Navigating USFCA Student Accounts: A Comprehensive Guide for Students and Families

The University of San Francisco (USFCA) offers a range of resources and services to help students manage their accounts and finances. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of key aspects of USFCA student accounts, addressing common questions and concerns for both students and their families.

Understanding FERPA and Student Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, is federal legislation designed to protect the privacy of students by limiting third-party access to student education records. This means that families may not have access to their student’s grades without the written permission of their student.

FERPA provides students with significant rights, including access to their educational records (including grades) and protection of their privacy. Only material classified as Directory Information, as defined in the general catalog, can be released without student consent.

To disclose non-directory information to a third party, including parents, students must file a permission form with the Registrar’s office and any other office that holds records regarding the student. Students may access any written academic records directly concerning them, except for certain records such as financial records of parents. Student disciplinary records are also protected under FERPA. The best practice is for your student to inform you of any disciplinary charges directly.

As soon as a student registers for classes, their records at USF are protected from unauthorized release under FERPA.

Transportation Options for Students

Students at USF do not necessarily need cars. San Francisco boasts a world-class transportation system, including:

MUNI passes: Local buses and streetcars are provided to all undergraduate students.
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit): A rail system connecting the major San Francisco metropolitan area and two major airports.
Cal Train: Links San Francisco with San Francisco Peninsula cities and communities.
Bike racks: Located throughout campus.
Zimride: An online ridesharing community for students, faculty, and staff.
Zipcar: A car-sharing program offering discounted hourly or daily rentals, including gas, mileage, and insurance.

Financial Aid and Tuition

Applying for Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a yearly form available at www.fafsa.gov beginning January 1 each year. New students should file the appropriate year FAFSA by February 1, and continuing USF students by March 2, to be considered timely and eligible for limited USF need-based grant funding. Only domestic students are eligible for financial aid, primarily Federal loans at a fixed interest rate. If you plan to finance your education with financial aid, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. To be eligible for loans, students must be registered at least half-time in the applicable semester.

Understanding Grants, Scholarships, and Loans

USF's tuition grants and scholarships are gifts that do not need to be repaid. Student loans must be repaid, so borrowers should review the terms and conditions of each loan before accepting it. Many students and parents use private student loans as another resource to help fund educational costs.

Financial Aid Disbursement

At the beginning of each semester, after enrollment and completion of all disbursement requirements, financial aid will be paid to the USF student account. Credit balances created by federal student aid are refunded by check unless a student’s Direct Deposit information is provided to Student Enrollment Services/Student Accounts. For Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans, credit balances are refunded by check to the parent borrower unless the borrower authorizes a refund to be made to the student.

Key Dates for Financial Aid (Fall 2025)

May 15: Priority Deadline to "accept" financial aid offered online via your myUSF student portal. This only needs to be done once while at USF School of Law.
June 23: The University Financial Aid Office will begin downloading PLUS Loan credit approvals for new admits and Master Promissory Note (MPN) completion notices for both the Unsubsidized and PLUS Loans.
August 1: Fall 2025 Tuition Payment Deadline. Any financial aid that you have been offered and have accepted, including the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Graduate PLUS loan, scholarship and grant will appear as "Authorized Financial Aid" on your myUSF Student Account as long as you have completed all disbursement requirements prior to August 1. The Authorized Financial Aid will appear as credit towards your tuition bill.
August 15: Earliest scheduled Fall 2025 disbursement date for aid including federal and private loans.

The Law Financial Aid Office will begin auditing individual students' financial aid files in early July to ensure completion of all federal aid requirements needed to make financial aid available for the fall semester and credited towards the Fall tuition bill, which is due on August 1.

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Federal Direct Loans

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan funds will disburse to the University in two equal installments, once each semester. The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan allows eligible graduate and professional students to borrow up to the maximum annual cost of attendance, less any other aid awarded and accepted. The maximum PLUS Loan amount that you can borrow is the total cost of your attendance less any other aid you have been awarded and accepted. You can "accept" this aid online via your myUSF student portal.

This is a credit-based loan, and you must be credit-approved by the Department of Education to receive PLUS Loan funds. After you have “accepted” the PLUS Loan amount on your myUSF portal, the University Financial Aid Office will forward the loan amount you indicated directly to DOE for a credit check as part of the Loan Origination process for PLUS Loans. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan funds will disburse to the University in two equal installments, once each semester.

Private Loans

A student with additional or unmet need who does not intend to borrow from the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program may want to consider applying for a private loan. Private loan programs are available through a number of private loan vendors. Approval of any private loan is based on credit worthiness and is determined by each individual loan vendor. Once you are approved for a private loan, you must accept the loan and submit a promissory note to your private loan vendor. The loan vendor will notify the University Financial Aid Office of your private loan approval and receipt of your private loan promissory note. We will then "certify" your private loan. Private loan funds will disburse to the University in two equal installments, once each semester.

Tuition and Billing

Tuition and fees are billed each semester at a flat rate for full-time day students and at a per-unit charge for part-time day students (first-year part-time students take 11 units in the fall and 12 units in the spring). The Law School requires certain documents from eligible students before we are able to certify your enrollment for the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 academic year.

Scholarship recipients: First-year scholarship aid is disbursed in two equal installments, once each semester.

