Student Financial Services
For Academic Year 2023-2024 (As of April 2023)
The estimated cost for a student is listed here, covering the fixed charges and the standard fees. It should be noted that the academic year is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each. The University reserves the right to alter the fees posted without notice.
Withdrawal Refund Policy
Any student who withdraws from the University must give formal notice to the University Registrar. The below policy will be used for all withdrawals from the University with the exception of medical and military service leaves. The official withdrawal date is the date that the student begins the school's withdrawal process at the Registrar’s Office or the date that the student otherwise provided official notification.
Please refer to the Academic Policy section of this catalog for policies and procedures to formally withdraw from the University. Federal financial aid will be calculated on an earned per diem basis for the academic calendar up to the 60 percent point in the semester. Please refer to the Financial Aid section of the catalog for details.
Students may request a review of their withdraw type, date of withdraw, or calculation within 30 calendar days of issuance of the final billing from the University. Requests made after 30 days will not be reviewed.
Total Withdraw of all Courses From the University
Tuition, room and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule:
| When | Refund |
|---|---|
| 1st week | 90% Refundable |
| 2nd and 3rd week | 80% Refundable |
| 4th and 5th week | 70% Refundable |
| 6th and 7th week | 50% Refundable |
| 8th and 9th week | 25% Refundable |
| Withdrawal after 9th week | No Refund |
Five Week Session
Tuition, room, and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule:
| When | Refund |
|---|---|
| 1st week | 90% Refundable |
| 2nd week | 50% Refundable |
| 3rd week | 25% Refundable |
| Withdrawal after 3rd week | No Refund |
Seven Week Session
Tuition, room, and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule:
| When | Refund |
|---|---|
| 1st week | 90% Refundable |
| 2nd week | 75% Refundable |
| 3rd week | 60% Refundable |
| 4th week | 40% Refundable |
| Withdrawal after 4th week | No Refund |
Refund Policy for Medical or Military Leaves
A leave of absence for medical reasons is issued by the vice president for Student Affairs only upon the written advice of other appropriate professional persons and only for one semester. Tuition will be pro-rated weekly as of the date the vice president for Student Affairs approves the medical withdrawal. Room and meal plan will be pro-rated weekly as of the date the student officially begins the school's withdrawal process or the date that the student otherwise provided official notification. Students may request a review of their withdraw type, date of withdraw, or calculation within 30 calendar days of issuance of the final billing from the University. Requests made after 30 days will not be reviewed.
If a student is called to active duty, a Military Withdrawal will be granted through the University's Registrar’s Office. Students should contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible to fill out the official withdrawal form. A Military Withdrawal will be granted once the University receives a copy of the official orders or a notice from the student’s Commander.
Students with a military withdrawal will not be charged tuition for the semester of withdrawal, will receive a 100% refund, and will be removed from all courses with no credit and no record of attendance on the student’s transcript. Room and meal plan will be pro-rated based on the number of weeks the student was enrolled in school.
Credit Balance Refund
A credit balance remaining after all university obligations have been met, which results from state or federal financial aid, grants, or loans, will be refunded within 14 days. When a federal PLUS Loan creates a credit balance on a student's account, this refund will be payable to the borrower and mailed to the address on file. All other refunds will be payable to the student.
Students may request a refund for other credit balances at anytime. All refunds are subject to the Director of Student Accounting Services approval. There are no refunds of fees once the semester has begun. All university rules and regulations apply.
Students have the option to sign up for direct deposit of their student refund. They may do so through My.SBU — under the One Stop Tab, then the Student Accounts option, and select Sign up for Direct Deposit - Student Refunds. Refunds not issued by direct deposit are issued by check on a weekly basis and mailed to the address on file. If you would like your check payable to someone other than the student or mailed to another address, the student will need to inform the Student Records and Financial Services office in writing. Written requests taken from the student will supersede a previous request.
Any excess credit from the payment plan over St. Bonaventure’s cost will not be refunded until the payment plan has been paid in full. Please call the Student Records and Financial Services office to discuss the over-payment and ways to adjust the contract so you are not waiting for a refund at 716-375-2020.
