We are now partnering with Nelnet to offer a Student Account Center Portal that students access via myNest. Please keep in mind that Susquehanna University does not mail paper statements and the only way to view your bill is through the Student Account Center Portal.

Your Student Account Portal features:

• Your billing account activity in real time;
• A printable monthly billing statement, which includes charges as well as applied and pending financial aid;
• Ability to share account access with parents or others by inviting them to be an authorized user;
• Credit card payments with American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover ;
• E-check payments; and
• Five, four, three or two month payment plans

Due to student privacy regulations in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), you must grant access to your account to parents or other authorized users. To add an authorized party, like a parent or guardian, please take the following steps:

• Once logged in, students click My Profile;
• Click Add in the Manage Payers section;
• Click Save.

Parents/authorized users will receive an email invitation to create a login.

Click HERE for an overview of a monthly Campus Commerce Student Account Statement

UPDATE: Jan. 2, 2024  — Student Financial Services received notice from our third-party provider (Heartland ECSI) that 1098Ts for the 2023 tax year will be released electronically by January 31, 2024.

Students should visit the ECSI website for any questions related to their 1098-T statement and to access an electronic copy of their 1098-T statement on the ECSI portal. Students that have not consented to receive their 1098-T electronically will have a paper 1098-T statement mailed to them by Jan. 31 as well.

For additional information regarding the IRS Form 1098-T, please refer to the Heartland ECSI FAQ. To access their 1098-T statement online, students will need their:

• Provide School Name, i.e. Susquehanna University
• First and Last Name
• Social Security Number
• Zip Code that appears on their 1098-T form

About the Form 1098-T

Susquehanna University is required to report qualified tuition and related expenses, such as tuition, fees, and course materials necessary for enrollment.

The dollar amounts reported on your Form 1098-T may assist you in completing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8863 — the form used for calculating the education tax credits you may claim as part of your tax return. Depending on income, enrollment status and the amount of qualified educational expenses, you may be eligible for a federal education tax credit.

In previous years, your 1098-T included a figure in Box 2 that represented the qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) SU billed to your student account for the calendar (tax) year. Congress and the IRS eliminated the option for colleges to report the “amounts billed in Box 2.” We must now report the “amounts paid” for qualified tuition and related expenses. Beginning with tax year 2018, SU reports in Box 1 the amount of QTRE you paid during the year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When will I receive my Form 1098-T?

Susquehanna releases 1098-T forms by Jan. 31 as federally required. Students with Electronic Consent have consented to receive their 1098-T electronically and will receive an email notification (unless otherwise agreed upon) within 24 - 48 hours. Students without Electronic Consent have not consented to receive their 1098-T electronically and will have a paper 1098-T statement mailed to them by Jan. 31.

2. What are Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE) paid?

The IRS defines educational expenses that are considered QTRE for purposes of claiming a tax credit or deduction. The amount of QTRE paid on the student account includes payments from any source, such as:

• Cash, check, electronic or wire transfer payments
• Federal or private educational loans posted to the student account
• Scholarships or grants from any source posted to the account, unless the award was specifically intended to pay a non-qualified charge
• 529 and College Savings plan payments

3. Why didn’t I receive a 1098-T?

• The amount of QTRE paid during the tax year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 was zero. For example, you were enrolled for the spring term that began in January 2023, but you paid your tuition and fees in late 2022.
• You paid your tuition and fees during the calendar year but dropped all your classes during the same calendar year. All your charges were reversed and your money was returned to you.

4. What information is reported on the Form 1098-T?

• Box 1 — As required by the IRS, SU reports payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses (less any reimbursements or refunds) for the tax year ending Dec. 31.
• Box 2 — Intentionally left blank and reserved for future use.
• Box 3 — Intentionally left blank and reserved for future use.
• Box 4 — Shows any adjustment (payments received or amounts billed) made for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year Form 1098-T. This amount may reduce any allowable education credit that you claimed in the prior year. Please consult your tax advisor accordingly to determine any impact to prior years.
• Box 5 — Shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by SU for the payment of the student’s cost of attendance. Scholarships and grants generally include all payments received from third parties (excluding family members and loan proceeds). This includes payments received from the governmental and private entities such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, civic and religious organizations, and nonprofit entities. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year may reduce the amount of the education credit you claim for the year.
• Box 6 — Shows adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year.
• Box 7 — Shows whether the amount in box 1 includes amounts for an academic period beginning January-March of the subsequent year.
• Box 8 — Shows whether you are carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at the reporting institution.
• Box 9 — Shows whether you are enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree, graduate-level certificate, or other recognized graduate-level educational credential.
• Box 10 — Shows the total amount of reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses made by an insurer.

