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Billing and Payments

Billing and Payment Information

Charging to Accounts

Northwest allows students to charge various items throughout campus to their University account. All miscellaneous charges are due by the 15th of the following month. Listed below are some of the items we allow to be charged to accounts.

  • Bearcat Shop charges
  • Parking fines
  • Wellness Services charges
  • Laser printing
  • Art store charges
  • Yearbook

Monthly Billing Statement

Students will receive their fall billing statement mid-July and the spring billing statement in mid-December. Full payment must be made on or before the due date to avoid finance charges.

Northwest uses a balance forward system. Any unpaid charges will appear on subsequent bills as a previous balance. Just like your MasterCard or VISA statement, charges will not be itemized a second time. Only new charges will be itemized.

Failure to pay the minimum due or make acceptable payment arrangements with the Office of Student Account Services could result in the students inability to use their meal plan and the possibility of administrative withdrawal. A series of email notifications are sent prior to any of these measures. Student fees and miscellaneous charges are billed monthly and are consolidated on the billing statement. This allows the University to send the student one monthly billing statement covering all charges including tuition, technology fees, textbook rental fees as well as housing and food. The student ID card, Bearcat Card, also serves as a campus charge card. The charges are billed through one consolidated account for items such as Bearcat Shop purchases, copy charges, dining dollars, parking permits and Wellness Services charges.

Where Are Bills Sent?

All bills will be emailed to the student's Northwest email account.

Students may add additional authorized users to receive an email notification of the new bill to which they can view online.

Dual Credit Students: In addition to the above, dual credit students will receive a paper bill each month to the permanent address listed on file.

Installment Plan (Fall 2023 - Summer 2024)

Students are encouraged to pay the total balance on or before the due date to avoid finance charges. Students will automatically be enrolled in an installment plan at the time they receive their bill. Students can view their installment amounts in the payment center.

Things to know

  • A 1% finance charge will apply to any unpaid, billed balance on the 16th of each month.
  • Financial aid and scholarships will reduce the overall balance on your account and cannot be used towards an installment payment.
  • If financial aid and/or scholarships are not authorized to your account by the due date, you will be subject to a finance charge. If a scholarship check is made payable to the student and Northwest, student endorsement will be required before it can post to the student’s account.
  • Monthly automatic withdrawal available.

View Your Installment Amount

  1. Log into the Payment Center
  2. Payment Plans tab

Direct Deposit

Students anticipating a refund can sign up for direct deposit. 

  • Enter the Payment Center by logging into CatPAWS
  • Select the Account tab
  • Select Payment Center
  • In the Payment Center, select Refunds at the top of the page
  • Select Set up account and continue through the prompts to set up your profile

Statement of Financial Responsibility

The Financial Responsibility Statement outlines the terms and conditions of the financial responsibilities and obligations associated with attending Northwest Missouri State University.

View the Statement of Financial Responsibility View PDF

Federal Title IV Funds

What are federal Title IV funds?

Title IV funds are federal student aid funds administered by the United States Department of Education.  Department of Education regulations only allow schools to use these funds to pay for current academic year institutional charges.

Title IV Funds

  • Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans
  • Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
  • Direct PLUS Loans
  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOGs)
  • Federal Perkins Loans

Federal Title IV funds do not include scholarships from the University, Northwest Foundation or other private organizations.

Allowable Charges

  • Tuition
  • Mandatory fees
  • Housing and food, if contracted with the University

Non-Allowable Charges

  • Parking fines/permits
  • Health services/lab fees
  • Fines - Library, textbook, laptop, housing, discipline
  • Late fees, finance charges
  • Health insurance
  • Inclining dining

How are Title IV funds applied to my University account?

The U.S. Department of Education requires Title IV funds be applied to specific allowable charges.  If your total of Title IV funds exceeds the allowable charges, the University will refund the excess to you.

Paying Your bill

In Person / Online / Mail

In person

Effective May 1, 2024, cash, debit cards, and credit cards will no longer be accepted in the Cashiering Office.

  • Check, cash*, debit card, credit card or money order
  • *Northwest will accept $500 per day and no more than $1,500 per semester, in cash payments, for each account holder.

Online

  • Electronic check
  • Online debit
  • Credit card

Pay Now

Mail

  • Cashiering Office
    Northwest Missouri State University
    800 University Drive
    Maryville, MO 64468-6001
  • Be sure to include your 919#

International Payment

Flywire

Northwest Missouri State University has partnered with Flywire to streamline the tuition payment process of international payments. Flywire allows you to pay securely from any country and any bank, generally in your home currency.

By making your payment with Flywire you can:

  • Track your payments from start to finish
  • Save on bank fees and exchange rates
  • Contact their multilingual customer support team with any questions, day, or night

To make the payment:

If you have questions about making an international payment visit help.flywire.com

Northwest and Flywire Partnership Letter View PDF

Students from India can apply for a pre-loaded EbixCash card View PDF to be loaded before departure. Travel safely without carrying cash and worrying about transferring funds.