Meal Plan
A student living in a residence hall MUST purchase one of the following University meal plans: Bona Platinum, Bona Gold or Bona Silver. The ONLY exceptions are students living in Townhouses or Garden Apartments. Unused Flex dollars and Block Meals will transfer from the fall semester to the spring semester, provided the student carries a meal plan of equal or greater value for the spring semester. At the end of the spring semester, unused Flex dollars and meals are nonrefundable and can’t be transferred to the summer or new academic year. Absolutely no reimbursements will be given for unused meal plans or Flex dollars. Residential students may not purchase Block plans.
Within the above-mentioned guidelines, students may change a University meal plan during the first ten (10) business days of each semester only. This policy is strictly enforced. Students are required to personally file the appropriate request form for a meal plan change online at bonaexpress@sbu.edu. Meal plan changes are done exclusively online. Meal plans are not in effect and cannot be used when the campus and/or residence halls are closed during specified vacation periods, Christmas or semester breaks, and spring semester midterm break. There will be no dining services available on Thanksgiving Day or Easter Sunday.
Cancellation of Room
A student requesting and receiving approval to break this contract prior to the opening of residence halls for the semester, or within the first two weeks of classes, does so under penalty of a $200 cancellation fee, in addition to whatever prorated costs have accumulated for the first two weeks of class if the student did not request to cancel the contract prior to the date of opening of residence halls.
A student requesting and receiving approval to break this contract after the end of the second week of class of a semester does so under penalty of the cost of the room for the entirety of that semester, in addition to the $200 cancellation fee. In order to properly cancel this contract, student must submit a written request to the Coordinator for Residential Education and Housing for approval. Once approved, a date and time for move out will be agreed upon between the student and the Coordinator for Residential Education and Housing.
Financial Terms
Due dates for the payment of tuition, room, and meal plan and other semester charges are set well in advance of the beginning of that semester. The due date for the fall is August 1st for returning students and graduate students. Freshmen and Transfer bills are due August 10th. Spring semester bills are due January 3rd.
Financial responsibility begins with registration for a course. Failure to attend classes will not cancel a bill. Written notice of your intent to withdraw must be given to the Registrar. A student’s registration is subject to cancellation if charges for a semester are not paid by the due date specified on the bill.
Financial clearance must be obtained from the Director of Student Accounting Services prior to arrival on campus or the due dates listed above, whichever is earlier. Failure to receive financial clearance may result in deregistration and other consequences.
Failure to settle accounts in full will prevent the student from registering for subsequent classes or semester, administrative withdrawal prior to the completion of the current semester (including loss of credit), possible suspension of on campus benefits such as meal plan and extracurricular activities, loss of access to commencement tickets/activities and suspension of ability to receive diploma.
The account of any student who chooses to use a monthly payment plan, or RA (Resident Assistant) payment, is considered cleared but not settled until all such payments or obligations have been satisfied. These are elective plans for which student decides to enroll, and which grant the student a temporary postponement of some payment obligations. Until full payment is received by the university the student account is not considered satisfied.
Semester bills for the academic year will be posted online in mid-June with a due date of August 1st for the fall semester (August 10th for freshmen students), Freshmen and Transfer bills are due August 10th. Spring semester bills are posted late November with a due date of January 3rd. All accounts that are not satisfied by the due date will be assessed a $100 late fee.
The university’s student account billing is available electronically with our Online Billing System. Students and parents have the ability to view their student account statement and daily student account activity online. St. Bonaventure University’s e-billing system offers students and their families a safe means of receiving electronic billing statements and a secure method of making web-based payments.
We are pleased to office electronic check (ACH) payments for tuition, room and meal plans, fees, and incidental expenses. There will be no service fee if processed through our web-based system. You may also pay online by VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. A 2.75 % convenience fee is charged for using credit cards. International payments are also accepted on this site. Student enjoy having 24/7 access to student account information. To view current account activity and statements or to make a payment, students should log onto http://my.sbu.edu select the One Stop Tab then the Student Accounts option and select View/Pay Student Accounts.
