FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions

The student account balance shows the financial aid information available in real time. For questions about the status of a graduate assistantship/fellowship, please contact your department. 

Online eCheck payments will be reflected immediately on your student account. However, it may take 1-7 business days before they are reflected in your bank account.

Please allow 7-10 business days for your payment to be received and posted to the student account.  We receive an extremely high volume of payments at the start of the semester. Additional processing time can be expected during this time. Please monitor your student account. 

If the check has cleared your bank account, please fax a copy of the front and back of your check to 814-865-2979. Please include the PSU ID and name of the student.

As a reminder, payments made online are posted immediately to the student account.

For questions about food plans, please contact the Assignment Office. For LionCash+ inquiries, please contact id+Office.

Yes, please click on the "Contact" link at the top of this page to send an e-mail message. Our staff will respond to inquiries as soon as possible.

Your student account reflects the current anticipated aid information available. To view up-to-date anticipated aid, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH
2. Click on "My Finances" on top of the page
3. Select "Manage My Account/Make A Payment"
4. Navigate to the "Account Summary" tab to view the anticipated aid deducted from the balance. 

Monitor your student account for the disbursement of any pending financial aid. Please note, the awarding and disbursement of financial aid is managed by the Office of Student Aid. If you have any questions about financial aid pending disbursement to your student account, please contact the Enrollment Services Center at esc@psu.edu or by phone at 814-863-0000.

If you haven't paid your balance for a prior semester follow these steps to view the balance you owe:

1. Log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH
2. Click on “My Finances” on top of the page
3. Select “Manage My Account/ Make A Payment” to get to the billing and payment portal.
4. The balance due will be displayed on the Account Summary tab.

Federal regulations state that financial aid for a future semester cannot be used to pay a prior semester balance. Even if you are expecting a refund for spring semester, you need to pay the outstanding prior balance from the prior semester.

To view your prior semester balance follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH
2. Click on “My Finances” on top of the page
3. Select “Manage My Account/ Make A Payment” to get to your billing and payment portal
4. Navigate to the Account Summary tab. Any prior term balance will be indicated on this tab. 

The Greek Membership Fee provides enhanced support to the University's Greek-letter community.  The fee for IFC or Panhellenic chapter members is $90 per semester. For Multicultural Greek Council or National Pan-Hellenic Council members, the fee is $30 per semester. Students will see the fee listed on their account statement every semester that they continue membership in a Greek organization. If you who have questions about the fee, please contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at 814-863-8065 or greeks@psu.edu.

More information is available at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life's website.

Students will receive an email at their Penn State email address when their tuition balance is ready to view and pay in LionPATH:

• Fall semester: Early August
• Spring semester: Early January
• Summer Session: Early May

Any Authorized Users (such as parents or guardians) on the student account will also receive email notifications

Additional information on tuition billing dates is available on the Bursar's website.

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 Payment Plans tab on the student account billing and payment portal.  

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 subsequent installments in advance of their due dates. Additional information is available on the Payment Options section of the Bursar's website.  

If you are planning on using Pennsylvania 529 GSP funds, please follow the steps below:

Student Instructions

1. After you receive an e-mail notification that your student account balance is available, log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH.
2. Click on "My Finances" on top of the page.
3. Select "Manage My Account/Make A Payment" to get to the billing and payment portal.
4. Navigate to the Account Activity tab and select "Print Term Statement"
5. Download and save a PDF copy of the Term Statement for the account owner to submit with the Payment Authorization Form (PAF)or with an online qualified withdrawal.

The PA 529 GSP payment, as well as any additional personal payment being made by other means, must be received by the due date in order to avoid any late fees.

Account owner instructions

1. Complete the Payment Authorization Form (PAF) provided by PA 529 GSP or access your account online at www.pa529.com to print a PAF or complete a qualified withdrawal online.
2. If completing a qualified withdrawal online, upload an electronic copy of the term statement (see #4 above).
3. If completing a paper PAF, mail or fax both the PAF and the copy of the term statement to PA 529 GSP.

PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan
Processing Center
PO Box 55463
Boston, MA 02205
Fax: 617-559-2452

Please note: Penn State cannot request funds from a PA 529 GSP account on behalf of the account owner. Therefore, please DO NOT mail your PAF to Penn State.