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Your online student account portal provides access to all of your tuition and fees, payments, and financial aid credits.

Payment Options and Due Dates

Bills are available online only. The payment due date for the fall semester is August 1, 2025. The University’s payment plan is administered by Nelnet Business Solutions, a third-party payment vendor, operating under agreement with USF. The payment plan provides a convenient means for paying tuition, fees, and room and board (if living on campus) through regularly scheduled payments.

If you are unable to pay your tuition bill/balance due on August 1, or you have not yet been awarded any financial aid to help pay your tuition bill, you can pay a reduced payment on by enrolling in the 4-month payment plan for $50. Tuition is due in 4 equal installments with the first installment due on August 1 and subsequent payments due on September 1, October 1, and November 1. The minimum balance needed to enroll is $2,250.

Your fall semester class registration will be CANCELED if the required payment is not covered by Authorized Financial Aid, personal funds (or a combination of both) or enrollment in the payment plan by the August 1 payment due date.

Important Notice Regarding Credit Card Payments for Tuition

The University will NOT accept credit card or debit card transactions as a means to pay your tuition bill.

Health Insurance

All USF students are required to have health insurance. If needed, you must apply each semester for an insurance waiver for each academic year. For important information, see Health Insurance & Wellness.

Refunds

If your total financial aid exceeds your tuition bill, you will be refunded any excess aid funds once your aid disburses and after your tuition bill is paid. Refunds are sent electronically to your bank account as long as you have enrolled in the direct deposit refund process. Direct deposit refunds are typically received in your bank account 2-5 business days AFTER the aid funds have been disbursed to the University, depending on your banking institution. A paper check refund is typically made available 7-10 business days AFTER the aid funds have disbursed to the University.

The direct deposit refund process is the quickest way to receive excess aid funds for living expenses. If you are relying on a refund for living expenses including the purchase of your books, food, etc., please plan accordingly. Please note that the earliest that a new student can expect to receive a direct deposit aid refund in their bank account may not be until August 21.

Disbursement dates are the earliest possible dates that funds from both federal and private sources can be sent to the University each semester. Funds are typically sent electronically by each provider in two equal installments, once each semester. Please note that the disbursement date is NOT the date that you receive a refund check or a direct deposit refund in your bank account for your cost of living expenses.

Accessing Student Account Information

As required by FERPA, USF makes every effort to protect students’ privacy. If a student wishes for USF to discuss the student account information with anyone other than the student, the student must complete the Student Consent to Release Information online to authorize USF to share such information.

Log on to myUSF at myusf.usfca.edu and click on the Student Self Service button.

It is the student’s responsibility to forward billing information to a parent or third party who is assisting that student with payment. In order to assist families or third parties who are making payments on behalf of a student, students must add their parents/relatives/guardian/third-party as an authorized user in Touchnet for them to view the bill, enroll in a payment plan and pay online. They can also add users in Workday if they'd like third party users to view their financial aid and academic information.

By adding an authorized user, the student gives permission for only the named person(s) to get access to certain student account information through the Student Accounts Office. Each office at CCA maintains its own process for authorizing third-party access.

Giving to USF

A wide range of options exists for making a gift to the University of San Francisco, the most convenient of which is making a gift online. Every dollar that you contribute to USF allows the university to improve the student experience by recruiting and supporting outstanding faculty, and by funding innovations that keep USF among the top-tier universities in America.

Gifts to the Parents Fund provide support for USF’s strategic priorities and most pressing needs. However, you can also earmark your gift for a specific purpose. If donating online, you can select one of these funds from the drop-down list on the online giving form. Otherwise please clearly indicate the program you would like to support when making your gift.

Online credit card donations are a cost-efficient way for non-profits like ours to receive donations, and allow us to receive funds more quickly without having to spend time processing checks. All donations to USF are tax-deductible to the full extent allowable by law.

Corporate matching gifts are a great way to increase the impact of your gift to USF. By taking advantage of your company’s matching gift benefit, you may be able to double or even triple the amount of your contribution.

Parental Notification Policy

The University’s Parental Notification Policy states that USF may notify parents or legal guardians when there is concern for the health or welfare of a student, including situations involving medical transportation and treatment, and serious or repeated violations of alcohol and/or drug policies.

Emergency Preparedness

The University of San Francisco employs a number of crisis response plans. These plans include the:

Emergency Action Plan for Active Shooters
Emergency Operations Center Plan
Pandemic Flu and Response Prevention Plan
Emergency Procedure Plan

These plans are reviewed and practiced to the full extent possible on a yearly basis. A building marshal program was developed to provide local contacts (building or school) for management and coordination of emergency protocols including evacuations and lock downs as identified in these plans. Building marshals are responsible for the understanding of all university emergency procedures and protocols. They assist in informing all building occupants of proper procedures for building emergency or evacuation drills in preparation for an actual emergency.

USF Office of Student Financial Services

The USF Office of Student Financial Services consists of financial aid, student employment, and student account administrators, that help students achieve their educational potential by awarding and disbursing monetary resources, and coordinating billing and tuition services. We administer federal, state, and institutional awards to help assist in funding the cost of education at USF. The office also helps to foster financial literacy, and navigate the complex regulatory requirements to maintain eligibility for financial assistance. We help students and families through the billing and payment process, by providing in-depth customer service to navigate their options.

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