FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

The process for completing your registration when using funds from a Pennsylvania 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (previously nowU or TAP) has changed beginning spring 2012.

If you are planning on using PA 529 GSP funds for the upcoming semester, please follow the steps below:

1. Log onto elion.psu.edu
2. Select "Bursar Tuition Bills" from the left-hand menu.
3. Select the tuition bill for the appropriate semester and click "View/Pay Bill".
4. Print a copy of the bill for the PA 529 GSP account owner to submit with the PA 529 GSP Payment Authorization Form. Print any additional copies of the bill needed. If your bill will be paid entirely by PA 529 GSP, you do not need to continue to Step 5. Your registration will be complete when funds are received from PA 529 GSP. Provide the printed copy of your bill to the owner of your PA 529 GSP account so they can include it with the submission of the Payment Authorization Form to PA 529 GSP. If PA 529 GSP will only be paying a portion of the bill, continue to Step 5.
5. Select "Pay Other" and enter the amount you will be paying that is NOT coming from the PA 529 GSP.
6. Click "Continue".
7. Select your method of payment and continue through the payment process in eLion.

Your registration will be complete when funds are received from PA 529 GSP. Provide the printed copy of your bill to the owner of your PA 529 GSP account so they can include it with the submission of the Payment Authorization Form to PA 529 GSP.

Account owner instructions.

1. Complete the Payment Authorization Form (PAF) provided by PA 529 GSP.
2. Provide a copy of the tuition bill with the completed PAF.
3. Mail or fax both the PAF and the copy of the tuition bill 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.

Please DO NOT mail your Payment Authorization Form (PAF) or PAF copies to Penn State.

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

There are several reasons you may not have received a tuition eBill:

1. TUITION EBILLS HAVE NOT BEEN GENERATED YET.

   The eBill schedule can be found at http://www.bursar.psu.edu/duedates

2. YOU ARE A NEW STUDENT.

   You may not have been billed because you do not have full access to eLion. New students must first obtain their Penn State photo ID and then activate their Penn State Access Account.

   Students that attended the First-year Testing, Counseling, and Advising Program (FTCAP) should already have an active Access Account.

   If you do not have an active Access Account, take your Penn State photo ID card to a Penn State Access Account signature station and follow the instructions there. http://aset.its.psu.edu/accounts/sigstations.html

3. YOU HAVE NOT SCHEDULED CLASSES.

   You must have a class schedule and an active Access Account in order to receive an eBill.

4. IF YOU ARE A PARENT, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE BILL.

   Your student has not authorized you to view and/or pay his/her eBill.

   Online access is available for parents and others on eLion with the student's authorization. Parents or others can obtain a Penn State User ID through a "Friends of Penn State" account if they do not have a current access account. Go to elion.psu.edu and select "Parent/Other", then the parent or other provides the student their Penn State User ID. The student grants the parent or other access to Bursar Tuition Bills.

The only way to get registered without having to pay the full tuition is to enroll in the Deferred Payment Plan.

Penn State's Deferred Payment Plan allows you to defer payment of two-thirds of your tuition bill. The first one-third of tuition, fees, and room and board (if applicable) is payable by the due date of the tuition bill, and the remaining two-thirds is payable over the subsequent two months. There is a $45 fee to use this plan, payable with the first payment.

See http://www.bursar.psu.edu/payplans.cfm for payment options.

If your approved graduate assistantship, fellowship, or traineeship is not listed on your tuition bill, please indicate this on your eBill by selecting the "Contact us regarding your bill" link and noting the change within the explanation box.

Once you have made these changes, they will be submitted to the Bursar's office for review.

You will receive a response from the Bursar's office by e-mail. You will need to pay any prior semester balance by the due date. Failure to do so will result in a $50 Late Fee being assessed to your student account.

Students that withdraw from a semester due to medical reasons can petition the Bursar’s Office for a possible one-time waiver of tuition. Requests for a tuition waiver are not guaranteed. The following documentation is required when submitting an appeal for a waiver of tuition based on medical reasons:

1. A petition letter from the student requesting an adjustment of tuition and an explanation of the medical circumstances surrounding the withdraw (a specific description of the medical condition and how the student was unable to complete the semester).
2. A letter from the student’s physician, on office letterhead, outlining the medical diagnosis, dates treated, and prescribed treatment for the medical condition. This letter should include the recommendation of the physician to withdraw from the university.

Petitions should be mailed to 103 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802 to the attention of the Fee Assessor.

Yes, the employee must submit a "Dependent Grant-In-Aid Form" to the Employee Benefits office to receive the discount. This form can be found online at http://www.ohr.psu.edu/benefits/forms.

Once approved by the Employee Benefits office, the staff discount will appear on your tuition bill. The 75% deduction will only be applied to the tuition. The staff discount cannot be applied to room and board charges, Information Technology Fee, Activities Fee, or Facilities Fee.

If you have additional questions, please contact the Employee Benefits office at 814-865-1473.