5. Why is my post 9/11 GI Bill reported in Box 5 of the 1098-T?

Veteran’s educational benefits are not taxable. However, they can be reported as a grant on Box 5 of the Form 1098-T. Reporting veteran benefits on the Form 1098-T does not indicate that such benefits are taxable. Instead, it only indicates that the individual’s qualified educational expenses used for purposes of determining the tax credit must be reduced.

6. How can I obtain a copy of my 1098-T?

1098-T forms will be sent via the United States Postal Service to students and former students home address on file with our Registrar’s office. If additional copies are needed, please refer to instructions above on how to access your electronic copy.

7. Where can I obtain assistance with questions regarding my tax filing?

We encourage you to speak with an informed tax preparer or adviser regarding tax advice.

8. I’m an international student, where can I request an IRS Form 1098-T?

By law, Susquehanna University cannot produce a 1098-T form for a student without a valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN) on file.

Please contact Student Financial Services (SFS) by email if you believe you should have received a Form 1098-T.

9. Does the IRS Form 1098-T include charges for books?

No, the University does not include amounts paid for books in Form 1098-T per federal guidance. You should consult with your tax advisor to determine if payments for books, equipment or fees should be considered when preparing your income tax returns and determining eligibility for education tax credits or deductions.

10. What semesters are included in my IRS Form 1098-T?

Box 1 of Form 1098-T reflects payments made during the calendar year for qualified tuition and related expenses and it is not based on when the classes were attended or billed to the student account. Your student account statement on Campus Commerce will show the dates payments were posted to your account and are a valuable resource for determining the semesters that are included in your Form 1098-T.

11. Why don’t the numbers on the IRS Form 1098-T equal the amounts I paid Susquehanna during the year?

There are potentially many reasons for this discrepancy. First, the amount in Box 1 only represents amounts paid for qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) and does not include payments made for room and board, health service fees, or parking which, though important, are not considered mandatory education expenses for federal tax purposes. Secondly, Form 1098-T reports amounts that the student paid in a certain year, and the pay date does not necessarily correspond to the dates that the classes were attended. For example, charges for the Spring semester are typically billed in the prior year so a student may have paid tuition for the Spring semester in December even though classes don’t start until January. The best and most accurate source of information about the amounts that you paid for qualified tuition and related expenses will be your student account statement.

12. I was told that Susquehanna must provide me with an IRS Form 1098-T, are they correct?

The University in not required, by the IRS, to furnish a Form 1098-T in the following instances:

• If payments are for courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program.
• If the enrolled student is a nonresident alien, unless requested by the student.
• Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with grants/scholarships.
• Students for whom you do not maintain a separate financial account and whose qualified tuition and related expenses are covered by a formal billing arrangement between an institution and the student’s employer or a governmental entity, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.

The fall 2023 semester online billing statement will be available the week of July 10. We ask that all payments, payment plans and loan approvals for the fall semester are in place by Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

The spring 2024 semester online billing statement will be available in early December 2023. Once again, we ask that all payments, payment plans and loan approvals are in place by January 8, 2024.

Students receiving financial aid are not exempt from payment of enrollment deposits, student activity fees or health fees by the dates prescribed.

Direct Deposit is preferred for student refunds. Direct Deposit can be set up through myNest by following the steps below. Direct deposit information MUST BE entered through myNest by midnight on the Tuesday prior to your refund.

1. Log into myNest using your Susquehanna login
2. Select the “My Aid & Student Account” tile
3. Select “Direct Deposit” and click “Add an Account”
4. Slide the “Activate” button to the right and click “Next”
5. Complete the “Edit Bank Account Details” form and Click “Submit”

In order to help families address the cost of their higher education, Susquehanna offers a monthly, semester-based payment plan through Nelnet Campus Commerce.

The payment plan is a great option to relieve the pressure of making one, large payment and allows you to pay your semester bill over the course of three to six monthly payments. Keep in mind the payment plan is not a loan and does not require credit or loan applications. You can set the payment plan budget that meets your needs. Please keep in mind the fall 2023 tuition, fees and any applicable housing and meal charges are due in full on August 1 (unless you are enrolled in a payment plan that satisfies your total charges due for the semester over the course of the payment plan). The spring 2024 charges are due on January 8, 2024.

To enroll in a payment plan please log into your Student Account Center Portal via myNest. Parents will need to be granted access by the student prior to logging in to the account.

