/helpdesk or by phone at (561) 297-3999 or (866) 855-8325.

Qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) are defined by the IRS as tuition and fees a student must pay to be enrolled at or attend an eligible educational institution. 
  • Qualified Expenses: Tuition, mandatory fees, and other costs required for enrollment.

  • Non-Qualified Expenses: Housing, meals, transportation, insurance, health fees, and parking are not included on the form.

Florida Atlantic University will report all qualified transactions in the calendar year posted to the student’s account, regardless of the academic period to which they belong.    

  • Box 1: The total amount of payments from any source received by Florida Atlantic University for qualified tuition and related expenses less any reimbursements or refunds made during the calendar year that relate to those payments. Please note that the amount in Box 1 will NOT equal to or sum to the charges made for calendar year, because not all charges are considered qualified tuition and related expenses as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.
  • Box 2: This box will be left blank.
  • Box 3: This box will be left blank.
  • Box 4: This box is used to report reductions in qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported in a prior year. This amount may reduce any allowable education credit you may claim for the prior year.  
  • Box 5: This box reports the total amount of all scholarships or grants posted to your account during the calendar year. This includes payments received from governmental and private entities. Certain tuition benefits such as Post 9/11 GI Bill® and military tuition assistance must also be reported in Box 5. Scholarships and/or grants will be reported in Box 5 and will be also included in Box 1 (payments received).
  • Box 6: This box is used to report reductions to scholarships or grants previously reported in prior years. 
  • Box 7: This box will be checked if qualified tuition and related expenses are paid in one year, but the academic period begins January through March of the following year. Example: Winter term charges are paid in December but classes begin in January.
  • Box 8: This box will be checked if the student was at least a half-time student during any academic period during the calendar year.
  • Box 9: This box will be checked if the student was enrolled in a program or programs leading to a graduate-level degree, graduate level certificate, or other recognized graduate level educational credential.
  • Box 10: This box will be left blank.

The amount in Box 1 may not match the total you paid due to:

  • Only qualified educational expenses being reported

  • Timing differences—payments made in a different calendar year than when the charges were assessed

  • Inclusion of third-party payments or financial aid applied toward tuition