Students are encouraged to register parents as additional payers, which gives them access to the system and email notification when a new bill is available. To set up an additional payer, log on to https://my.sbu.edu, go to the One Stop tab, then the Student Account option and select Add Additional Payer.
Once the additional payer has access, he or she will have access to student account billing at https://commerce.cashnet.com/sbupay site, they will be prompted to reset their password.
For more information about the online billing system, please call the Student Records and Financial Services Office at 716-375-2020.
If you wish to submit payment by check please send to St. Bonaventure University, Business Office, P.O. Box 2448, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778. Checks should be payable to St. Bonaventure University. Please indicate the student's account number and name on the memo line of the check.
The University reserves the right to alter any fees without notice. In light of economic fluctuations, the University cannot insure that the tuition and other charges as listed will prevail throughout the student’s attendance.
Books, supplies or other items purchased at the Bookstore may not be charged to student accounts. The bookstore accepts MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express. The student is held financially responsible for any laboratory equipment damaged or lost due to the student’s negligence, carelessness or failure to follow instructions. Students are responsible for maintaining the physical condition of their dormitory rooms as they find them. Rooms are checked for damages periodically by the Residence Life, and students will be charged for any damage they cause. Dormitories are available for occupancy only during the time established in the academic calendar.
Payment Plan Options
We understand that sometimes you need some help managing your tuition bill. That’s why we offer the St. Bonaventure University tuition payment plan administered by Nelnet Campus Commerce. Payment plans are convenient, manageable payment solutions that give you the option to pay tuition in interest-free monthly installments, rather than one lump sum. Tuition payment plans offer:
- More time to pay. Spread your tuition payments over a period of several months.
- Interest savings. Use a payment plan to make monthly payments, interest free. You can also use a plan in conjunction with traditional student loans and financial aid.
- Convenience. You can enroll in a plan, manage your account and make payments online, 24 hours a day.
Education expenses are easier to pay when spread over predictable, monthly payments. Our Interest-Free Deferred Payment Option, offered in partnership with Nelnet Campus Commerce, is an alternative to large semester payments and helps limit borrowing. For questions, please contact Nelnet at 800-609-8056, or go to https://mycollegepaymentplan.com/sbu to enroll.
The fall 2023 semester begins in July. Under this plan, 25 percent of the outstanding bill must be paid by July 15, 2023, with the remaining balance paid in increments of 25 percent due August 15, 2023, September 15, 2023, and October 15, 2023. The spring 2024 semester plans start in December. Under the plan, 25 percent of the outstanding bill must be paid by December 15, 2023, with the remaining balance paid in increments of 25 percent due January 15, 2024, February 15, 2024 and March 15, 2024. Summer payments plans are also available, 33.33 percent of the outstanding bill must be paid by April 15, 2023, with the remaining balance paid in increments of 33.33 percent May 15, 2023 and June 15, 2013. There is a $55 administrative fee per semester to enroll in this plan. International payment plans are also available by Nelnet Campus Commerce.
If your payment plan amount does not satisfy your bill, the difference should be paid, by the due date, to St. Bonaventure University. Any excess credit from the payment plan over St. Bonaventure’s cost will not be refunded until the payment plan has been paid in full. Please call the Student Records and Financial Services Office to discuss the over-payment and ways to adjust your payment plan contract so you are not waiting for a refund.
The account of any student who chooses to use a monthly payment plan, or RA (Resident Assistant) payment, is considered cleared but not settled until all such payments or obligations have been satisfied. These are elective plans for which student decides to enroll, and which grant the student a temporary postponement of some payment obligations. Until full payment is received by the university the student account is not considered satisfied.
Local Banks and Bona ID Card
The local banks in the Olean/Allegany area offer a variety of arrangements for students to maintain checking and savings accounts. A local checking account is suggested in order to expedite purchases locally. Merchants do not normally accept out-of-town checks. An Automatic Teller Machine is located within the Reilly Center, adjacent to the University Bookstore, with Five Star Bank as the servicing bank. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are also accepted.
Bona ID Card
Your Bona ID card serves as your campus identification card, library card, building access card, meal plan card. Meal plans are required for students living on campus.