Methods of Payment

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Earning a degree from SMU is a joint investment among students, their families, and the University. SMU offers several payment options and extended payment plans that can help with expenses during the college years. Students and parents have the option of paying by check, money order, cashier’s check, credit card (American Express, Discover, and MasterCard), VISA credit card (may only be used for payments made to the Student Account (Tuition/fees, room, meal plan, parking permit, mandatory health insurance, and payment plans), direct wiring of funds, or with the assistance of financial aid. In addition to state and federal sources of financial aid, SMU offers various financing plans, which are administered by the SMU Division of Enrollment Services.

SMUPAY

SMU provides a secure website through which you can make electronic check (eCheck) and electronic credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and VISA) payments to your SMU accounts. VISA may only be used for payments made to the Student Account (Tuition/fees, room/board, parking permit, mandatory health insurance) and payment plans. A different payment profile that does not use VISA can be used for payments made to the Miscellaneous Account. Payments made online will be posted to the student and/or miscellaneous account at once. At the time of electronic payment, a receipt will be provided. Please visit smu.edu/bursar/smupay.asp to log into SMUpay.

Note: Credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and VISA) payments will be processed through NelNet Business Solutions, Inc. If you choose this option, a non-refundable service charge fee will be added for each transaction. The non-refundable service charge fee is 2.85 percent.

Make sure the pop-up blocker is off. SMUpay requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or newer, Mozilla Firefox 17 or newer or Google Chrome 24 or newer with JavaScript, Cookies and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) enabled.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

Credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and VISA) payments will be processed through NelNet Business Solutions, Inc. VISA may only be used for payments made to the Student Account (Tuition/fees, room/board, parking permit, mandatory health insurance) and payment plans. A different payment profile that does not use VISA can be used for payments made to the Miscellaneous Account. If you choose the credit card payment option, a non-refundable service charge fee will be added for each transaction. Due to fee increases imposed on our third-party payment processor, Nelnet Campus Commerce, the non-refundable credit card service fee is 2.85%.

eCheck (Personal Checking or Savings) PAYMENTS

(no service charge fee)

You will need to provide your bank account’s routing number and checking or savings account number. If you have questions about the correct numbers to use, please contact your financial institution. Keep in mind that some banks use different routing numbers for ACH transactions and wire transfers. The routing number you need to use for payment through an eCheck is the ACH routing number, which is typically found at the bottom of your check and is the left-most number, followed by your account number, and then by the number of the check. Do NOT use any numbers on your debit card.

Requirements for non-checking accounts: For savings account routing numbers, contact your financial institution. Deposit slips may not include the correct routing number. Not all payments from brokerage/investment accounts can be made online; please check with your account representative. Checks written from credit card accounts, commonly called convenience or credit advance checks, may not allow electronic transactions. Contact your financial institution to find out if ACH transactions are allowed.

STUDENTS

Begin processing by logging on to https://my.SMU.edu. Select Students tile, click on Student Dashboard, click on Financials on the left-hand side menu, click on SMUpay and select the account you are paying for on the View & Pay Accounts page.

FACULTY/STAFF

Begin processing by logging on to https://my.SMU.edu. Select Employees tile, select Employee Self-Service on the drop-down menu, click on the Financial Account tile, select a term, and click on an amount, click on SMUpay and select the account you are paying for on the View & Pay Accounts page.

AUTHORIZED PAYER (SMUPAY: VIEW BILLS AND MAKE PAYMENTS)

Students can add Authorized Payers on their SMUpay account. Authorized Payers can view a student’s bills, statements and unbilled activity, as well as make payments. When students add an Authorized Payer, the added payer will receive an email that will have the User ID and URL needed to complete the Authorized Payer setup. The Authorized Payer will need to get the temporary password from the student. Parents and others can access a student’s account once they have been added as an Authorized Payer. Students should visit smu.edu/bursar/smupay.asp and click on the Parents/Authorized Payers tab found at the bottom of the page for further instructions on adding an Authorized Payer. Instructions for resetting a login name and password can also be found on this website.

DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL WIRE PAYMENTS

Convera (formerly known as Western Union) has partnered with SMU for International and Domestic wire payments. Through SMU’s partnership with Convera, you can make domestic wire payments through your my.SMU portal or Authorized Payer account. Make Payment to the student account by selecting the Link in SMUpay and completing the process with Convera. Save on bank fees and exchange rates. Convera is worldwide. Provide current Student ID for payment to be applied correctly.

SMU has partnered with Flywire and Convera to provide our international students with easy and secure methods to send international payments through your my.SMU portal or Authorized Payer account.

Make Payment to the student account by selecting the Link in SMUpay and completing the process. Save on bank fees and exchange rates. You can make international wire payments to the student account by selecting the link in SMUpay and completing the process. Provide the correct Student SMU ID number for payment to be applied correctly. Be sure to follow the selected wire vendor’s instructions to complete payment through your bank. The payment will be posted to your student account within 24 hours of the payment status being delivered to Flywire or Convera. Payments must be paid far enough in advance to be posted to your account by the due date.

529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN AND STATE PREPAID COLLEGE PLANS

Many states and financial institutions offer college savings programs that enable families to save money for a child’s college education. Each state and financial institution has separate rules and regulations that govern how funds may be used and how they are sent to SMU. Please contact your provider to decide how and when to request a release of funds, as well as what documents you will need to support your request.

Payments should be mailed to:

Southern Methodist University

Student Financial Services

P.O. Box 750181

Dallas, TX 75275

Overnight/Courier:

Southern Methodist University

Student Financial Services

6185 Airline Rd.

Dallas, TX 75205

IMPORTANT: Providers must include the student’s name and SMU ID number to ensure prompt processing. Please allow up to ten (10) business days from the date that your provider sends payment for receipt and processing by SMU.

TUITION REFUND INSURANCE

Tuition Refund Insurance can help refund your tuition, fees, room, and meal plan charges, up to the policy limits, if you are unable to complete the semester due to a covered medical reason such as an illness, accident, or mental health issue. This insurance program complements and enhances SMU’s refund policy, and we believe families will benefit from this added protection. Please visit www.gradguard.com/tuition/smu to review the complete refund policy and for more information about Tuition Refund Insurance.