We are proud to welcome you to OSU! We know that although the next few months will undoubtedly be very exciting for you and your student it can be a bit confusing as well. This page addresses the most common concerns of parents of incoming students.

When should I be expecting a bill from OSU?

Billing statements will be available to students around the 5th of October and will be due by November 1st to avoid interest charges. All of our billing is processed electronically through eBill. We do not send out paper statements to currently enrolled students. When a billing statement is produced your student will receive an email to their ONID email account letting them know that their statement is ready to view. They can then view their statement online at http://mybill.oregonstate.edu

Can I have access to my student's billing statements as well?

Absolutely! Your student can grant you access to his/her eBill statements by setting you up as an Authorized User. Authorized Users are given their own username and password to be able to log on and view, print or even pay online via eCheck. To set up an authorized user your student would log on to eBill at http://mybill.oregonstate.edu, click on the authorized users tab and follow the instructions. You will then receive an email with your own username and password to be able to log in. Each time an eBill is processed for your student you will receive email notification that it is ready to view.

More information can be found on our Billing and Payment Information page.

How does my student receive their financial aid/scholarship funds?

Provided that your student's financial aid funds have been processed they will show up as a credit on your student's ebill statement. Any scholarships that your student has received from outside sources will also appear as a credit once they have been received by the university and processed Outside scholarships are divided up evenly over the remaining terms of the year unless the donor specifies otherwise.

Please note, however, that Ford Direct Loans for first time freshman borrowers only are subject to a thirty day delay before they can be posted to your student's account. As long as your student has performed all of the steps necessary to have their financial aid released these funds will post before the November 1st due date for Fall term statements. These funds will be shown on your student's eBill statement under the heading "anticipated financial aid".

What happens to excess financial aid/scholarships funds?

If your student receives financial aid/scholarships it will be posted to your student's account. If the credit exceeds the allowable charges on your student's account they will receive a refund check. We say allowable charges because there are some restrictions on federal financial aid funds. Federal financial aid funds are restricted in that they can only pay for items such as tuition/fees and university housing and dining charges automatically. Your student's federal financial aid funds cannot automatically pay for items such as parking permits, parking citations, library fines, printing charges, etc. Therefore it is possible that your student may receive a refund check but still owe a balance on their student account. The bottom line is that students need to check their billing statements even if they receive a refund.

Refunds are automatically printed as checks unless the student signs up for direct deposit.

Please see our Financial Aid Refund Policy for more information on financial aid refund checks.

How do regulations regarding student privacy affect my communication with the Student Finance Office?

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student's educational records. FERPA applies to students financial records as well. Because of these regulations we must have a valid release form on file from your student before we can release any specific information regarding student accounts. To sign a release form students may stop by our office during regular business hours with photo ID.. We can also mail or fax release forms to students, however, the forms must be notarized if they are not signed in person. Release forms automatically expire at the end of the academic year.

Being an authorized user in eBill is not the same as having a valid release form on file.

Please note that the Student Finance release form is valid for the Student Finance Office only. Other OSU offices such as the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, The Office of the Registrar, University Housing and Dining Services, etc. each operate under their own unique guidelines and may require a FERPA release form as well.

Please see our Student Records and Privacy page for more information

How do I contact your office?

In Person: We are located on the main floor of the Kerr Administration Building on the main floor directly across from the Registrar's and Admissions Offices. Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM.

By Telephone: Our number is 541-737-3775. Telephone service hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM

By Email: Our email address is: studentaccountservices@oregonstate.edu

By Snail Mail: Accounts Receivable, Oregon State University, PO Box 1086, Corvallis OR 97339-1086

On the Web: The answers to many questions can also be found on our website at students

Back to the Student Finance Main Page