Business Office Policies
Payment Policies
Learn about Creighton University’s policies on refunds, holds, late payment fees and past due accounts to stay informed on financial responsibilities and avoid penalties.
Payment Information
Cash Payments (Form 8300)
The United States Department of the Treasury Publication 1544 requires Creighton University to report all cumulative cash transactions that are $10,000 or greater and received within a 365-day period to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This is reported by the University on IRS Form 8300.
Cash is defined as:
- Currency
- Cashier’s Checks
- Money Orders
- Traveler’s Checks
- Bank Drafts
Form 8300 requires the Social Security Number (SSN), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Alien Identification (ID) or Passport Number of the person making the payment. Please be prepared to provide this information at the time you present your payment if you are utilizing one of the payment methods listed above. Your payment may be rejected if this information cannot be provided.
Form 8300 is due the 15th calendar day after the date the cash was received. The University must provide a written statement to each person named on the form on or before January 31 of the following calendar year in which the cash is received. The form is issued by the Business Office. For more information regarding Form 8300, please contact Student Financial Services.
Late Payment Fees
Accounts that are not paid by the due date listed on the billing notification will be assessed a late fee. If you are not able to make the payment in full, sign up for a Payment Plan. A monthly late fee will be assessed to unpaid accounts.
The late fee cannot be waived simply upon request.
- A student is allowed one late payment waiver during their entire tenure at Creighton
- The waiver must be completed within 30 days of receiving the late fee on your student account
- Late fee waivers may be granted due to Creighton University error or extraordinary circumstances such as severe illness, death of an immediate family member or natural disaster (the University reserves the right to require documentation to substantiate these circumstances)
- Late fees will not be waived for these reasons: lack of funds, unawareness of deadlines, failure to view statement, negligence to complete financial aid process and late-arriving mail (including 529 payments)
A decision on the waiver will be made within 10 business days of the date of submission. If the request is denied, the student may appeal to the Late Payment Fee Appeals Committee by clicking on the link in the denial email. The Late Payment Appeals Committee, which consists of representatives from the Student Financial Services Office, the Registrar’s Office, and the Student Success Office will review the appeal within 10 business days.
The Appeals Committee’s decision is the final step in the University's late payment appeal process.
The Late Fee Waiver form can be found under the Business Office drop down in the Enrollment Management section on my.creighton.edu.
Payments can always be made online via the NEST.
Past Due Accounts
Holds
The Business Office will place a hold on the student’s account for failure to pay a student tuition bill and all monies due to Creighton University by the due date.
Late Payment Fees
Late Payment Fees will be accrued on any unpaid balance that is past due. The student account is considered past due if payment has not been made in full or a Payment Plan has not been established by the due date. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure payment is received on time.
ECSI Recovery Select
Creighton University partners with ECSI Recovery Select to manage student accounts that are past due from 1-90 days. Students will be required to work directly with the ECSI Recovery Select team once their account has been transferred. Students working with Recovery Select will have the option to create payment plans or make a one-time payment to satisfy the balance.
Collection Agencies
Accounts that are past due 90+ days will be transferred from the Recovery Select team to a designated collection agency. It is the student's responsibility to work with the designated collection agency to resolve the balance owed. The student is responsible for paying any collection agency fee/s which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 50% of the delinquent account, together with all expenses, including any reasonable attorney's fees, necessary for the collection of the delinquent account. The delinquent account may be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus.
If you need statements produced for the semester/s in question, please contact us.
Returned Payments
If your paper or e-check payment is returned, a nonrefundable returned item fee will be assessed to the account immediately and a hold may be placed on your account. Holds will not be released, without exception, until the payment has cleared. If your payment is returned, you will need to resubmit the payment.
Student Accounts Holds
The Business Office reserves the right to place a hold on a student account for the reasons listed below. Please read about your hold type and how to remove it. Some holds listed below prevent registration for a future term. Please email us if you have any questions.
Hold Code: BL
Name: ACH Payment Block
Description: Once a student (or authorized user of the student) has three payments returned to the University for any reason, this hold will be placed on the student account. The hold prevents ACH payments to the account. Students and authorized users must pay via credit card, money order, cashier’s check or cash.
How to Release: This hold cannot be released.
Hold Code: BO
Name: Business Office Hold
Description: This hold can be placed for any reason but is generally used on past due tuition and past due payment plan installments. This hold prevents registration and diploma and certificate requests.
How to Release: This hold can be removed once all outstanding items have been satisfied, which may include paying the account in full or making a past due payment on your payment plan.
Hold Code: DD
Name: Direct Deposit of Refund
Description: The Direct Deposit of Refund Hold is a placeholder letting the Business Office know you are signed up for direct deposit. This hold does not prevent registration.
How to Release: This hold will remain on your account until you cancel your direct deposit account.
Hold Code: FR
Name: Statement of Financial Responsibility Hold
Description: The Statement of Financial Responsibility (SFR) needs to be accepted each academic year between June 1 and June 30 to avoid a hold. You will have this hold if you have not yet completed the SFR. This hold prevents registration.
