Frequently Asked Questions
I have a question about my student account. What do I do?
We encourage you to contact the Office of the Bursar as soon as possible with any questions about your account. We can help clarify information on your student account.
When are bills due?
Full payment for the Fall semester is due on August 1st. Full payment for the Spring semester is due on January 1st.
What happens if my payment is late?
If your balance is not paid on time, the Bursar’s Office will place a “hold” on your account. If you have not yet registered for classes, a hold will prevent you from signing up for next semester’s classes. If you have already registered but have a “hold” on your account, you will not be able to make any changes to your current schedule. A registration hold will also prevent the College from verifying your enrollment for health insurance purposes.
In addition, a late payment fee will be charged to each student’s account whose balances have not been resolved by the due date. The following late fee structure is in place:
Balances up to $1,999.99 = $50.00 late fee
$2,000.00 - $2,999.99 = $100.00 late fee
$3,000.00 - $3,999.99 = $150.00 late fee
$4,000.00 - $4,999.99 = $200.00 late fee
$5,000.00 and higher = $250.00 late fee
Where should I mail payments?
Mail regular payments to the following address:
College of the Holy Cross
P.O. Box 3573
Boston, MA 02241-3573
Mail correspondence or Express Mail payments to:
Office of the Bursar
College of the Holy Cross
1 College Street
Worcester, MA 01610-2395
What forms of payment are accepted?
Students and their families can make tuition payments with cash, check, or wire transfer. We do not accept credit cards for payment of tuition accounts. At this time, we do not accept payments on-line or over the telephone.
How do I send a wire transfer?
If you would like to send your payment via wire transfer, please contact the Bursar Office (508) 793-2521 or via email at bursar@holycross.edu for directions on this procedure.
Should I make a payment even if I did not receive a tuition bill?
Yes. You are responsible for the balance of your tuition account even if you did not receive a bill. You should contact our office to verify the mailing address. Because the billing address may be different from the home mailing address, students should notify the Bursar Office as well as the Registrar’s Office with any address changes. Students may also view and print their tuition bills online through their STAR account 24 hours a day.
How do I change the billing address?
It is the policy of the Bursar Office to provide tuition statements and billing information to the indivudial or individuals that the student has designated as the billing person. This information is initially provided to the College along with the acceptance deposit and may be changed at any point during a student’s enrollment. Any changes to the billing person and/or address must be made by the student in writing and given to the staff of the Bursar Office. Regretfully, we are unable to provide billing information to someone who has not been designated by the student as a recipient of the bill.
Do you have a payment plan?
Yes, you may pay monthly through Tuition Management Systems’ interest-free monthly payment plan. The TMS plan allows you to pay all or part of your educational expenses in monthly installments. You may use the TMS plan to pay your balance after financial aid or in conjunction with a loan. For more information, log onto the TMS website at www.afford.com .
How do I determine how much to budget with TMS?
You can calculate your annual TMS contract by subtracting your annual financial aid award (less work study) from your annual billed charges. You may contact TMS or the Bursar Office as early as March 1st to establish an estimated contract. Your contract will initially appear on your bill as a pending credit called “Payment Plan”. As we receive your monthly payments from TMS, we post them to the account and reduce the pending credit.
Please remember that the TMS contract is an annual contract and you should be budgeting your annual charges. If you need assistance in calculating your TMS contract, please contact TMS at 1-888-216-4258 or the Bursar’s Office at 1-508-793-2521.
I am on the TMS monthly payment plan. Why is there a balance on my account?
If you are on the TMS monthly payment plan and a balance due still remains, you may have under-budgeted your contract. You have a few choices to address this. You can contact the Bursar Office and we would be glad to help you in re-calculating your TMS contract and advise you on how much to increase your balance. Or, you can pay the balance directly to the College.
My TMS contract was canceled. How is this reflected on my bill? What do I do now?
Once the College is notified that your contract has been canceled, we will remove the pending credit called “Payment Plan”. Any remaining balance is due directly to the College. You may reinstate your TMS contract by remitting all past due payments to TMS to bring the account current.
Why am I charged for the student health insurance when I waived it last year?
According to Massachusetts State Law, if you are enrolled more than half time, you must be covered by an insurance plan that meets the Massachusetts Qualifying Student Medical Insurance Plan (QSHIP) requirements. All students are billed for insurance every year. Each year a student must complete the on-line waiver by July 15th in order to have a credit posted to their tuition account and to confirm continued coverage in another insurance plan.
You may access the on-line waiver at http://www.holycross.edu/bursar/health_ins
Why was I charged a late fee? May I request a review of my late fee?
If tuition payment is past the due date, the account may be assessed a late fee. Should you have an inquiry regarding a late payment fee, please contact the Office of the Bursar. A request to have a late fee waived will be reviewed only if a written request has been received. The request should include the student’s name, student ID number, and the particular circumstances regarding this account.
I received a financial aid package. Why isn’t it appearing on my bill?
The tuition bill will reflect the financial aid package when your financial aid file is complete. You should contact the Office of Financial Aid at (508) 793-2265 to check on its status.
What is Anticipated Financial Aid?
Items under the heading of Anticipated Financial Aid are monies that the College has not yet received. Most of these items require action by the student or parent before the funds will be disbursed to the billing statement. They include the Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, Plus Loan, State Scholarships, Pell Grant, MEFA Loan, other loans (both student and parent) and outside scholarships. As payments are received from loans and scholarships, actual credits are applied to the tuition statement.
If the College has not received these funds by October 15th for the fall semester and February 28th for the spring semester, these anticipated credits will be removed from the statement and you will be required to remit full payment of the balance. Your prompt attention in processing loan documents will be appreciated.
My child has received a scholarship from an outside agency. What do I do?
Students receiving awards from outside agencies should notify the Office of Financial Aid before the semester bill due date in order to avoid late payment charges and insure proper credit to the student’s account. If the awarding agency will require that a bill be sent before funds are remitted, please notify the Office of the Bursar and send a copy of the award letter.
If the Bursar Office receives a scholarship check that has not yet been reported to Financial Aid, credit will not be reflected on the student’s tuition account until the Financial Aid Office has reviewed and processed the award.
How do I decline part or all of my Financial Aid award?
If the student decides to decline part or all of the financial aid award, the student must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing of their decision. The account balance that is now created will need to be paid to avoid a late fee and/or registration hold even if you have not yet received an updated bill.
Why isn’t the work study award credited to the tuition account?
Work study awards are part of the Federal College Work Study Program. Students with a work study award are eligible for employment opportunities on campus and are paid directly through the Payroll Office. Work study wages cannot be applied as a deduction on the tuition bill.
I have a credit on my account. How do I get a refund?
If a student’s tuition account is at a credit balance after receipt of all financial aid and receipt of all TMS payments, the Bursar Office would be able to return excess funds upon receipt of a written request.
A credit balance that is a result of a parent payment or parent loan (i.e. MEFA Loan or Plus Loan) will be refunded to the parent, or to the student with written permission from the parent
A credit balance that is a result of a scholarship, grant, or student loan (i.e. Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, Outside Loan) will be refunded to the student, or to the parent with written permission from the student.