When, Where and How to Pay
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When to Pay
Due Dates, Late Fees and Interest
Tuition, mandatory fees, course fees, on-campus housing and meal plan charges are due on the first day of each term. Changes made after the due date that effect these charges are due immediately.
Late payment penalties ($55 late fee, 1% interest) are assessed at the close of business on the 15th of each month.
Miscellaneous charges such as bookstore purchases, medical service charges, Western ID card replacement, etc. are due 30-days after the charge is placed on the account.
The 2022-2023 Due Dates and Late Fee Assessment Dates are:
| Term | Tuition & Housing Due Date | Late Fee Assessment Day |
| Fall | September 21 | October 15 |
| Winter | January 4 | January 15 |
| Spring | March 28 | April 15 |
| Summer | June 20 | July 15 |
*$55 late fees are assessed on balances that are $100 or greater and 1% interest is assessed on past due balances.
Payment Methods
Online Payments (eCheck)
Paying by eCheck is Western's preferred method for accepting payments. Paying online is available 24 hours a day with immediate credit to the student’s account. Online eCheck payments are free and convenient. Enter your U.S. checking/savings account information and payment will be made electronically. To make a payment now, visit our Make a Payment page and click on the appropriate button. Parents--or other third parties--making online payments to the student account must be set up as an Authorized Payer by the student in order to access student account information.
It can take up to 5 business days for your eCheck payment to clear your bank. If your bank rejects your payment for ANY reason (i.e. NSF, incorrect account information, etc.), your student account will be assessed a $25 returned check fee, and a $50 returned check fee for each subsequent rejected check payment. Your student account may be subject to late fees and interest, and a student account hold, if a rejected payment causes the balance to remain unpaid after late fee assessment day. When in doubt, contact your bank to verify your account information.
Online Payments (credit/debit card)
Western also accepts online credit and debit card payments with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express branding. Please note, an additional fee will be added to the payment transaction. The fee, which is charged and collected by Transact, is $3 for charges $20-$109 and 2.75% for charges outside of that range.
To make an online payment now, visit our Make a Payment page and click on the appropriate button. Parents--or other third parties--making online payments to the student account must be set up as an Authorized Payer by the student in order to access student account information.
Physical Check
Checks should be made payable to Western Washington University. Checks are credited when received by the Student Business Office, not by postmark. A valid student number (WID) must be included on the front of each check. Checks with incorrect information, that are delayed or lost, or written for less than the amount due may incur late fees and interest charges.
Mailing Address
Western Washington University
Old Main 110, MS9004
516 High ST
Bellingham, WA 98225
In Person
The Student Business Office is located in Old Main, room 110. Our lobby is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). We have three self serve computer kiosks and a cashier window to assist you.
Financial Aid Disbursements
Financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans) will automatically be applied to current quarter charges on a student’s account. Once University charges have been paid, a refund of excess aid be released. If a student incurs additional registration charges after financial aid has been applied to their account, the student is responsible for paying the charges by the tuition due date.
Miscellaneous charges to a student’s account, such as bookstore purchases, Western ID card replacement fee, and health center charges will not be paid by financial aid unless authorized by a student. Fill out the Authorization to Apply Financial Aid Funds form, available online or at the Student Business Online, to allow financial aid to pay these charges.
Using Your Western Account Online
Logging into Western Account Online
Students – Click here or go to your MyWestern account; select the Student tab; select Student Records; select Western Account Online
Authorized Payer – Click here or go to Western’s home page; scroll to the bottom of the page and select Pay Bills.
- If a student created an “Authorized Payer” login for you, enter the Authorized Payer ID and Password provided by the student to access the account.
- If you do not know or forgot your Authorized Payer ID or Password, you can either reset it using the Forgot Password link, or contact your student to reset your Password.
Viewing Online Statements
Students will receive email notifications at their WWU email address when their newest statement is available to be viewed. Authorized Payers will receive notifications at their specified email address.
The statement reflects account activity up to the date of the statement. Check Current Activity Detail for real-time updates of charges/payments on your student account.
Note: Mac users will need to download and install Adobe Reader to view the statement PDF’s. Other PDF viewers may have trouble displaying the statements.
Using Saved Payment Methods
When entering payment details on the ACH (eCheck) or credit card payment sites, you may choose to have the site save your payment information for future use by entering a name for the payment method at the bottom left of that page. Saved payment methods are only available to the account in which they were created; students cannot make payments using saved payment methods from Authorized Payers on their account and vice-versa.
If the student updates the Authorized Payer’s account information (such as password or email address), the saved payment methods will be removed, ensuring the security of your payment information.
Other Payment Methods
Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET)
GET is Washington state’s 529 prepaid college tuition program. It is governed by federal IRS rules and Washington State law (RCW 28B.95). With GET, you save money by prepaying part or all of your child’s college tuition costs now, to avoid paying higher costs in the future. The State of Washington guarantees that the value of your account will keep pace with the cost of resident undergraduate tuition and state-mandated fees at the most expensive public university in Washington. For more information, visit the GET/Dream Ahead website.
Requesting GET Payments
From the GET website:
When it's time for college, you'll need to choose your payment option. It's easy to use your units by logging in to your GET account, selecting "My Account," and looking for the "Use Units" section. To have GET send a payment directly to the school, you will submit a "Direct Payment Request." If you want to pay the school yourself and have GET reimburse you for the expenses paid out-of-pocket, you will complete a "Reimbursement Request." You can also request to use your units by completing the paper forms found on our Forms page under "Use Your Units."
Please allow 14 days for your disbursement to apply to the student account.
For more information or questions regarding your GET account, please contact the GET program:
1-800-955-2318 (toll-free)
360-753-7803 (Olympia, Washington)
Fax: 360-704-6200
http://www.get.wa.gov/
529 Payments
To make a 529 payment, you will first need to log in to your 529 account and set up an electronic funds transfer (EFT) to your personal bank account. Then, when the funds arrive in your bank account, you can make an echeck payment to Western. Just make sure that your personal account is authorized to make ACH payments (not a HELOC or credit card account). There are a number of 529 plans available for direct pay using the Transact payment portal. This is a convenient option and adds a nominal $10 processing fee paid to Transact. We expect to see more 529 providers added to our payment portal in the future. If you have any further questions, please email sbo@wwu.edu. Keep in mind that Western does not offer any financial advice. Contact an accountant or tax professional for any personal financial questions.
Western's Payment Plan
Western’s Payment Plan is offered quarterly to students with a current balance. During the open enrollment period students enroll by selecting the option in their Western Account Online. Students with past due balances are ineligible to enroll in this plan. For more information please visit our payment plan page.
International Payments
Western Washington University has partnered with Convera (formerly Western Union) to offer students an easy way to make international payments. The preferred payment process for an international student to pay their tuition and fees is through International Funds Transfer via Foreign Currency payment. This option allows you to pay your student fees in the currency of your choice in an efficient, secure and inexpensive manner.