Navigating Tuition Payments at the University of Maryland

Paying for college can be a daunting task. The University of Maryland (UMD) offers various tuition payment options to help students and their families manage the costs of education. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these options, including financial aid, third-party payments, installment plans, and more.

Understanding Tuition and Fees

Before exploring the payment options, it's essential to understand the tuition structure at UMD.

JD Tuition Structure

JD students enrolled in the Full-Time Day Division pay flat-rate tuition for the first year while taking the structured required curriculum and are billed on a per-credit basis for remaining electives and graduation requirements. Students enrolled in the Part-Time Evening Division pay flat-rate tuition for the first four semesters while taking the structured required curriculum and are billed on a per credit basis in subsequent semesters for remaining electives and graduation requirements. The amount students pay in tuition for the eighty-five credits required for graduation is equivalent to the amount that would have been paid under a flat-rate system. Exact numbers may vary slightly due to university fees. This tuition system gives all students the ability to vary the number of electives taken in a given semester and take summer school courses without incurring additional charges or changing divisions. Students must take most of the required courses in the division in which they first enrolled but, subject to enrollment priorities, are able to take electives offered in either the day or evening to allow flexibility in scheduling. A division change should only be necessary when a student who has completed the first year in the Part-Time Division requests permission to transition to the Day Division. Doing so requires giving up the flat rate and paying on a per-credit basis going forward.

Billing Information

Students living on-campus will be billed for tuition, standard mandatory fees, on-campus housing, and on-campus board (meal plan). If you do not receive a bill prior to the start of classes, you should check your bill online on SURFS or personally contact the Student Accounts Office, HS/HSL, 601 W. Lombard Street, Suite 206. Evening students who need to conduct in-person business with the UMB Office of Student Accounts (where you pay your bill, receive loan or tuition-refund checks) may make special arrangements to do this after normal hours by contacting the Student Accounts Office at 410-706-8357.

Important Policies

A student who does not pay or make and follow the conditions of a satisfactory arrangement to pay a bill for tuition and fees shall not be entitled to attend classes, take examinations, or do other work for credit, and no grade or credit will be given for any work done during the semester to which there is default. Any registration or advance registration for a subsequent semester will be canceled. The student will not be permitted to return to the school until the student (1) pays, or makes and follows the conditions of a satisfactory arrangement to pay, the student’s unpaid tuition and fees; and (2) thereafter is readmitted to the school by the dean. However, if the student then is subject to exclusion from the school for any reason other than unpaid tuition or fees, the student may be readmitted only by the Administrative Committee. The student’s required administrative withdrawal does not obviate the student’s financial obligation to the university. A student who does not pay or make and follow the conditions of a satisfactory arrangement to pay any financial obligations to the University of Maryland other than for tuition and fees that in aggregate exceed $25.00 shall not be entitled to advance register, arena register, or graduate from the school until the student pays or makes and follows the conditions of a satisfactory arrangement to pay the aggregate amount owed.

Payment Options

UMD provides a variety of payment methods to accommodate different financial situations.

Online Payments

Credit or Debit Card: You may pay online with a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card. However, you will be required to pay a separate, non-refundable service fee of 2.85% (for domestically issued credit cards) or 4.25% (for internationally issued credit cards) of the payment amount at the time of each credit or debit card payment. This fee is assessed by the vendor contracted by the University to process credit or debit card payments, and the University does not receive any part of the service fee.
eCheck: You can pay online using an eCheck. You will need your bank's routing number and your account number. These numbers can be found at the bottom of a personal check, or you can contact your bank to obtain the correct numbers.

International Payments

If you're an international student, you can pay your bill online by choosing the international payment option in MyU. The international payment processor, Flywire, is one option offered through the University. It will allow you to bypass international transfer fees and access foreign exchange rates that are usually more favorable than those offered by banks.

Third-Party Payments

Third-party billing is administered by FS-SA. Billing is consistent with the terms of a Third-Party Tuition Contract (which may be a contract or an approved form) issued to a student and provided to UMB by the student. A Third-Party Tuition Contract is a written agreement or form authorizing UMB to bill all or part of a student’s tuition charges directly to the third party, which typically is the student’s employer. The third party’s obligation to pay must be based on a student’s registration, not upon matriculation or program completion. Payment from the third party is due upon receipt of the UMB invoice.

529 Plans

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving and paying for college costs, including tuition. You have a few 529 payment options available to you:

Send it to you or the plan owner, who can then make a payment to the student account directly. This is the preferred method.
Send to the University from the 529 plan via wire transfer (if available through your plan).
Send to the University from the 529 plan via check. If your plan requires that funds are sent directly to the University, visit 529 plans for more details.

Terp Payment Plan (TPP)

The Terp Payment Plan (TPP) is a service that allows you to make monthly payments over the course of the semester or over the course of academic year. The service is provided through Tuition Management Systems (TMS). Down payment due at time of enrollment.

Key Features:
- Payments must be made to Nelnet to count towards your monthly payment.
- Payments are pulled from your enrolled payment method account on the 5th of the month. If that attempt fails, a second and final attempt is made on the 20th of the same month. If the second attempt also fails, the plan will be terminated, and the remaining balance owed on the plan at time of cancellation will be reflected on the student account.
- Nelnet Business Solutions (the Terp Payment Plan third-party provider) may assess a $40 late payment fee for payments that fail on the initial monthly attempt.
- Once officially enrolled, the full plan amount will appear as a credit internally to our office, similar to as if you had made a payment directly to the school. As long as your plan covers the full current term balance due to the university, and you pay the specified amount on time, the plan will remain intact, and you will not be subject to late payment fees by the school or course registration holds.
Important Considerations:
- At present, the TPP system is not directly connected to your UMD Student Account balance. This means it is your responsibility to ensure the plan amount for each term is sufficient to cover all of the term charges.
- If your charges increase or reduce after TPP enrollment, you are required to make the appropriate adjustment to your plan.
- Likewise, if additional aid or funding credits to your student account, thereby reducing or removing the need for the Terp Payment Plan, you will need to request that the TPP remaining balance be adjusted to the new amount ($0 is acceptable if the plan is no longer needed).