How to Release: To clear this hold, please log on to your NEST account and accept the Statement of Financial Responsibility on the opening page. Once you accept the statement, the hold will be immediately removed.
Hold Code: IF
Name: Returned Payment Hold
Description: If a payment has been attempted and returned to the University for any reason, this hold will be placed until the payment is made and clears the bank (six business days). This hold prevents registration.
How to Release: Successful completion of the payment must be made for the hold to be removed. If you make your next payment by e-credit card, the hold may be removed immediately. If you pay by e-check, the hold may be removed after six business days (after 10 a.m.).
Hold Code: PP
Name: Payment Plan Hold
Description: The Payment Plan Hold is a placeholder letting the Business Office know you are signed up for a payment plan. This hold does not prevent registration.
How to Release: This hold will remain on your account until the payment plan is complete.
Hold Code: SA
Name: Student Account Hold
Description: You must pay the balance down to a minimum of $1,500 to have the hold removed. This hold prevents registration and diploma and certificate requests.
How to Release: You must pay the balance down to a minimum of $1,500 to have the hold removed. The hold will be automatically released by 6 a.m. the following business day after payment is made.
Hold Code: SC
Name: Scholarship Check Hold
Description: Congratulations on your scholarship! If you have this hold, we require your signature on the check we received. This hold prevents registration.
How to Release: Please stop by the Student Financial Services Office to endorse your scholarship check. The office is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. M-F and in the Harper Center, Suite 1100. Once endorsed, the hold will be removed from your account.
Hold Code: SE
Name: Heartland ECSI Student Exit Interview Hold
Description: Students that are graduating, fall below half-time, or withdraw from the University and have a loan held through Creighton University must complete an Exit Interview with Heartland ECSI (our loan servicer). This hold prevents registration and diploma and certificate requests.
How to Release: Search your Creighton email account for an email from webmaster@ecsi.net with instructions on how to complete the Exit Interview. If you cannot find the webmaster email, contact us at studentfinancialservices@creighton.edu to have a new email sent. The online interview takes about 20 minutes to complete. Once the interview is completed, the hold will be automatically removed the following business day by 12 p.m.
Hold Code: SL
Name: Heartland ECSI Student Loan Past Due Hold
Description: This hold is used when a student is past due on their student loan held with Creighton University (serviced by Heartland ECSI). This hold prevents registration.
How to Release: A student loan hold has been placed on your account regarding your loans held with Creighton University and Heartland ECSI (our loan servicer). This hold is used when a borrower is past due on their loan payments. You must pay the balance in full for the hold to be released.
Hold Code: TB
Name: TouchNet Block
Description: This hold is placed on accounts with past due tuition that have been forwarded to ECSI Recovery Select and/or a collection agency. Students and authorized users must pay the account balance in full at either Recovery Select or at the collection agency. Payments are NOT accepted via TouchNet for students with this hold.
How to Release: The hold will automatically be released by 6 a.m. the following business day or after the Business Office is notified the balance is paid in full.
Hold Code: TU
Name: Tuition Account Hold
Description: This hold is placed when a student has an outstanding tuition account balance with the University. This hold does not prevent registration but does prevent diploma and certificate requests.
How to Release: The hold can only be removed if the balance is paid in full. The hold will be automatically released by 6 a.m. the following business day after payment is made in full.
Direct Deposit of Refunds
Creighton University encourages students who are expecting an overpayment or financial aid credit in excess of charges on their tuition account to sign up for Direct Deposit of Refunds in TouchNet through NEST.
Students may have the refunds deposited into any United States bank account they choose. Creighton University does not endorse any specific financial institution.
Students should sign up for Direct Deposit of Refunds at least three business days prior to an expected refund to allow time for the account to be activated. Once the student has signed up, all future refunds will be directly deposited to the bank account indicated unless the student initiates changes or cancels Direct Deposit of Refunds in TouchNet.* Students signed up for Direct Deposit of Refunds will receive an email notification at least one business day prior to the actual deposit of their refund.
It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that the banking information entered is accurate and kept up-to-date should you close your account or change banks. Failure to do so will result in a delay to your expected refund.
*Please note: If a refund has been issued prior to the student signing up for Direct Deposit of Refunds, the refund will be issued as a paper check. Creighton University will not cancel the check to issue the refund as a Direct Deposit.
Signup Instructions:
- Log in to NEST.
- Select “View Statement/Make Payment.”
- You may be presented with 2 or 3 screens that need to be completed for User Onboarding. These include adding an Authorized User, Adding a Payment Method, and opting in to or out of Tuition Protection Purchase.
- Select “Refund Account Setup.”
- Select “Enroll in multi-factor authentication.”
- Follow the remaining steps to finish setting up direct deposit.
Financial Aid Awards
All financial aid proceeds will be credited to the student's tuition and fee account. Student loan proceeds will disburse three business days prior to the start of class if all information required has been completed in a timely manner. Students will be notified to their Creighton University email account if any financial aid checks require endorsement.
