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Student Financial Services

Financial Information and Student Responsibilities

The Financial Information Bulletin is published annually and serves as the official guide to SMU's financial policies, tuition, fees, and estimated living expenses. All students are responsible for reviewing and understanding these regulations before enrolling.


Student Rights and Responsibilities

Prior to enrollment each semester, students must acknowledge and agree to the Student Rights and Responsibilities, which include:

  • Financial Rights and Responsibilities

  • Honor Code and Student Code of Conduct

  • Appeals and Complaints

This acknowledgment appears as a task on the student's my.SMU dashboard one month before enrollment opens. A downloadable PDF is available on the Student Rights and Responsibilities website.


Tuition, Billing, and Payment


Students must ensure their accounts are paid in full by the due date specified in SMUpay. Failure to do so may result in financial holds, past due fees, and possible cancellation of enrollment.


Billing and Payment Process

  • Billing notifications are sent to the student's SMU email and any designated authorized user(s) when the billing cycle begins.

  • Students and authorized user(s) can access bills online through SMUpay.

  • If a billing notification is not received two weeks before the due date, students should contact ManeDesk@smu.edu.


Payment Deadlines

  • In-person and mailed payments must be received by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on the due date.

  • In-person payments can be made through the Mane Desk, located on the first floor of the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building.

  • Online payments (e-check or credit card) must be posted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the due date.

  • Payment is due immediately for students who enroll after the payment due date.


Delinquent Accounts

  • Accounts not cleared by the due date will be subject to a 1.5% monthly past-due fee.

  • Financial holds will prevent future registration and/or diploma issuance.

  • The university may cancel current enrollment for students with past due accounts.

  • Unpaid balances may be referred to a collection agency and reported to the national credit bureaus.

  • A collection fee of up to 30% of the outstanding amount, as permitted by law, will be assessed and due in full at the time the account is referred to collection.

  • An additional $50 collection management fee will also be applied.

  • All costs, including collection or attorney fees, incurred in recovering the outstanding balance are the responsibility of the student.


Credit Balances and Withdrawal Refunds

All credit balances are reviewed by Student Financial Services for accuracy before refunding.

  • Credit balances resulting from financial aid disbursement are reviewed before refunding.

  • Credit balance refunds are generally issued directly to the student. However, if a credit balance is created by the disbursement of a Federal Parent PLUS Loan or a private parent loan, then the refund will be issued to the parent borrower. To authorize the release of parent loan funds to the student, the parent borrower must complete and submit a Parent Loan Refund Release Form.

  • International wire refunds are returned to the original account, minus a $35 processing fee.

  • Tuition refunds for withdrawals require an official withdrawal and follow the prorated refund schedule in the Financial Information Bulletin. Withdrawal policies, including medical and mandatory administrative withdrawal, are found under Withdrawal from the University in the Enrollment and Academic Records section of this catalog.

  • Students withdrawing before completing 60% of a term may have their financial aid adjusted, which may result in an outstanding account balance. This calculation is federally mandated and independent of the University's refund policies for withdrawals.

  • Students withdrawing after the 60% point of a term are considered to have earned 100% of their aid.

  • If a credit balance remains after adjustments, the account will be reviewed for possible refund or funds returned to the funding source.

  • An Authorization to Credit Account (ACA) must be on file from the student, allowing the university to apply credit balances to outstanding charges. Parent loan borrowers must submit an Authorization to Credit Account-Parent (ACAP) form.

To avoid unexpected financial consequences, students should consult with a financial aid advisor before withdrawing.