Student Account Payment Disclosures

STUDENT ACCOUNTS TERMS AND CONDITIONS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

1. Introduction: The payment of tuition and all other applicable fees becomes your obligation upon registration at The George Washington University (“the University”). Payment is ordinarily due no later than the first day of each semester. These terms constitute part of your agreement to pay tuition and fees to GW, and they become fully operational upon your registration at GW.

In accordance with the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, this statement discloses of the terms and conditions governing the payment of these obligations and the method of calculating any applicable Finance Charges. Thus, students and parents should read carefully the following disclosures, terms and conditions, and we recommend that you keep this document for your own reference.

In this document the words “we,” ”our,” and “us” refer to The George Washington University. The words “you” and “your” refer to you (the student, and also any responsible parent(s) and other payor(s)).

2. Financial Regulations: The University reserves the right, with or without prior notice, to change requirements, rules, programs, policies, tuition, and fees whenever, in the University’s judgment, such changes are warranted.  This includes, but is not limited to, changes to the form, location, and mode of instruction and changes to the academic calendar.  Such changes shall go into force at the time specified by the University, and the University will provide advance notice of such changes when practicable.  The University assumes no liability for any changes it determines are warranted.  The University may, in its sole discretion, refund tuition or fees in whole or part, on account of any changes the University determines are warranted, but it is not required to make any such refunds.  For complete financial information and regulations, please refer to The George Washington University Bulletin. The University separately provides detailed disclosures on its website (https://studentaccounts.gwu.edu/disclosures), and students should refer to them when a question arises."

3. Payment Requirement: The payment of tuition and all other applicable costs fees becomes your obligation upon registration at GW. GW does not extend consumer credit or allow bills to be paid in installments unless the student is enrolled in the monthly payment plan. There is no right to defer payment of any individual’s Student Account. For a full list or description of rules relating to your Student Account please refer to the University Bulletin.

4. Access: Your Student Account and payment activity is available to you on the GW Student Account eBill Solution 24 hours per day, 7 days per week except during system maintenance windows.

5. Payment Terms: Payment in full is ordinarily due no later than the first day of each semester as defined on the University Registrar’s Academic Calendar as the date of “Classes Begin”. Please refer to your most current statement for the applicable payment due date. If you are enrolled in the monthly payment plan, your most recent statement will reflect the pending principal and the due date. Payment after the applicable due date may result in your Student Account being placed in a HOLD status prohibiting future registration, access to grades, housing assignments,  transcripts, diplomas, and other services. Students whose registration privileges have been revoked or canceled for failure to make timely payments are not permitted to attend class or occupy University housing.

6. Your Statement: Statements are rendered on a monthly basis. Payment is due on or before the due date printed on the statement. The due date is usually 25 days after the closing date printed on the statement.

7. Late Payment Fee: If the University receives your full payment on or before the due date, no late payment fees will be assessed. A late payment fee of $150 is assessed once per semester on past due balances.

8. Interest Accrual: In addition to late payment fees, interest will accrue on any Student Account balance that remains unpaid as of the due date stated on each statement. Such interest accrual will appear on the next statement, and it is calculated as the product of the Periodic Rate and the Adjusted Balance of the account. The Periodic Rate is calculated by taking the number of days since the previous billing date, divided by 365, multiplied the annual percentage rate of 12%. The Adjusted Balance is the balance owed at the end of the previous billing cycle less any payments and credits received during the present billing cycle.

9. Collections: Accounts that are more than 90 days past due will be referred to a third party collection agency and/or attorney for collection.  The student whose account is referred is responsible for and agrees to pay all late payment fees and interest assessed on past due accounts, any court costs, or other charges or fees necessary for the collection of this debt.

10. Not Secured Credit: Your Student Account is not secured or unsecured credit.

11. Your Current Contact Information:  You are responsible for ensuring your Student Account has your current and correct contact information. To change the billing address on your Student Account, please go to the Personal Information Menu located in GWEB Information System. Statements are distributed electronically to all students. Students who are not currently registered will also receive a statement by U.S. mail at their permanent address on file with the University unless another billing address is specified. Late payment fees will not be cancelled for improper addresses supplied by you or for your failure to properly and timely provide an updated or correct address. If GW mails you a letter, notice, or statement to the last address you provided, you agree that you will be bound by the information contained in that mailing. 

12. Questions About Payments to Your Student Account: All questions about your Student Account statements or payments to or suspected errors in your Student Account should be made directly to the Student Accounts Office (“SAO”). There are four ways to contact the SAO: Via telephone, at: (202) 994-7350 Via email at: [email protected]  In writing at:  Student Accounts Office Finance Division  45155 Research Place  Ashburn, VA 20147  In person at:  Colonial Central, University Student Center, Ground Floor, 800 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20052

 

13. Your Billing Rights: If you think your bill is wrong, or if you need more information about a transaction on your bill, write us via email at [email protected] or via mail at The George Washington University, Student Accounts Office, 45155 Research Place, Suite 250, Ashburn, VA 20147. We must hear from you no later than 60 days after we sent you the first bill on which the error or problem appeared. You can telephone us, but doing so will not preserve your rights.

In your message, give us the following information:

• Your name and account number.
• The dollar amount of the suspected error.
• Describe the error and explain, if you can, why you believe there is an error. If you need more information, describe the item about which you have a question.

 

After we receive your written notice, we must acknowledge your letter within 7 days from our receipt of your letter unless we have corrected the error by then. Within 90 days from our receipt of your letter, we must either correct the error or explain why we believe the bill was correct. After we receive your letter, we cannot try to collect any amount you question, or report you as delinquent. We can continue to bill you for the amount you question, including finance charges. You do not have to pay any questioned amount while we are investigating, but you are still obligated to pay the parts of your bill that are not in question. If we find that we have made a mistake on your bill, you will not have to pay any finance charges related to any questioned amount. If we didn’t make a mistake, you may have to pay finance charges, and you will have to make up any missed payments on the questioned amount. In either case, we will send you a statement of the amount you owe and the date that it is due.

If you fail to pay the amount that we think you owe, we may report you as delinquent. However, if our explanation does not satisfy you and you write to us within ten days telling us that you still refuse to pay, we must tell anyone we report you to that you have a question about your bill. And, in such circumstances, we must tell you the name of anyone we reported you to, and we must tell anyone to whom we report you as delinquent that the matter has been settled between us when it finally is.

If we don’t follow these rules, we can’t collect the first $50 of the questioned amount, even if your bill was correct.

 

14. Change in Terms: If the University makes any changes to these terms and conditions, it will promptly post notification of such changes on the SAO website.

 

If there are any questions, please call the Student Accounts Services Office at 202-994-7350.

(Last Revised September 23, 2022)