Paying with Aid

Aid that a student has been awarded will appear on the registration bill in the payment column if certain conditions are met. Even though aid appears as a payment on the bill, the actual aid does not arrive until the start of the semester, and only if the bill payment process has been completed.

Different aid programs have their own set of requirements that need to be satisfied for them to appear on the bill. Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans and estimated external scholarship funds show on the bill as "confirmed future aid". Other aid programs will be listed by name.

Not all aid will appear on the bill if all conditions have not been met.

After the bill payment process is completed the "Account Summary by Term" in CyberBear will only show the aid as a payment if it has actually arrived.

Paying with Aid Details

For students who have registered for classes, bills begin to be generated for the autumn semester in mid-July, for the spring semester in mid-November and for the summer semester in mid-April. The bill is usually due two weeks prior to the start of a term.

ALL STUDENTS must complete the bill payment process by the corresponding deadlines to avoid late fees, retain their classes and to receive financial aid.

Completing the bill payment process means that a student has paid the outstanding balance that appears on the Registration Bill in CyberBear. If there is a zero or negative balance (meaning a refund may be available once the aid pays) the student still must select the "Pay Registration Bill" option on the page.

After a student completes the payment process, the pending aid is removed from the bill. Until the aid arrives, a student's account will show a remaining balance due. It is the student's responsibility to make sure they complete all aid requirements for the actual funds to pay.

A refund should be available the Friday before classes start if a student has completed all aid requirements by the stated deadlines, has finished the bill payment process at least two weeks before the first day of classes, is due a refund and has signed up for direct deposit. The refund can then be used to purchase textbooks.

UM does not give students the option to charge books to their student account or use pending financial aid in the bookstore to purchase textbooks or supplies. Students who will not be receiving a refund of excess aid, or whose aid will not be available prior to the start of classes will need to come prepared to purchase their books using other means.

In limited situations, an external organization e.g. Vocational Rehabilitation, or scholarship e.g. athletes, pays for a student's books directly. In such situations, the student should contact the UM Bookstore to make sure that a record of the voucher has been received.

Federal Perkins Loans will only appear on the bill if the student has accepted the loan in CyberBear, has completed the entrance counseling in CyberBear and submitted the signed promissory note to Business Services.

The following loan programs will be combined on one line of the bill as "confirmed future aid":

  • Federal Direct Student Loans (subsidized or unsubsidized) will appear on the bill as long as the student has accepted the loan in CyberBear and is registered in at least six credits
  • Federal Direct PLUS Loans (for parents or graduate students) will only appear on the bill if the loan has been accepted in CyberBear, is registered for at least six credits, and UM has received the credit approval from the federal processor
  • Private student loans will only appear on the bill if UM has received the credit approval from the lender and completed the loan certification process

Federal Grants will only appear on the bill if the student's application has gone through the final review process.

The FSEOG grant will not appear on the bill unless the student is registered for the number of credits reflected on the "Special Messages" tab in the financial aid section of CyberBear.

The Federal Pell Grant will appear on the bill, but will be prorated if the student is not registered for the number of credits reflected on the "Special Messages" tab in the financial aid section of CyberBear.

A UM scholarship will appear on the bill as long as it is listed on the student's award notice and the student is registered for the required number of credit hours (usually 12).

Waivers do not appear on the student's award notice as an itemized amount, but will appear on the bill once the waiver is approved. The waiver should also appear on the "Resources/Additional Information" tab in the financial aid section of CyberBear after the student's application has gone through the final review process.

The expected amount on the "Resources/Additional Information" tab corresponds to the tuition component in the Cost of Attendance (COA) rather than the actual tuition charged. The actual amount will always be $0 on this tab. When the waiver pays, the amount is reflected on the "Account Summary by Term" page in CyberBear.

When a student notifies the financial aid office that they will be receiving a scholarship from an external organization, the amount is recorded in CyberBear as a resource. This amount will then appear on the bill, combined on one line with loans as "confirmed future aid".

Once the actual scholarship check arrives, the amount will no longer appear as confirmed future aid but will be on a separate line as "Misc Donor Scholarships". However, if the check is made co-payable to UM and the student, the funds will not post to the student's account as an actual payment until the student has endorsed the check in Business Services.

If a student has multiple external scholarships, the amounts will be combined either in the resource section or on the award. Detailed information as to which scholarship checks have been received is on the "Messages" page in the financial aid section of CyberBear.

If a student is receiving funding from a tuition assistance program (TAP), e.g.Vocational Rehabilitation or Military Tuition Assistance, it will not appear on the student's award notice as an itemized amount. It will appear on the bill once the contract has been received in Business Services. The TAP should also appear on the "Resources/Additional Information" tab in the financial aid section of CyberBear after the student's application has gone through the final review process.

The expected amount on the "Resources/Additional Information" tab corresponds to the tuition, fee and book components in the Cost of Attendance (COA) rather than the actual payment received from the external agency. The actual amount will always be $0 on this tab. When the TAP pays, the amount is reflected on the "Account Summary by Term" page in CyberBear.

If the agency is not covering the full tuition, fees and books, the student should submit confirmation of actual benefits being received. The student's aid package will then be adjusted accordingly.

If aid is not appearing on the bill it could be for one of the following reasons:

  • The financial aid office has not received the student's FAFSA or it is invalid
  • Unsatisfied requirements exist
  • The final review process has not been completed
  • The student is not enrolled in the required number of credits (wait-listed courses do not count as enrolled credits)
  • The bill has not been updated to reflect changes to registration (financial aid credits are adjusted overnight)
  • The student is ineligible due to exceeding the maximum credits allowed
  • The student is ineligible due to not making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)
  • The student/department/agency has not notified the financial aid office about an award
  • The financial aid office is awaiting approval from the Department of Education