PA 529 GSP mails PAFs in July or early August for the fall semester and in October for the spring semester. Summer PAFs are provided upon individual request. Additionally, a PAF can be obtained online at www.pa529.com or by calling 1-800-440-4000.

Yes, you can still use Flywire to make your payment. Make sure to include the loan borrower as the sender in this case. After making your payment request, you will be provided with a disbursement or authorization letter along with the bank instructions from your Flywire dashboard. The authorization letter will demonstrate that Flywire is acting as the only and official authorized international payment processor and the end recipient of your payment is your institution. You should provide your bank with both documents in order to complete the bank transfer.

Additional information on payments from India.

International students and students in the College of Medicine are required to have adequate health insurance coverage while enrolled at Penn State. These students must provide proof of health insurance coverage that meets certain criteria or purchase Student Health Insurance (SHIP) for Penn State.

Please note, Penn State has adjusted the billing process for international students for 2019. Beginning in fall 2019, international students will see their insurance premium added to their student bursar account.

If you have any questions about SHIP for Penn State, please contact the Student Health Insurance Office at uhs-insurance@psu.edu or by phone at 814-865-4847 option 6.

For additional information about health insurance requirements and the SHIP for Penn State, including rates and deadlines go to: Health Insurance | Penn State Student Affairs (psu.edu)

We understand that in some situations two people would like to split the balance for a single student and each be on an installment payment plan to do so. However, our system is designed to accommodate only one payment plan per student per semester. Either the student or an Authorized User on the student account can sign up for the Payment Plan each semester. 

More information is available on the Payment Options page of this website.

Our office enters awards as promptly as possible and in the order the awards are received. Please monitor your student account frequently.  Your student account will reflect the award once the funds have been received and processed by our office. Due to heavy volume during the months of July, August, November, and December, it can take a few weeks for the award to appear on your student account. The earlier you submit checks, the more likely your award will be reflected on your student account at the beginning of a semester.  Please note that external awards do not appear as anticipated aid.

More information is available on the External Awards section of the Bursar's website.

University Health Services (UHS) submits patients' bills to their insurance companies. If UHS is in-network with your plan, UHS will accept what your insurance company pays and only charge you for co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles. If your insurance company does not cover a service, you may be liable for that portion of the bill also.  If UHS is out-of-network with your insurance company you may be responsible for the entire amount of the bill.

 Please note, the date of the charge on the student account is not the same date when the service was received. The date on the student account is when the UHS charge posted to the student account after the health service received has gone through the billing process indicated above with an insurance company, and/or when the charge is posted to the student account by UHS. To view details on the services received and the exact date, log in to view/print your bill from myUHS.

 Based on confidentiality of student records, the Office of the Bursar has no specific information about student health service charges. If you have a question about health service charges, please call University Health Services at 814-865-4847, option 4.

More information on billing of medical services is available on the Student Affairs website. 

All registered students who attend PSU are eligible to purchase books at a PSU bookstore/PSU Bookstore online* and have the option to add the bookstore charges to their Penn State student account. Your Penn State ID is required at the time of purchase. Note: The program is paused for summer 2026.

*Penn State World Campus students can purchase course materials at any PSU bookstore and add the charges to their PSU student account. Please note, purchases made at MBS Direct/Barnes and Noble will continue to be paid at the point of sale, rather than via the student's PSU student account. Penn State World Campus students may purchase course materials from MBS Direct/Barnes and Noble or from other vendors. For more information, please visit the Penn State World Campus student website.

Bookstore purchase information.

Yes, Penn State has partnered with Flywire to process international payments. To initiate an international payment with Flywire, please start your payment process by logging into LionPATH. To learn more about Flywire, please visit the Payment Options section of our website.
 

Yes, Flywire aims to provide the best price for international payments. If you are making a local currency bank transfer and find a better rate with your bank, Flywire will match it with their Best Price Guarantee

If you enter incorrect values, have insufficient funds, or, if you attempt to use a check that is not from a regular U.S. bank checking account, the system will return your transaction. All returned checking and savings payments are subject to a returned item fee. 

As a security measure, an unsuccessful payment attempt or attempts will result on the system placing an irrevocable negative service indicator on your student account, which will prevent you from using eCheck as payment option for the duration of your studies at Penn State.

