New Student Information

We hope that the following information will facilitate your transition to college life:

  1. Accept Offer to Penn State
  2. Participate
  3. Sign up for eRefund
  4. Grant Access to your Student Account 
  5. Paying Your Student Account Statement (bill)
  6. College Saving Plans (529 Plans)
  7. External Awards

Accept Offer to Penn State

Accepting your Offer

  • To accept your offer of admission and pay your acceptance fees, login to your MyPennState account.
  • Your first contact with the Office of the Bursar will be after you accept your offer to attend Penn State.

Deposit Information

  • In addition to the enrollment fee, all degree-seeking undergraduate students must pay a General Deposit.
  • If you will be residing in University housing, you will also have to pay a Housing Deposit.
  • The Housing Deposit is applied to the student's first Room and Board charge and the General Deposit is applied to the student's first tuition charge.

Participate

In New Student Orientation (NSO), obtain a PSU ID+ Card, and activate your Access Account

New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) is a required activity for all first-year students and optional for transfer students. NSO is the first step for students after you accept your offer of admission. NSO processes begin in March for summer and fall admits and November for spring admits. Information about your NSO will be sent one business day after you accept your offer of admission via email.

You’ll receive information about how to schedule your NSO program and the steps you’ll need to take to prepare for it.  

During NSO, you’ll learn about joining the Penn State community, meet other students, meet with an adviser to discuss your academic goals, and schedule your classes. You'll learn more about your Penn State id+ Card, including instructions on how to upload a photo for your card. As part of NSO, your Penn State email will be activated, and you'll learn how to access it to send and receive emails. Important information from the Office of the Bursar, as well as other departments, will be communicated to you via e-mail. Be sure to check your Penn State email regularly. 

Please note: The information above concerning NSO is general in nature and may not pertain to every student. Specific information of a more detailed nature will be communicated to each student individually at the appropriate time. For more information, visit the NSO website at: orientation.psu.edu.

To watch the Bursar's NSO video, click here

Sign up for eRefund

Instructions for Signing up for eRefund

If there is a credit balance on your account, it will be refunded to you. eRefund is the fastest and most convenient way to receive your student refund. To enroll in eRefund:

  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 Student Account Dashboard
  4. Scroll down the overview page and click on “Sign up” at “Sign up for direct deposit refunds!”
  5. Agree to the electronic Student Refund Authorization Agreement, and click “Continue”
  6. Complete the information requested

 

Grant Access to your Student Account 

Authorized Payer Access

You can grant access to Authorized Payers in LionPATH, to enable them to view and pay the Student Account Statement, enroll in the Installment Payment Plan, and access IRS Form 1098-T. After you grant access, a user ID, temporary password, and login link will be sent to the Authorized Payer. Please note this is in ADDITION to the delegated access you may have already granted via LionPATH for academic information. To grant Authorized Payer access, please follow these steps:

  1. Students: Log in to your Studet 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 Student Account Dashboard
  4. Scroll down the overview page and click on “Send a payer invitation”
  5. Complete the information requested for the Authorized Payer and click on “Send invitation”. Your Authorized Payer will receive an email with the Authorized User and temporary password, and a link to log in to the student account.

Paying Your Student Account Statement 

When will I get a Tuition Statement?

  • You will receive notification via your Penn State e-mail account that your Student Account Statement is available to view/pay on LionPATH. Any Authorized Payers on your account will also be notified through e-mail when the Student Account Statement is available.
  • Student Account Statements are prepared on a monthly basis. Billing begins in early August for fall semester, January for spring semester, and May for summer semester. However, this may vary slightly depending on when enrollment in classes occurs. The first billing of the fall and spring semesters is due after the regular add/drop period, all other monthly statements are due by the 22nd of the month. The payment due dates are noted in the Student Account Statement.  Residence hall charges are included, if applicable.
  • More billing information is available at: Paying your Statement.

What if my financial aid is not showing on my Student Account Statement?

  • The "Anticipated Student Financial Aid Detail" section on your Student Account Statement shows your current known available aid. If you have additional scholarships, grants, or loans, please refer to Financial Aid and Your Bill for information . The Student Account Statement on LionPATH will reflect current information available at the time the statement is prepared.

How can I pay my Student Account Statement?

  • Electronic payment options are available on LionPATH. The eCheck option is a fast and convenient method to pay your Student Account Statement directly from a personal checking account. There is no charge to pay by eCheck. You may also pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). A 2.25% service fee applies to all payments made by credit card online. We cannot accept credit card payments by mail, phone or in person.

  • If you wish to mail a check, you may print a remittance stub from LionPATH and mail it with your payment to Penn State. Your payment must be posted to the account by the due date on your bill to avoid a 1.5 % late fee (assessed on the total outstanding balance due). Please allow time for processing after mailing your payment (5-7 days).

College Savings Plans (529 Plans)

Tax-advantaged savings plans

Many financial advisors agree that 529 plans are one of the best ways for families to save for college. Many families across the country are finding that using a college savings plan to pay for college makes more sense than ever. All 50 states now offer these college savings plans.

The specific requirements for establishing and withdrawing from a plan will vary by state, so please check with your state or visit www.savingforcollege.com for links to information for all the state plans.

Pay for Current Semester Expenses:  Contributions into a PA 529 account are deductible from Pennsylvania taxable income (within limits). By putting funds that a family intends to use to pay for even current semester expenses into a PA 529 account and then paying qualified expenses from the PA 529, a family can save 3.07% (the current PA income tax rate) on their expenses. There is no time limit to qualify for a Pennsylvania tax deduction; however, please keep in mind that the processing period for contributions and withdrawals may take a few weeks. Contributions of up to $14,000 per beneficiary per year (up to $28,000 per couple) are deductible from Pennsylvania income tax. For more information about the PA 529 plan, please call 800-440-4000.

External Awards

If you are receiving a scholarship

Organizations, agencies and donors offer scholarship opportunities to students who demonstrate scholastic merit or meet other specific eligibility criteria. The entity awarding the scholarship, not Penn State, is responsible for selecting the candidate and determining the value of the award.

For more information on outside scholarships, click here.