Which office can answer questions about finances?
If the question you have is regarding your financial aid package and/or any student loans, you should contact the Financial Aid Office. If your question is regarding your tuition bill and/or making payments on your account, you should contact the Student Accounts Office.
How will the Student Accounts Office communicate with me?
The Student Accounts Office (and many other offices on campus) will communicate with you via your St. Olaf email account. This includes notifying you that statements are available so be sure to check it regularly.
My Account Detail/Current Balance does not match my what is listed as due under Bills/Amount Due. Which one is accurate?
On the financials main page in SIS, you might see two different balances; one is under Account Details/Current Balance, and another under Bills/Amount Due. The balance under “Bills” shows the amount you owed at the time that the bill was generated. The most up-to-date charge is the one Account Details because it will show if there was any charges that were added to your student account after the last bill was generated.
When and to whom is the tuition statement sent?
In early July, the bill for fall semester will be emailed to the student’s St. Olaf email account. All billing statements are sent as e-bills to the St. Olaf student email accounts automatically. If a student wishes to grant access to someone other than themselves, he or she may add additional email addresses in the Student Information System (SIS) under the Permissions section. Due to FERPA guidelines the student must be the one to set up access to their bill.
How do I set up another email address to receive my tuition statements?
If you would like your parent or guardian to have access to your tuition statements, and to be able to make payments online, you can add them in Permissions page. To do this, you will need to sign into the SIS and click on the Permissions link. Enter the relevant email addresses (one at a time if the email address is not already in here) and authorize viewing of selected information to that address. Click the green Grant Access button to grant access to the selected options for that email address. An email will then be sent to that address letting them know that they now have access to this information. If you need further assistance please see our instructions. Or visit the Parent Access page.
When are payments due?
Fall semester payments are due August 1. Spring semester payments are due February 1. A 0.5% finance charge will be assessed monthly on unpaid accounts.
What other charges might I incur during the school year?
There may be additional charges after your initial fee statement is emailed in July. These include, but are not limited to: bookstore charges, music lessons, parking tickets, fines, and January Term program fees.
How do I buy textbooks?
Students may purchase books online or in the bookstore and use credit cards, cash, Ole dollars, or checks to pay for books. Textbooks may also be charged to your tuition account. If books are charged to a student’s account your options to pay for them are the same as the options to pay for tuition charges; out of pocket payments, payment plan, and financial aid.
Why doesn’t my financial aid appear on my bill?
If you receive your bill in July and your financial aid is not showing on the bill, this means your award has not been finalized. Contact the Financial Aid Office or access Financial Aid Online to find out what might be missing from your file.
How can student employment be used to pay my tuition?
The student will need to complete the Student Payment Authorization Form. This will allow you to have your student work earnings go toward your tuition or you can choose to have it deposited directly into a checking or savings account. As you work and earn money your paycheck is applied to the student account. This can be changed at any point throughout the school year.
My bill is due but I am planning on using my student work to pay for it? What do I do.
Because your student work award is not guaranteed we recommend that students pay their balance in full and then use any work earning that are earned to pay for the following semester. If you are not able to pay in full, finance charges accrue on the unpaid balance on a monthly basis.
How will my student work earnings appear on my student account/bill?
Students who have chosen to have their student work earning applied to their student account will see the paychecks applied to their student accounts as they earn them. As the work award is earned it will be applied to the student’s account every other week.
Who is eligible for student employment?
Only students who receive need-based aid are eligible for student employment. If you are eligible, your financial aid award will contain a student work award amount.
Is the amount of my student employment award guaranteed?
First-year students are provided with a work assignment by the Human Resources department. Students are paid for the hours they work each pay period and must schedule the appropriate number of hours per week to earn their full work awards, e.g. 10 hours/week to earn approximately $2,700 for the year. Students who need assistance in finding more hours to earn their work award should contact the Human Resources department. We cannot guarantee that all students will earn the full amount of their work awards, but we will attempt to match students with supervisors who can provide adequate hours.
Are there any documents I need to bring to campus with me if I plan to work on campus?
YES! Before you can start working on campus, you will be required to complete an I-9 Verification Form, in person. In order to complete the forms, two acceptable forms of identification are required. These forms include a U.S. Passport, driver’s license and Social Security card. You must bring original documents—we cannot accept photocopies! There are other options for acceptable identification. If you have any questions, you should contact Audrey Turner in the Human Resources Department. Please see the Student Employment homepage for more information.
I have been billed for health insurance but I am covered under my parent’s plan. What do I need to do?
For the safety of our students we require that all students have adequate health insurance either through the option we offer or under a comparable health insurance policy of their choice. Domestic students who do not wish to enroll in the St. Olaf insurance must complete an online waiver form. For up-t0-date information on waiver forms and deadlines please visit our health insurance webpage.
We will then determine if the insurance you have is comparable to the St. Olaf option, and if it’s not, you will be required to participate in the appropriate student insurance plan which is offered through First Student with St. Olaf College’s cooperation.
International students are not allowed to waive the insurance and are auto enrolled in the international health insurance plan.