Information Technology Fee:

An Information Technology Fee is charged to all undergraduate and graduate students at all campus locations. The IT fee supports digital services such as internet access, e-mail, security, help services, software, computer labs, library resources, and wireless networks. Even if the student is not physically studying on campus, their e-mail account is still active and they have full access to the internet and other services. This is a mandatory fee.

See: http://www.psu.edu/itfee for further information.

Activities Fee:

The purpose of the Activities Fee is to improve the out-of-class experience and improve the educational climate at Penn State. The Activities Fee is charged to students based on their status or location.

Income from the Activities Fee is used to increase the number and quality of activities such as clubs and organizations, recreational and fitness programs, lectures, music and cultural programs, and other campus programs related to the total learning environment.

Each campus has established a student-run committee that allocates these funds.

For information on the University Park Allocation Committee, please visit http://www.clubs.psu.edu/upac.

Facilities Fee:

The Facilities Fee has been established to provide a funding source for capital projects designed to enhance student activities, fitness, and recreation.

Projects to be undertaken at each campus will be identified by the appropriate campus officials. Student input will be obtained in determining priorities and ideas for potential projects through campus advisory groups that represent all constituencies.

If you are interested in student aid, contact the Office of Student Aid or the student aid representative at your Penn State Campus.

The Master Promissory Note for the Federal Direct Stafford Loan can be completed online or by contacting the Office of Student Aid. Information for completing this online is available at: http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/aidprog/stafford_dl.shtml .

Federal Regulations require the completion of a Loan Entrance Counseling Session prior to the disbursement of your student loan(s). Entrance counseling provides information that will help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a loan borrower, as well as other tools to assist you with managing your loans.

Penn State students other than Hershey medical students and Dickinson law students will receive an e-mail invitation to complete an Online Loan Entrance Counseling Session at elion.psu.edu.

Hershey medical students and Dickinson law students will be contacted by their campus student aid representative for instructions concerning the completion of a Loan Entrance Counseling Session.

There could be several reasons why your refund has not been processed. Here are some possible reasons:

1. If a payment was made by personal check, a refund will not be processed for 22 days from receipt of that payment.
2. If you are not signed up for "Rapid Refund", delivery of your refund will be delayed.
3. If you are signed up for "Rapid Refund", the account information provided may be incorrect.

To enroll in Rapid Refund login to elion.psu.edu and select "Refund Information" from the left-hand menu, click on "Sign Up for Rapid Refund", and follow the instructions for entering your bank account information. Once your account information has been entered, click on "Add bank information". You must then "Accept" the Student Refund Authorization Agreement and re-authenticate your eLion session to complete your Rapid Refund enrollment.

You can choose your refund preference by logging onto elion.psu.edu and selecting "Refund Information".

For the quickest delivery of refunds, students should enroll in Penn State's Rapid Refund Program.

To enroll in Rapid Refund click on "Sign Up for Rapid Refund", and follow the instructions for entering your bank account information. Once your account information has been entered, click on "Add bank information". You must then "Accept" the Student Refund Authorization Agreement and re-authenticate your eLion session to complete your Rapid Refund enrollment.

If you choose to have your refund mailed to a permanent or local address, delivery of your refund will be delayed.

Please see http://www.bursar.psu.edu/appeal.cfm for an overview of the process.

The Admissions office determines a student's residency status based on the information provided on each student's application.

Domicile is a person's existing and intended fixed, permanent, and principal place of residence.

Your 1098-T includes supplemental financial data to assist you. This supplemental financial information was not provided to the IRS.

Not in all situations. The amount of the tax credit that you may claim will depend on your individual situation. The IRS is providing instructions on the application of the 1098-T information and eligibility requirements for the new tax credits.

Please consult your tax preparer/consultant to determine how the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credits and the Deduction for Educational Expenses affect you.

Please visit the Penn State id+ Web site at http://www.idcard.psu.edu for information on both campus meal plans and LionCash+. You may also visit the Housing and Food Services Web site at http://www.hfs.psu.edu.

Meal plan costs will be charged to your student account (tuition bill). LionCash+ is not charged to your student account and can be paid for by cash, check, or credit card.

For general questions regarding meal plans, please contact foodservices@psu.edu. For LionCash+ inquiries, please contact idcard@psu.edu.

The University's Health Center does not direct bill insurance companies, except for students who are covered by one of the Penn State Student Health Insurance policies.

All other students are responsible for submitting a copy of the bill to their insurance company.

University Health Services bills are available online through a secure patient Web site:

• Go to http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health
• Login with your Access Account user ID and password
• Click on Online Billing Statements
• Follow the prompts

For any other questions, please visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs

We recommend that you contact the Office of Student Insurance: http://www.sa.psu.edu/uhs/basics/insurance.cfm

Transcripts may be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar: http://www.registrar.psu.edu/transcripts/transcripts.cfm

The permanent or local address may be updated at the Registrar's office - 112 Shields Building, at the student's college dean's office, or on eLion.

To update your address on eLion:

1. Go to elion.psu.edu
2. Select "Students" and login with your User ID and password
3. Select "Address Information"
4. Select "Update Address & Contact Information"
5. Make necessary updates
6. Select "Save Changes"
7. Re-enter your password and select "OK" to confirm changes