Federal Financial Aid Refunds
If Federal Financial Aid exceeds assessed charges, refunds will be disbursed within 14 days after the Federal Financial Aid is credited to the student account. If the student has signed up for Direct Deposit of Refunds on NEST the refund will credit to the bank account on file. If the student has not signed up for Direct Deposit of Refunds a check will be sent to the permanent address on file. It is the student's responsibility to maintain accurate records on the NEST.
Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
Refund checks will be issued for any over payment that is created by a Federal PLUS and will be refunded directly to the parent borrower within 14 days of the loan posting to the student's account. If a parent prefers to have the refund issued to their student, they should select the "Refund to Student" option when applying for the loan. If the parent borrower did not select this during the application process, the parent borrower must submit a written request to the Business Office. Written requests may be provided in person, by mail, through email, or fax.
The university refund policy has been created to support our mission and allow students the maximum amount of time to reflect and discern their course schedule and educational goals. A student is considered in attendance and is responsible for any tuition balances due until s/he has formally notified Creighton University in writing of their withdrawal. Tuition refunds are based on the date s/he made their formal withdrawal. Students who formally withdraw from the University before the official start date of the semester or term will not be liable for the tuition or fees associated with each course. If a student withdraws after the official start date of the semester or term, tuition refunds will be posted to the account based on the schedule below.
| Semester/Term | Tuition & Fees 100% Refund | Tuition 80% Refund | Tuition 60% Refund | Tuition 40% Refund | Tuition 20% Refund | Not Eligible for Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Semester (Fall or Spring) | 1st - 7th calendar day of semester | 8th - 14th calendar day of semester | 15th - 21st calendar day of semester | 22nd - 28th calendar day of semester | 29th - 35th calendar day of semester | 36th calendar day and after |
| 10-, 11- or 12-Week | 1st - 5th calendar day of term | NA | 6th - 10th calendar day of term | NA | 11th - 15th calendar day of term | 16th calendar day and after |
| 7- or 8-Week | 1st - 4th calendar day of term | NA | 5th - 7th calendar day of term | NA | 8th - 10th calendar day of term | 11th calendar day and after |
| 4-, 5- or 6-Week | 1st - 3rd calendar day of term | NA | 4th - 5th calendar day of term | NA | 6th - 7th calendar day of term | 8th calendar day and after |
| 3-week | 1st - 2nd calendar day of term | NA | 3rd - 4th calendar day of term | NA | NA | 5th calendar day and after |
| 1- or 2-week | 1st calendar day of term | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2nd calendar day and after |
Creighton University is required to complete the return of federal aid calculation for all students receiving financial aid. This is a proportional calculation based upon time enrolled during a semester, type of aid received, and direct costs. Students impacted by this policy will receive a worksheet outlining the steps and resulting calculation.
For the Doctor of Medicine program withdrawal/refund policy, please view the Creighton University School of Medicine Medical Education Program Policies.
Continuing Education Refund Policy: Continuing education and professional development courses may be cancelled by the attendee in writing up to 7 days before the course begins for a full refund, less a $25 processing fee. Some courses are not eligible for a refund; these exceptions are noted in specific course descriptions. If a course is cancelled by the University for non-weather related issues, the student will be notified and a full refund will be processed. In the event of a weather related closure, the course will be rescheduled.
Refunds of food and housing due to withdrawal from the University will be prorated.
Nonrecurring fees, the application fee, the University fee, the technology fee, special service fee and penalty fees will be charged in full, after the 100% refund period. The nonrecurring, penalty, and special service fees include; deferred payments, late payments, special examination/evaluations, challenge examinations, recording, tuition remission administrative fees, orientation fee and lockers.
Undergraduate full-time students who drop courses after the last day for late registration but remain full-time (12 or more credit hours) receive no refund. If a full-time student drops to part-time status, refund of the difference between the full-time tuition charge and the per-credit-hour charge for the courses being continued will be made in accordance with the refund schedule. Students assessed tuition per credit hour, including part-time students, graduate students, law students and students in a summer session, will be charged for courses dropped in accordance with the refund schedule. In the event of total withdrawal, students will be refunded in accordance with the refund schedule.
A student will be considered as having withdrawn from the University after two consecutive weeks of unexplained absence. However, this policy is not to be considered as revoking the regulation that requires a student to notify the Dean in writing of his/her withdrawal. Refunds are made to the student on the basis of the date he/she has formally notified the Dean in writing of their withdrawal.
Creighton University’s return policy for Military Tuition Assistance (TA) funds aligns with the return of unearned student aid rules applicable to Federal student aid as required under section 484B of the Department of Education Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Unearned TA funds will be refunded on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. In instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, Creighton will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.
If you settled any portion of your account with a credit/debit card, the card must be refunded first before the remaining balance can be processed through any other refund method. As stated in the Payment Options, the 3% processing fee is non-refundable.
If a Personal Check was used as a method of payment and a credit balance is created by a tuition adjustment, the refund amount will be returned after 10 business days have passed to ensure that a check has cleared the account.
Contact Student Financial Services
For the fastest service, please contact Student Financial Services.
Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Central Time)
Harper Center, Suite 1100
402.280.2707
Mailing Address:
780330 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178-0330