Penn State reserves the right to cancel a future semester enrollment due to a returned payment on the student account.

The Bursar's office uses secure web pages when displaying and collecting credit card information. All references to a credit card transaction are done using your Order ID number. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) software is used to provide data encryption of your personal information such as password and credit card number.

The account holder will need to work with your 529 plan provider to determine what steps are needed to request a distribution to Penn State.

Many 529 plans now offer a digital distribution option, which saves time and improves transparency with real-time payment tracking. When requesting a withdrawal from your 529 account, check with your plan manager to see if a digital distribution option is available. 

If you have a Texas Tomorrow, Michigan Education Trust (MET), College Illinois! South Carolina Tuition Prepayment Program (SCTPP), Kentucky’s Affordable Prepaid Tuition (KAPT), or Alabama Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program (PACT) plan, please select the "Contact Us" link to let us know about your expected 529 payment amount.

Most 529 plans only offer a mailed check distribution option. These checks must include the student's Penn State ID and are mailed to:

Penn State
Office of the Bursar
103 Shields Building
664 Curtin Road
University Park, PA 16802

Please include your Penn State Student ID number and your full name with your 529 payment(s). Allow up to two weeks for 529 plan payments to be received and posted to the student account. 

The 529 payment, as well as any additional personal payment being made by other means, must be received by the balance due date in order to avoid any late fees.

If you are a current Penn State student, information can be found on the Account Services website.

There is no service fee for eCheck payments. A 2.25% service fee applies to all credit and debit card payments.

Please refer to the Student Account Billing page for information on billing, and the Payment Options page for information on how to make a payment and the payment methods accepted by Penn State. 

Yes, Penn State accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. There is a 2.25% service fee for each credit card online payment. We cannot accept credit cards by mail, phone, or in person. All payments are done online via LionPATH.

More information on payment options.

This information can be found at the bottom of your paper check. You can view a sample check to see where to find these numbers.

We highly recommend that you contact your financial institution if you do not have a paper check or cannot locate this information. 

Yes, you will be assessed a $25 fee for each returned item. As a security measure, a failed payment attempt or attempts will result on the system placing an irrevocable negative service indicator on your student account, which will prevent you from using eCheck/check as payment option for the duration of your studies at Penn State. Penn State reserves the right to cancel a future semester enrollment due to a returned payment on the student account.

Online payments include eCheck, credit card (a service fee applies to all credit card payments), and Flywire International Payments. The benefits of making online payments include:

• Fast and convenient method of making payments.
• Payments are immediately reflected on the Student Account (except for international payments, which post to the student account when the payment is received by Penn State).
• Flywire International Payments can be tracked from the moment the payment is scheduled until it posts to the student account.
• Money-saving process - you no longer need to write checks or pay for stamps to send a payment in the mail.

For additional information, visit the Payment Options page. 

Payments can be made by electronic check (eCheck), credit/debit card (a 2.25% service fee applies), Flywire International Payments, or paper check. 

Payments made online by eCheck or credit card are immediately posted to the student account. Mailed payments can take between 5 and 10 days to be received and processed.  The Office of the Bursar does not accept cash payments.

See the payment options page for additional information.

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.

Number of Installments:

• 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 Installment Payment Plan.

For additional information on Payment Plans, please visit the Payment Options page. 

You are not required to pay by credit card. You can pay by eCheck (no charge), paper check, or money order. The Office of the Bursar does not accept cash payments.  

To view the payments you made to your student account, follow these steps:

Students:

• Log in to your Student Home Base in LionPATH
• Click on “My Finances”  on top of the page
• Select “Manage My Account/ Make A Payment” to get to the payment and billing portal.
• Navigate to the "Account Activity" tab where the payments and credits will be listed.

Authorized Users:

• Log in to the Student Account
• Select “Manage My Account/ Make A Payment” to get to the payment and billing portal.
• Navigate to the "Account Activity" tab where the payments and credits will be listed.

Yes, you can make a partial payment to your student account, but if the total balance due is not paid by the due date, a 1.5% late fee will be assessed on the total balance due. 

Attention: All students at all campuses:

Your check or money order must be made payable to Penn State, include your Penn State Student ID, and be mailed to the address below for processing:

Important: Please allow 5 business days for payment to be processed after it is received. 