Convera

Northwest Missouri State University has chosen Convera to give you a simple, reliable way to pay. This allows you to pay in your home currency, either online or by bank transfer, with competitive exchange rates and takes the stress and uncertainty out of paying for your tuition. Please transfer only the amount due on your student account to avoid payment delays.

How to make a payment:

  1. Login to the Payment Center
  2. Select make a payment
  3. Add the amount to pay, select continue
  4. Under the Method, select Bank Wire and follow the prompts

If you have a payment in progress and have questions or need help with a payment initiated by foreign currency, please contact StudentSupport@convera.com. Please include student’s full name, student ID and institution name in the subject line of the email. A dedicated hotline for student inquiries is also available to help you through the payment process: 

USA/Canada
+1 877.218.8829
+1 402.884.3041

TransferMate

Your student account is the place for paying your tuition and fees online.  Northwest Missouri State University has teamed up with TransferMate to provide a streamlined and secure payment method through your student account that also reduces bank fees and improves your payment experience.  With TransferMate, students can pay tuition and fees in their local currency from nearly any country.

What are the benefits?

  • Accurate currency conversions
  • Competitive exchange rates
  • Local currency payment methods
  • Faster payment posting to your student account
  • Exceptional customer service

Get started by logging into the Payment Center, through CatPAWS. Watch this video for a quick demo.

How to make a payment:

  • Login to the Payment Center
  • Select Make Payment
  • Add the amount to pay, select Continue
  • Under the Method, select TransferMate INTL and follow the prompts

With TransferMate, rates are held for 48 hours, you can track your transaction throughout the payment process and have access to 24-7 customer support. For assistance, contact edu@transfermate.com

Collections

I have a past due bill, what do I do?

Current students

Please refer to Payment Options. To avoid an account being sent to an outside collection agency, when no longer enrolled, students should update their address, phone number and email information so the University can contact you regarding a past due balance.

Former student, University employee or community member/business

Student Account Services is responsible for collection on past due balances of former students, University employees and community members/businesses. Internal collection efforts begin when an account is at least 30 days past due. At 60 days past due, a letter is sent with the billing statement, informing the account holder of the account balance, explaining consequences that can result from non-payment and offering an installment plan. Upon receipt of this letter, please contact 660.562.1583 to discuss payment options if unable to pay the balance in full. If you do not contact the University, efforts will be made to contact the account holder at the phone numbers and emails on file to arrange an installment plan if the account cannot be paid in full. If regular installments are received, the account will remain in university collection and will not be placed with an outside collection agency. Registration privileges will be restricted, and transcripts will not be released on past due accounts.


What happens if my account is placed with an outside collection agency?

Every effort will be made by the University to reach the account holder to secure payment in full or arrange an installment plan. If the account holder cannot be contacted, after 90 days, the account will be placed with an outside agency to pursue collection efforts. Accounts placed with a collection agency may be reported to the credit bureaus as allowed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). In this case, account holders will be restricted from registering for classes and requesting transcripts, until the balance is paid in full. This can also have an adverse effect on the ability to apply for a loan, rent an apartment and more. It is important that account holders contact Student Account Services to make payment arrangements to avoid this scenario.


My account has been referred to a collection agency, what should I do?

When an account is referred to an outside collection agency, billing statements will no longer be issued by the University.

  • Account holders who wish to make payment or schedule installments will need to contact the collection agency their account was placed with.
  • Registration will be placed on hold and transcripts will not be released until the balance is resolved.
  • The University receives payments once a month from the outside collection agency. Once full payment is received on the account, holds will be removed allowing registration and/or transcript requests. Because payments are received once a month, accounts are not updated in real time with the University if paid in full. Account holders can contact the University directly at 660.562.1583 to speak with a billing and collection coordinator to review the account restrictions and verify if those can be removed prior to the University receiving the funds from the outside collection agency.

Outside Collection Agency Listing

Key2Recovery
201 N Brookwood Avenue
Hamilton, OH  45013
Phone: 877.322.KEY2
www.Key2recovery.com

National Credit Management
PO Box 32900
St. Louis, MO  63132
Phone: 800.627.2300
www.ncmstl.com

Williams and Fudge, Inc.
300 Chatham Avenue
PO Box 11590
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Phone: 800.849.9791
www.wfcorp.com/ 

Radius Global Solutions, LLC formerly Windham Professionals, Inc.
7831 Glenroy Suite 250
Edina, MN 55439
855.753.1581
www.radiusgs.com

State of Missouri Debt Offset Program

Northwest Missouri State University participates in the Debt Offset Program that intercepts State income tax refunds to satisfy outstanding debts.  Debtors with a past due, prior term balance greater than $25 will be reported to the Missouri Department of Revenue.  The Department of Revenue will notify the taxpayer if the amount owed to the University has been deducted from the individual’s Missouri State income tax return and sent to the University to be applied to the outstanding balance.