Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a student account?
A: A student account is simply the charges and payments related to a student's registration. A student bill or invoice is a summary of a student's account. You can access your account details via E-SIMS or visiting the Bursar Office and obtaining a Bursar bill after registering.

Q: When will I get my student bill?
A: A student's semester bill is generated based upon the number of credits they registered for.  Billing for Fall semester will begin in early July for students who have pre-registered. Billing for Spring semester will begin in mid-November for students who have pre-registered. You can view your bill by accessing E-SIMS.  When you register on E-SIMS, a bill can be printed showing the amount of tuition owed. After receiving the bill, you MUST VALIDATE your classes by making payment or payment arrangements acceptable to the college or your classes will be dropped.

Q: What are the payment deadlines for each semester?
A: The payment deadline is listed on the bottom left hand side of the student bill. Generally, Fall semester bill is due around the first week in August. Spring semester bill is due around first week of January. After the semester payment deadlines, all payments are due at the time of registration within 72 hours.
For Summer semester, all payments are due at the time of registration.

Q: What are MEC tuition and fees schedules?
A: Tuition and fees are payable at registration according to the payment schedule released by the College. The tuition and fees figures listed on the schedule below may be changed prior to the opening of the College academic year. The responsibility for payment of tuition and fees rests upon the student. The student's course schedule will be cancelled for the appropriate semester if the established due dates for payment are not met.

View Tuition & Fees Schedule

Q: What are my payment options?
A: PAYMENTS (Credit & Credit-Free Courses)

• Tuition and fees are due and payable at the time of registration. Once you have registered for a course, you are responsible for payment.  Credit cards are not accepted at the Bursar window or by mail.   You can only make credit card payments online via your E-SIMS account using MasterCard, American Express or Discover cards.   VISA cards are not accepted.  However, partial payment is not accepted online.  
• Payment may be made in cash, check or money order (made payable to Medgar Evers College).
• You can also make payments by check or money order to: Medgar Evers College, G.P.O. Box 29184,New York, N.Y. 10087-9184 where this amount will be credited against our Lock-Box arrangement with JP Morgan Chase Bank.
• You can also utilize our DROP BOX facility by using drop box envelopes for depositing checks and  money orders only (no cash) and dropping in the drop box placed on the door of the Bursar’s Office in room SBSS-308 .  You can make payment arrangements through Sallie Mae by joining their Tuition payment plan for Fall and Spring semesters. Please visit our website and click on TuitionPay for more details.
• You can also pay by financial aid estimates/employer vouchers or scholarships.    Your registration will be validated if tuition balance is satisfied 100%.  Payment validation is required whether your tuition will be paid by financial aid, your employer or an agency.

Q: My tuition and fees are deferred. Will I owe any money if I drop a class or withdraw from college?
A: CHARGES POLICY FOR CREDIT COURSES FOR FALL AND SPRING  SEMESTERS

• Students registering for courses who are granted a deferral  (through the Financial Aid estimates, employer's unconditional written guarantee of payment or agency's deferral) are ultimately responsible to fulfill their financial obligation to the College.
• Students who are granted deferrals and who later drop courses or who later withdraw from MEC will reduce or lose their aid and will be directly responsible to pay the tuition and fees due at the time of drop or withdrawal. You must drop the course ONE-BUSINESS DAY PRIOR TO THE START OF SEMESTER IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE TUITION AND FEE CHARGES. Please refer to the MEC catalog for further information.

• Schedule of Tuition Charges for Deferrals (All applicable fees are charged upon registration-there is no pro-rating of fees):

Q: How do I drop a course or withdraw from the college?
A: DROP AND WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE

• Student must initiate drop slips during the first 20 calendar days of the semester with the Registrar's Office in order to get a refund or reduction in tuition liability. A verbal notice by a student to an instructor, advisor, or any MEC staff member does not constitute a formal drop/withdrawal. Lack of attendance does not reduce tuition and fees, therefore, timely drop slips or withdrawals will ensure proper credit to your student account.
• Please contact the Financial Aid Office or the Bursar's Office for information on how withdrawing or dropping a course may affect your financial aid.

Q: What is my liability if I am receiving federal aid (Title IV) and withdraw from all my classes?
A: TITLE IV REFUNDS AND STUDENT’S LIABILITY FOR PAYMENT

Federal regulations (the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, regulation 34 CFR part 668.22) require each school to have a written policy for the refund and repayment of Federal Title IV aid* received by students who withdraw during a term for which Title IV aid payment has been received. These policies are effective only if the student completely terminates enrollment (i.e., cancels his/her registration, withdraws, or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period.

REPAYMENT OF TITLE IV FUNDS POLICY:

1. The amount of Title IV financial aid that a student must repay is determined by using the Federal Formula for Return of Title IV funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. The amount of Federal Title IV financial aid assistance that the student earns is determined on a pro-rata basis. Once the student has completed more than 60% of the payment period, all financial aid assistance is considered to be earned.

• Percent earned = Number of calendar days completed up to the withdrawal date** ÷ Total calendar days in the payment period with an allowance for any scheduled breaks that are at least 5 days long.
• Percent unearned = 100% minus percent earned

 

2. When a student has received Federal financial aid in excess of earned aid, the school returns the lesser of:
   • Institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage, or Title IV Federal financial aid disbursed multiplied by the unearned percentage the student:
   • Returns any remaining unearned aid not covered by the school.
   • Repays any loan funds in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. (That is, scheduled payment to the holder of the loan over a period of time.)
   • Returns any grant amount the student has to repay. This is considered a grant overpayment and arrangement must be made with the school or Department of Education to repay the funds.
   • Unearned Title IV Federal financial aid shall be repaid to the following programs in the following order:
     1. Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan 4. Federal Pell Grant
     2. Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan 5. Federal SEOG
     3. Federal Parent (Plus) Loans 6. Other Title IV Programs
     4. The student is billed for funds the college is required to repay.
     5. The Bursar’s Office bills the student and any account that is not paid within 30 days is turned over to a collection agency.