Never mail cash.

Please be advised, there are no due date extensions. If the balance due is not received by the due date, you will be assessed a 1.5% late fee on the total outstanding balance due, as well as have a financial hold (negative service indicator) placed on your Student Account. This will restrict you from enrolling in future classes. Please be advised that it may take up to 7-10 business days for payments mailed to be received and posted to the student account.  However, eCheck and credit card payments made online are automatically posted to the student account.

Penn State made the decision to charge a 2.25% service fee to fairly distribute the costs of accepting online credit card payments to the users. The costs cover the operating costs associated with processing credit card payments including the technology structure. By charging this fee, these additional costs are being assessed to the users of this service, not to all Penn State students.  To avoid the fee, students and authorized payers can make payments by eCheck, check, or money order.

The Office of the Bursar does not accept cash payments. Review information on payment options.

You can conveniently manage multiple student accounts from one login.

Important: You must use the same email address for your Authorized User access for all your students.

1. Log in to one of your students’ accounts using your Authorized User credentials.
2. At the top of the page, you will see your name and the Student ID. Click “Add New Student.”
3. Enter the required information for your other student, including the student’s date of birth and your relationship.
4. Once the student confirms your access, the accounts will be linked.
5. After linking your students' accounts, you can choose which student’s account to view when you log in, and switch between students at any time directly from your Authorized User account.

Please make sure your student has added you as an Authorized User to their student account. 

There are two options to add an Authorized User to the student account:

Option 1: Student adds an Authorized User from LionPATH:

• Log in to LionPATH with your Penn State credentials.
• Go to your Student Home Base and open the My Finances tab.
• Click the "Manage My Account/Make a Payment" to open the billing and payment portal.
  Go to My Account and open the "Authorized Users" section.
• Select "Add Authorized User" and enter the person's name, email address, and relationship to you.
• The authorized user will receive an email to complete registration and create a password.
• After logging in, they will be able to view your account and make payments according to the access you granted.
   

Option 2: Authorized User requests access:

• Go to Penn State's online bill payment parent/authorized user login page.
• Choose "Create New Account" or the option for Authorized User/Parent Login (not current or former student).
• Enter your name, email and create a password to request access.
• Complete the verification email sent to that address.
• Provide the student's Penn State ID and date of birth when prompted.
• The student will receive an email at their @psu.edu address asking them to approve or deny access. 
  Once approved, the authorized user will receive an email confirming they have been established as an authorized user and can log in to view the account. If the student does not approve, the account remains in pending status.

Once you have been added to the student account as an Authorized User, you can go to the bill payment parent/authorized user login page and click Forgot Password to reset your password, if needed.

Authorized User access should not be granted to employers, organizations, sponsors, or other third-party organizations. Information and instructions on granting access are available on the Authorized User Access page.

Please refer to the Authorized User Access section for instructions and information. 

Families with more than one student attending different institutions using Flywire can manage all accounts in Flywire through one Authorized User profile. To do this, the Authorized User must be added separately by each student at their own institution, using the same email address. This allows Flywire to link all students to one Authorized User account.

Once setup is complete, the Authorized User can log in through any participating school’s billing portal and easily toggle between students at different institutions from a single Flywire dashboard.

Your Penn State student can add you as an Authorized User by following these steps:

1. Log in to LionPATH (Student Home Base).

2. Select My Finances at the top of the page.

3. Click Manage My Account / Make A Payment to access the billing and payment portal.

4. In the Quick Links section, choose Authorized Payers and click Set Up Now. Important: Use the same email address the Authorized User uses for access at other institutions.

5. The Authorized User will receive an email with instructions to complete registration.

6. After registration, the Authorized User can log in through Penn State’s bill payment Authorized User  login page and switch between students attending different schools.

Sponsored students are defined as those students with full or partial funding support from a foreign government, corporation, or nonprofit organization.

To offset additional institutional costs for services required by sponsoring organizations, all sponsoring organizations will be assessed a $300 per semester fee during the fall and spring semesters, and a per semester fee of $150 during summer, for each sponsored undergraduate and graduate student enrolled at Penn State.

Additional information on the services provided to sponsoring organizations by Penn State is available on the Sponsored Student Services page of the Penn State Global website.