Office of the Bursar | Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find my bill?

From your ESF Student Portal, click on Student Account. Then click on View/Pay bill. This will take you to the place where you can see your bill, pay your bill online with a credit card or your bank account (ACH). You can also sign up for an interest free payment plan.

How do I use my 529 Savings Plan to make a payment?

Contact your plan manager. A check will need to be made payable to SUNY ESF. Please provide the student’s name and ID# on the check Mail it to: SUNY ESF Bursar’s Office, 1 Forestry Drive, 103 Bray Hall, Syracuse, NY 13210

How do I determine my balance due?

From your account, click on “Activity Details”. At the top of the page, take the “Current term Charges and Payments” and subtract the “Current term Pending Aid Credits”. This will give you the amount you owe out of pocket. If the amount is negative, you will be receiving a refund.

My Financial Aid is more than my charges. Can it be applied to the next term?

The Bursar’s Office will refund credit balances on your account as a result of an adjustment or overpayment of your account. A credit balance may be the result of overpayment by you or financial aid that you receive.

Refunds are made payable to the student regardless of who made the payment. The only refund made payable to someone other than the student is a refund from the Parent PLUS Loan. Parent PLUS Loan refunds are made payable to the recipient indicated on the Parent PLUS Loan application.

When will I get my refund?

We start processing refunds the first week of classes. Domestic students get their refunds through Bank Mobile. International students will get a paper check from the Cashier’s Office.

I received an email from Bank Mobile. Is this a scam?

No. Bank Mobile is a third-party company ESF uses to process refunds for domestic students*. By setting up your preference with your bank account, you will get your refund deposited within 24-48 hours after ESF sends them the refund file. Otherwise, you must wait 21 days for Bank Mobile to send you a paper check in the mail.

*International students will receive paper checks directly from the Cashier’s Office at ESF. The Cashier will email you when the check is ready. You can either request to pick up the check during business hours or have it mailed to you.

My Graduate Tuition Scholarship is not showing on my account. What do I do?

Go to the Grad School located at 227 Bray Hall. They will assist you with your scholarship.

I have a Graduate Tuition Scholarship. Why is there still a balance on my account?

Your Graduate Tuition Scholarship covers tuition only. You are responsible for paying the fees.

When does pending aid get posted to my student account?

The Financial Aid Office will start posting aid to accounts the first week of school. They will continue to do this throughout the semester. Some aid will not post until the end of the semester.

Does work study get applied to my student bill?

No. Work study is paid directly to the student as a paycheck.

Why is my total “cost of attendance” different than my bill?

The “cost of attendance” is not the same as your bill. It is an estimate of what your overall cost to attend college will be so that your eligibility for grants and loan amounts can be determined. The student bill includes tuition, fees, room but there are other college-related expenses in your cost of attendance that you may incur that are not paid to the school (i.e. books).

I paid my bill by the due date and now I have additional charges. What are they for?

If you drop a class and add a class that has a course fee and/or a transportation fee, you will see that additional fee show up on your bill. You need to pay the new charge by the due date or you will be assessed a late fee. You will not be notified of this new charge therefore we highly recommend you keep checking your account throughout the semester.

I dropped a class before the drop deadline. Why do I still have to pay for it?

SUNY has a liability schedule for dropping classes. After the first week, you will be partially liable for any classes you drop. Please see the Bursar’s website for the dates and liability rates.

Will I lose my financial aid if I withdraw from school?

You should consult the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from school to fully understand the consequences to your financial aid for the current term and also to find out if it puts you at risk of losing your eligibility for future terms. If you “unofficially” withdraw (stop attending all your classes without completing the formal withdrawal forms), your financial aid may be returned, and you could be responsible for a significant amount due to the College.

I am an international student with health insurance on my bill. I am covered under a different policy. How do I get the charge off my bill?

If you are signing up for the insurance plan through your employment with the College, go to Human Resources. They will enroll you in the college employee plan and tell our office to remove the charge from your bill. If you are covered under a different policy outside of ESF, please email the Office of International Education at oie@esf.edu so they can check your coverage. They will let us know to remove the charge from your bill.

How do I pay for the SU Meal Plan?

Syracuse University will send you a separate bill for the meal plan charge. For Fall 23 they will be sending out the bill around September 22. It will be due October 13. You will need to pay this through your MySlice account directly to SU.

I live in Centennial Hall. I see my room charge on my tuition bill but I am also getting a bill from Centennial Hall. Am I paying twice?

No. You pay your room charges on your ESF bill. If you receive an additional bill from Centennial Hall it may be for additional dorm charges like a room key charge or a bike lock charge. You do not need to pay the room charge to them too.

When are the bills due?

Fall bills are due on August 15. Spring bills are due on January 15th. Accounts with a balance at that time will be assessed a late fee and put on hold until the account is paid in full. Any account with a balance due at the end of the semester will be sent to the Attorney General’s Office for collection. Please refer to the ESF Collection policy for more information.

Can I give access to someone else to make payments on my account?

Yes. In the Overview tab on your account, scroll down to “Do you want help paying?”. Click on “Send a payer invitation.”

Can I pay my bill in person?

Yes. Please go to the Cashier’s Office – 102 Bray Hall. Office hours are 8:00am – 4:00pm Monday through Friday during the academic year. Summer hours are 8:00am – 3:30pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00am – 11:30am on Friday.

Where is the Bursar’s Office located?

Our office is in 103 Bray Hall. The office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm during the academic year. Summer hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm. You can also reach us at (315) 470-6652 or bursar@esf.edu.

Office of the Bursar Frequently Asked Questions

Office of the Bursar
Frequently Asked Questions