Installment Payment Plan

If your balance exceeds $500 after applying all financial aid (including loans) and third-party contractual billings, you may pay through our installment plan. The installment plan enables you to make three equal payments; the first on the due date of the bill and the succeeding payments at thirty-day intervals. There is a $10 administration fee for the service. Installment payment plans are handled in the Student Accounts Office. If you elect the installment payment plan and payment is received in the Student Accounts Office within a ten-day period after the due date, you will be charged a late fee of $25. However, if the installment payment is not received within ten days after its due date, the total remaining balance will become due. As with any amount owed to the State of Maryland, seriously past-due accounts will be referred to the State Central Collections Unit.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid, Tuition Remission. You have made timely application for financial aid to the Financial Aid Office and have promptly responded to further requests by that Office, but for reasons beyond your control your aid package is not complete.

Types of Financial Aid

Loans are paid to your account like any other financial aid. However, if you are a first-time recipient of a loan, there are additional requirements such as completing a promissory note and completing entrance counseling. After actual funds are paid to your account, they will cover your charges first. If you were offered a Direct Subsidized Loan and/or Direct Unsubsidized Loan, please accept and borrow these federal loans before borrowing private loans.

Scholarships

If you have a scholarship from a source outside the university, you need to notify our office. Go to Testudo, click on "Financial Aid Offers," and tell us where the scholarship is coming from and how much you’ve been offered. Bring your private scholarship check to the Lee Building, room 1115, so it can be credited to your student account. 7809 Regents Dr. Letter from donor with any scholarship stipulations. If the full scholarship is intended for a particular term, please include it on the donor's letter or the memo section of the check (e.g.

Using Financial Aid for Other Costs

Yes, your financial aid can be used to cover direct costs such as your Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). SHIP is billed as two separate charges for each semester, the fall and the spring. If you already have coverage, you may be eligible to have this charge waived and removed from your account. In some select instances based on the registration attributes of your account, a plan may not be automatically visible to you even if you have no prior past due balance. If you have no prior balance outstanding and still do not see a plan being offered to you during the open enrollment period, please contact our office so we can confirm eligibility and refresh your account to make it be offered.

Read also: Paying Your RSM Tuition

In-State Status

An initial determination of in-state status for admission, tuition, and charge-differential purposes will be made by the university at the time a student’s application for admission is under consideration. The determination made at that time, and any determination thereafter, shall prevail in each semester until the determination is successfully challenged prior to the last day available for registration for the forthcoming semester. Applicants for review of eligibility and questions concerning the university policy should be directed to the campus Office of the Registrar. Students classified as in-state for admission, tuition, and charge-differential purposes are responsible for notifying the Office of Records and Registration in writing within 15 days of any change of circumstances that might affect their classification at the University of Maryland.

Important Deadlines and Late Fees

Your tuition and fees payment must be received and processed by the due date in order to avoid a late fee. If payment is not received by the due date, the semester outstanding balance is subject to a one-time late fee of 5% to a maximum of $200.00. If you elect the installment payment plan and payment is received in the Student Accounts Office within a ten-day period after the due date you will be charged a late fee of $25. However, if the installment payment is not received within ten days after its due date, the total remaining balance will become due. As with any amount owed to the State of Maryland, seriously past due accounts will be referred to the State Central Collections Unit.

Additional Information

Add/Drop Policy

For most students, and in most circumstances, online add/drop will continue through the first two weeks of the semester. Paper add/drop (as opposed to online add/drop) is recommended for students who are being billed by the credit hour (e.g., 2D, 3D, 3E, and 4E students) who drop classes between the tuition billing date (the day prior to the first day of the semester) and the add/drop deadline. After the add/drop deadline, tuition cannot be reduced in recognition of dropped courses unless the student withdraws from school entirely.

Canceling Registration

Students who advance register or register in person and subsequently decide not to attend the School of Law must notify the Director of Registration & Enrollment in writing on or before the first day of classes. On or before the first day of classes, the University will assume the student plans to attend and accepts his or her financial obligation. Students canceling their registration and those withdrawing from the school must satisfy all outstanding financial obligations to the school and return his or her student identification card. If the above procedures are not completed, the student forfeits the right to any refunds.

Improper Use of Funds

Employees in Operational Units who improperly authorize the use of general funds or other UMB Funds for tuition and other student charges may be subject to disciplinary action and/or criminal action. Payments for tuition or fees using UMB Funds that have not been properly authorized must be reimbursed to UMB from external sources (e.g. Exceptions to this Procedure must be approved in writing by the University Controller (UC) in Financial Services. For more please visit UMB Financial Services Procedures here

Contact Information

Any questions or more detailed information may be obtained from Student Accounts, HS/HSL, 601 W. Lombard Street, Suite 206 (410) 706-2930. Students with general financial aid questions can also visit the Student Financial Planning Coordinator in Suite 280.

Parent Access to Account Information

As a parent, how can I gain access to the account/balance information for my student?

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