Payment Policy
The purpose of this policy is to explain students' responsibilities for bill payment, procedures for doing so, and penalties for failure to pay.
Responsibility for Bill Payment
Students who register for courses at the College are responsible for payment of all charges for which they are billed. Billing and payment due dates are as follows:
- Fall semester: eBilling notifications are emailed during the first week of July, with payment due August 1.
- Spring semester: eBilling notifications are emailed during the first week of December, with payment due January 2.
Before registering for classes at Hampshire College, students will be required to read and accept a financial responsibility agreement.
Payment Plan
Hampshire College offers an opportunity for students, or payers on their accounts, to pay their tuition and fees in monthly installments throughout the year, rather than in one payment due before classes begin each semester. The College uses a third-party provider, Nelnet Campus Commerce, to manage these plans. Students interested in establishing a payment plan to pay their bill can review Nelnet's plan options. Nelnet contracts are for the current academic year only and cannot be used to pay previous semester balances.
Payment plan payments are due on the 15 day of each month. Late payments are subject to a 1.25% late fee. If a student or parent misses two consecutive payments to Nelnet or has two payments returned for insufficient funds, Nelnet will automatically cancel the payment plan. The amount remaining on the contract then becomes due and payable directly to Hampshire College.
Loans and Other Financing Opportunities
Students should contact financial aid with questions regarding their financial aid packages or to learn more about applying for a loan. Financial aid can determine whether additional funds may be available due to a change in financial need. Failure to complete all paperwork required by the financial aid office will delay the disbursement of funds to a student's account, and may result in the loss of financial aid for the semester.
Communications
Students with balances on their accounts will receive eBilling notifications at the beginning of each month. Parents and other adults that have been given access to eBilling will also receive these notifications. It is the students' responsibility to log in to their accounts periodically to ensure all charges over 30 days old are paid in full, as well as update access to eBilling if parent or designee email addresses have changed. Students with large unpaid balances may receive letters and statements mailed to their addresses on file. Therefore, it is important that contact information be kept current with the office of central records.
Penalties for Active Students
A students who has an outstanding balance over $500 will have a hold placed on their account. This hold will prevent the student from:
- Pre-registering for courses for the next term
- Participating in the housing application or lottery process
- Requesting academic transcripts
- Participating in field study, leave exchange or other off-campus programs
Additionally, a 1.25% finance charge will be assessed on a monthly basis for charges exceeding $500 that have not been paid within 30 days. Nelnet monthly payment plan payments that have not been received by the 15 of each month are also subject to the 1.25% finance charge.
Penalties for Graduates or Inactive Students
Graduates and other students who leave the College may not receive the following until their accounts are paid in full:
- Diplomas
- Academic transcripts
- Refund of their security deposit
Previously separated students applying for readmission to the College will not be considered for readmission until their accounts are paid in full by the readmission application deadlines (April 1 for fall and November 1 for spring re-admittance).
Collections
When a former student fails to pay an outstanding bill, three letters requesting payment will be sent to the last known address of the student. Failure to respond to the letters or provide the College with a current address will result in the student's account being referred to a collection agency.