Please click this link for a video on “How to Set Up a Payment Plan”. To calculate the total amount of your fall & spring bills prior to the week of July 10, 2023 (fall) or January 8, 2024 (spring) please visit the Financial Plan website.

Here is a breakdown of the fall 2023 payment plan schedule:

Last Day to Enroll	Number of Payments	Dates of Payments
May 11, 2023	6	May 15 to Oct. 15
June 13, 2023	5	Jun. 15 to Oct. 15
July 13, 2023	4	Jul. 15 to Oct. 15
Aug. 11, 2023	3	Aug. 15 to Oct. 15

The spring 2024 payment plan schedule will be:

Last Day to Enroll	Number of Payments	Payment Plan Months
Nov. 13, 2023	6	Nov. 15 to Apr. 15
Dec. 13, 2023	5	Dec. 15 to Apr. 15
Jan. 12, 2024	4	Jan. 15 to Apr. 15
Feb. 13, 2024	3	Feb. 15 to Apr. 15

Finally, it’s important to note that NELNET does charge a $50 nonrefundable, enrollment fee each semester for the payment plan and a nonrefundable late charge of $30 is assessed if a payment is missed.

Withdrawal & Tuition Adjustment Policy

Susquehanna University’s Withdrawal & Tuition Adjustment policy determines the percentage of applicable charges earned and unearned by any student completely withdrawing from all classes at the university during the semester. A withdrawal from the university is defined as a student removing themselves from all enrolled classes at any point in the term or dropping below 12 credits (full-time enrollment) during the Drop/Add period. Please see the university’s academic calendar for more details on the Drop/Add period specific to each semester.

PLEASE NOTE: Once the semester begins there are several financial implications to consider when thinking about withdrawing from the university. Room, activity, and health fees are neither pro-rated nor refundable and therefore once classes begin students have earned room, activity, and health fees in their entirety. Additionally, students suspended or dismissed from the university after the first day of classes are not eligible for the adjustment of any charges or financial aid regardless of the date of suspension or dismissal.

*  A week is defined as Monday through Sunday for the purposes of this policy .

Fall 2023 tuition and meal plan charges are adjusted via the schedule below:

• 100% – Week 1 of classes
• 75% – Week 2 of classes
• 50% – Week 3 of classes
• 25% – Week 4 of classes
• Week 5 of classes & beyond; all charges and institutional financial aid have been earned.

Spring 2024 tuition and meal plan charges are adjusted via the schedule below:

• 100% - Week 1 of classes
• 75% - Week 2 of classes
• 50% - Week 3 of classes
• 25% - Week 4 of classes
• Week 5 of classes & beyond; all charges and institutional financial aid have been earned.

*IMPORTANT NOTE FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID RECIPIENTS: Students receiving federal student aid are also subject to a return calculation to determine the amount of aid earned prior to their withdrawal from the university. Susquehanna University is required to perform the return calculation by the U.S. Department of Education. See the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy below.

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Federal Title IV Refund Policy

The Student Financial Services Office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence before completing 60 percent of a payment period or term. The Center for Academic Success will determine the student’s date of withdrawal (or leave) based on the student’s last known date of attendance or participation at an academically related activity per the established “Withdrawal from the University” policy in the university’s Course Catalog. The process to determine the date of withdrawal (or leave) will be the same for students who officially or unofficially withdraw.

Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formulas.

The percentage of a payment period or term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the total days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Aid to be returned = (100 percent of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.

If a student earns less aid than was disbursed, the university is required to return a portion of the funds and the student is required to return a portion of the funds. When Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the university. If a student earns more aid than was disbursed, the university is required to make the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.

The institution must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 30 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal. Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Federal Pell Grants, for which a return of funds is required.
• Federal Academic Competitiveness Grants, for which a return of funds is required.
• National SMART Grants, for which a return of funds is required.
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants, for which a return of funds is required.
• Federal TEACH Grants for which a return of funds is required.

Requesting a Withdrawal from All Classes During the Semester

To obtain an adjustment of charges due to a withdrawal from the university, a student must notify the Office of the Registrar and the Center for Academic Success, in writing, that they are officially withdrawing and provide the last date of class attendance. The form, used to officially notify the university of the withdrawal from all classes, may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Mere absence from classes does not reduce a student’s financial obligation or guarantee that the university will not record a final grade. Once again, please note that room charges and student activity and health fees are nonrefundable after classes have commenced.