If you have any questions, please contact the Bursar’s Office at (718) 270-6094.

* Federal Title IV financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Stafford Loans (Unsubsidized and Subsidized), Federal parent PLUS Loans and other Title IV Programs.

** Withdrawal date is defined as the actual date the student begins the institution's withdrawal process, the student's last date of academically related activity, or the midpoint of the payment period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution.

Q: What are your refund policies?
A: REFUND POLICY - CREDIT COURSES - FALL AND SPRING SEMESTERS

• If tuition has been paid by cash, check or credit card, or financial aid has been accessed from the FEDERAL or STATE agencies to pay the account, you may be entitled to a refund if timely drop slips or withdrawal documentation are submitted to the Registrar's Office.

• The date on which the Registrar receives the forms will be used to determine refunds. To receive a 100% refund of already paid tuition and fees, the completed forms must be received by the Registrar's Office one business day prior to the official semester start date. A verbal notice by a student to an instructor, advisor, or any MEC staff member does not constitute a formal drop/withdrawal. Lack of attendance does not reduce tuition and fees liability; therefore, timely drop slips or withdrawals will ensure proper credit to your student account.

• The schedule for tuition refund is as follows:

• Refunds of full and part-time fees occur if a drop or withdrawal occurs one business day prior to the semester start date.
• If courses are cancelled by the College that changes your status from full- to part-time, the appropriate tuition and fees will be refunded. If a student changes from full to part-time status (11 or less credit hours/semester) after the semester has started, refund will be issued according to the schedule for tuition refund.
• If you paid by cash, check, or money order, a College refund check will be issued. If you paid using a credit card,  refund can be made by crediting back the same credit card.

 

REFUND POLICY - CREDIT COURSES - SUMMER SEMESTERS

The only refund allowed are the ones that result from course cancellation or timely filed withdrawals completed and processed one business day prior to the first day of the class. 

REFUND POLICY - STUDENT RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID AWARDS

• Federal regulations (the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, regulation 34 CFR part 668.22) require each school to have a written policy for the refund and repayment of Federal Title IV aid received by students who withdraw during a term for which Title IV aid payment has been received. These policies are effective only if the student completely terminates enrollment (i.e., cancels his/her registration, withdraws, or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period. Please refer to the College Catalog or contact the Bursar's Office for details and more information.

                                                              TITLE IV REFUND POLICY

Q: I owe money from a previous term. Can I register?
A: DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS

• If your account becomes delinquent and is not resolved with the Office of the Bursar, you will not be able to register for the next semester and your statement of grades and/or your official transcripts will be withheld until your delinquent balance is paid in full. It is the policy of the College to assign delinquent accounts to a collection agency. Students with delinquent accounts with the College will be denied the privilege of pre-registering for the next semester. Also their statement of grades and/or official transcripts will be withheld until their delinquent balance is paid in full at the Bursar's Office.  After proper notification, students who have an unpaid balance in their account for the semester may be assigned to a collection agency. Students will be responsible for the outstanding balance, PLUS all the late payment fees, collection agency fees in the range of 14%, court costs and attorney fees. Furthermore, the collection agency will notify all credit reporting agencies of your outstanding debt. It is therefore, important and to your advantage to pay account balances in full when they are due. Payments will be accepted only by cash, money order or by bank certified check.   You can also pay by credit cards (American Express, MasterCard, Discover) on E-SIMS only.  No personal checks are accepted for prior semesters.

Q: I am a Veteran/PARA. What should I do to defer my bill?
A: VETERAN'S BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE. Please bring in the authority letter undertaking the payment to the college directly and we shall place the estimated awards in the system. This applies to all other students who bring in vouchers from  Board of Education, 1199, VESID, Greater New York Hospital and other agencies. Board of Education does not reimburse technology fee which must be paid by the student at the time of registration. Please check with the Billing Coordinator in room SBSS-308A for more information or call 718-270-6084.

Q: When will I receive my Form 1098T for Hope and Lifelong Learning Tax Credits?
A: HOPE AND LIFELONG LEARNING TAX CREDITS

• The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 created the Hope Tax Credit and Lifelong Learning Tax Credits. These are credits that taxpayers can take on their federal returns for tuition and fees paid by students in a calendar year. For information on eligibility, please consult your tax accountant. Colleges are required to issue documentation by January 31 of the tuition and fees paid by students in the preceding calendar year and CUNY mails form 1098 directly to the students as per their information recorded in the school. In the event of any discrepancy, please contact our office during office hours for a corrected 1098(or duplicate) before April 15 of that year. For additional information, please refer to the following web sites:
  
  
  • IRS Publication 970
    http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf
  • IRS Form 8863
    http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8863.pdf
  • Understanding Hope and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
    http://www.nasfaa.org/annualpubs/grevhopecc111698.html

Q: What are the TAP eligibility requirements to receive Tap award?
A: Please click on the following for detailed information: http://www.hesc.com/manuals/g_s_manual/chap3.htm