Billing & Payments

Payment Methods

Payments can be made through the Student Gateway using the following methods:

• Electronic check (ACH)
• Credit card
• Wire transfer

If you have questions about accepted payment methods or need assistance completing a payment, contact the Student Accounts office.

Tuition Payment Plans

If paying your full balance at the start of the term isn’t feasible, a payment plan may be available. Payment plans allow you to spread your education costs over installments, not to exceed 90 days after the term start date.

Here’s what to know before you set one up:

• When regularly scheduled payments are received on time, late payment fees are not assessed.
• If the full balance is not paid within 90 days of the term start, the payment plan will be cancelled, and you will not be eligible for a payment plan in future terms.
• In the event of a late or missed payment, a late payment fee will be assessed monthly for as long as the plan remains in arrears.
• Payment plans must be established proactively. Contact Student Accounts before your payment deadline, not after.

To set up a payment plan, contact:

How Financial Aid Applies to Your Account

Financial aid disbursements are applied directly to your student account at the start of each term to cover tuition, fees, and other institutional charges. If your financial aid covers your full balance, you are all set for the term.

If a balance remains after financial aid has been applied, you are responsible for paying that balance by the payment deadline for the term. A payment plan may help. See the section above.

You may need to complete a Payment Plan Request if you have a remaining balance after your aid has been offered. Unpaid balances will affect your ability to enroll in future terms.

Residual Payments (Refunds)

If your financial aid disbursements exceed your tuition, fees, and other student account charges, the remaining balance will be issued to you as a residual payment, either by check or Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT/direct deposit).

To ensure timely delivery of your residual payment, we strongly recommend setting up direct deposit through the Student Gateway at least two weeks before the start of the term.

If you would prefer to keep a credit balance on your account to apply toward future educational charges, or if you would like to opt out of financial aid paying for non-institutional charges, please contact:

Past-Due Accounts

Any balance remaining on your account after the 10th day of the term is considered a past-due debt. Here is what that means for you:

• Late fees will be assessed monthly until the debt is paid in full.
• Any past-due debt must be paid before you can enroll in future terms.
• Outstanding balances may result in loss of campus privileges extended to students and alumni.
• If your account remains unpaid for more than 90 days after separation, your account may be referred to an outside collection agency and reported to a credit reporting agency. You will be responsible for all collection agency fees in addition to the original balance.
• If your account has been assigned to a collection agency, The Chicago School cannot accept payments directly. You must contact the collection agency to make payment arrangements. Your registration and diploma release will be restricted until The Chicago School receives payment in full from the agency.

We know that financial difficulties happen, and we would much rather work with you to find a solution before an account reaches past-due status. Please reach out as early as possible if you’re concerned about your ability to pay on time.

Tuition Refunds for Withdrawal or Cancellation

If you cancel your enrollment during a term, whether through withdrawal or dismissal, you may be eligible for a prorated refund of tuition and fees, depending on when the cancellation occurs.

Key things to understand:

• Refunds are only available after the drop period has ended. Dropping a course during the drop period does not result in a tuition charge; withdrawing after the drop period does.
• When enrollment is canceled during the first 60% of the term, The Chicago School will calculate a prorated refund and apply it to your student account.
• When enrollment is cancelled after the 60% point of the term, no refund is issued.
• You are responsible for any unpaid charges remaining after a refund is applied.
• If you receive federal financial aid, federal regulations, specifically the Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation, determine how much of your federal aid you are permitted to keep. This calculation is separate from the institutional refund calculation and may result in a balance owed to The Chicago School, to the federal government, or both.

Before withdrawing, we strongly encourage you to speak with both the financial aid office and the Registrar to fully understand the financial impact of your decision.

Tuition Refund Schedule

The exact dates for each refund threshold vary by term. Contact the Registrar’s office or refer to the academic calendar for your specific term dates.

Course Audits

Under special circumstances, your college dean may authorize you to audit a course. If approved:

• Tuition is charged at 50% of the regular rate, plus any applicable fees.
• No academic credit is awarded, and the course does not count toward graduation.
• Audited courses do not count toward enrollment hours for financial aid purposes.

Veterans Benefits & Billing

If you are using veterans benefits to pay your tuition and fees, please monitor your student account closely. A few important notes:

• Late fees may be imposed on accounts with outstanding balances even when those balances result from tuition and fees not yet paid by an approved VA fund source.
• Veterans benefits do not cover certain charges, including parking passes, a student’s portion of tuition if eligible for less than 100% coverage, equipment fees, and library and parking fines. You are responsible for these costs directly.
• If you have questions about how your benefits apply to your account, contact the Student Accounts office and the Registrar’s office, which manages veterans educational benefits at The Chicago School.

Withdrawal—Financial Implications

Withdrawing from The Chicago School, whether temporary or permanent, has significant financial implications that are separate from your academic status. Please review the following carefully before initiating any withdrawal.

How to withdraw: Submit a Withdrawal Request through the Student Gateway or contact your Student Success Advisor at [email protected] to discuss your options. You may also notify the Registrar’s office at 800-595-6938, Option 7.

What happens to your financial aid: Federal Policy 3805 (Return of Title IV Funds) applies to any student who officially withdraws, unofficially withdraws, fails to return from a leave of absence, or is dismissed. The amount of Title IV aid you are permitted to keep is based on the percentage of the term you attended. It is not based on your institutional charges. Unearned aid must be returned to the federal government in a specific order:

1. Direct Unsubsidized Loans
2. Direct Grad PLUS Loans (for eligible continuing borrowers under the OBBBA legacy provision)
3. TEACH Grant

Any remaining balance after the return of federal funds is subject to Policy 3021 Tuition and Fee Refunds and Policy 3025 Student Financial Responsibility. The Student Accounts office will bill you for any remaining balance.

A note for Canadian students: The Chicago School is required to notify the appropriate Canadian province when a Canadian aid recipient withdraws or ceases to be enrolled full-time. If you are a Canadian student receiving provincial aid and your enrollment status changes, please notify the financial aid office promptly.

Unofficial withdrawal: A student who stops attending during a term without submitting withdrawal documentation is considered unofficially withdrawn. In this case, the midpoint of the term is used as the last date of attendance for R2T4 purposes—which may result in more aid being returned than if a formal withdrawal had been submitted. Please follow the official withdrawal process to protect yourself.

Exit Counseling

If you are graduating, withdrawing, or dropping below half-time enrollment and you have federal student loans, you are required to complete Student Loan Exit Counseling. Exit counseling ensures you understand your loan repayment obligations before leaving school. It is completed online at studentaid.gov and typically takes about 30 minutes.

Failure to complete exit counseling does not eliminate your repayment obligation. It simply means you may leave school less prepared for what comes next. We encourage you to take it seriously.