 

Students enrolling, currently enrolled and/or formerly enrolled at Susquehanna University (“Susquehanna”) are legally responsible to pay all tuition and fees assessed to their student account by the published due date as well as any additional costs or expenses related to their enrollment at Susquehanna. These costs and expenses include, but are not limited to, housing, meal (food) plans, flex dollars or SU Bucks, health insurance (where applicable) and any other departmental or university costs associated with their enrollment or processed to their student account.

Please note the following financial responsibility statements as your enrollment denotes a legally binding contract with the university:

Financial Responsibility

Students are encouraged to complete the “Financial Responsibility Agreement” upon enrollment as each student promises to pay all tuition, fees, costs, credit, goods, services, and expenses by the published due date specified by Susquehanna within the monthly e-statement notification and/or online Campus Commerce statement.

Effect of Complete Withdrawal from University or Dropping below Full-Time Enrollment

Students agree that if they withdrawal from the university completely or drop classes below a full-time enrollment status (12 credits per semester), they are responsible for paying the amount of expenses as dictated by Susquehanna’s Institutional Withdrawal & Tuition Adjustment Policy, federal/state financial aid requirements and Susquehanna’s Financial Aid Terms & Conditions.

Students also agree that their absence, failure to attend classes, receive/review their monthly student account statement does not reduce or remove their financial responsibility to Susquehanna. Costs associated with domestic or international internships, the GO program and any other educational program may have separate and unique withdrawal or refund policies specific to the programs costs and financial aid (if applicable) that do not remove the student’s financial responsibility to Susquehanna.

Financial Aid

Students understand that any federal, state, or institutional financial aid (including, but not limited to, Title IV funds) that they receive, except for Federal Work Study wages, will be first applied to any outstanding balance on their account for tuition, fees, room, and board. Title IV financial aid includes aid from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loans, and PLUS Loan. Students authorize Susquehanna to apply their Title IV and state financial aid to other charges assessed to their student account such as, parking permits and fines, bookstore charges, service fees and fines, and any other educationally related charges. Students understand this authorization remains in effect until formally rescinded by the student contacting Student Financial Services. Students receiving financial aid or who experience a financial aid or billing error are not exempt from any appropriate costs, including but not limited to tuition, fees, housing, meals (food), the payment of enrollment deposits, student activity fees or health insurance by the dates prescribed.

Students understand that all prizes, awards, scholarships, and grants awarded to them by Susquehanna will be credited to their student account and applied toward any outstanding balance. Students further understand that the receipt of a prize, award, scholarship, or grant is considered a financial resource according to federal Title IV financial aid regulations and may therefore reduce my eligibility for other federal and/or state financial aid (i.e., loans, grants, Federal Work Study) which, if already disbursed to my student account, must be reversed and returned to the aid source.

Federal student aid borrowers are responsible for completing the required exit counseling prior to graduation, withdrawal from Susquehanna, or if the student drops below half-time enrollment, if the student has an outstanding student loan (e.g., Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Perkins Loan).

Student Account Communications

Students are responsible for obtaining and viewing their bills electronically. It is important to log in and view your electronic billing statement each time you receive an e-statement notification to your Susquehanna email address that a new statement is available to view. Miscellaneous charges such as parking registrations, parking tickets, health center charges, music fees, library fees, shuttle fees and Global Opportunity fees are billed to the student account throughout the year. Failure to view your electronic billing statement through the student account center will result in past due balances, interest charges, holds on student accounts and does not remove your financial responsibility to the university.

Delinquent Accounts & Collections Placement

Students whose accounts have not been paid in full will be placed on a financial hold and their ability to register for or attend classes, receive any degree or official transcript, participate in campus housing registration, etc. may be removed and/or limited. Students with delinquent accounts may also accrue interest fees and incur collection and legal costs. Students will be notified by Student Financial Services of denial to participate in the privileges listed above via their myNest self-service student account.

Students who fail to pay the amount due to Susquehanna and subsequently leave the university with an unpaid balance due to the university provide consent to the university, its agents, attorneys, and contractors to collect any sums due. Please note that Pennsylvania law has jurisdiction and any disputes arising shall be determined in accordance with the law of this jurisdiction.

Updating Contact Information

Students understand and agree that they are responsible for keeping Susquehanna records up to date with their current physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers by contacting the Registrar’s Office. Upon leaving Susquehanna for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to provide Susquehanna with updated contact information for the purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts that remain due and owed to Susquehanna. Students that do not update their contact information and therefore fail to receive communication from the university are still financially responsible for any balance due to Susquehanna.