Health Sciences Financial Aid Clearance
All students must be financially clear each semester in order to enroll and participate in academic and other activities and services at Tufts. This clearance should be completed by the semester due date. Financial clearance may be achieved in a number of different ways in addition to the obvious way of direct payment in full.
Financial Aid Clearance
Students applying for Federal and University financial aid may be cleared by completing all required Federal and school applications and by supplying required support documents to the Office of Financial Aid. If this process is complete, a "provisional credit" will be posted to your student account to clear your account until actual disbursed funds are received by Tufts. If you are paying all or a part of your balance with an Alternative loan (ie. ADEAL, MEFA, TERI, SIGNATURE), that loan should have final approval from your bank by the semester due date.
Outside Scholarships/Third Party Billing
Some students may be receiving scholarships or grants from sources outside of Tufts University. Such scholarships and grants may not reflect as provisional credits on your account because the receipt is not controlled by the University. It is necessary for you to follow additional procedures for financial clearance. In addition to notifying the Office of Financial Aid of these anticipated funds, it is also necessary to notify and provide documentation to the Bursar's Office in the form of 1) an award letter 2) official notice as to how and when the funds will be received, and 3) if "third party billing" is required by the sponsoring organization, instructions on how to bill.
Tuition Remission
Students who are also employees of Tufts may be eligible for Tuition benefits. Procedures for applying for Tuition Remission are available from Tufts Human Resources Department. For all Health Sciences Schools, tuition remission is posted to your student account by the Office of Financial Aid when they have been notified by the Student Service Center in Dowling Hall, Medford of approved benefits. For the purpose of financial clearance, you are responsible for ensuring that the appropriate documentation has been received by the Office of Financial Aid by the semester due date. Because Tuition Remission forms are specific to the courses they list, new forms need to be initiated for each semester you are registered.
Unfortunately, employee benefits from other employers or organizations outside of Tufts University cannot be considered as grounds for deferred payment.
Late Payment Fines
Accounts that do not meet any of the above criteria for Payment or Financial Clearance, by the semester due date, are subject to a late payment fine equal to 10% of unpaid charges. Initially, fines will be assessed on balances greater than or equal to $2000, but any balance amount is potentially subject to fine if not resolved in a timely manner. The maximum late fine assessed on any balance will be $750 per semester. Prior to the actual assessment of a late fine, the student will be sent at least one follow-up bill during the semester warning them of an impending fine.
Once a fine has been posted to the student's account, the student may send a written petition to the Bursar's Office requesting a reversal of the fine. This petition must include the reason(s) why the student account was not paid in a timely manner, and why the student feels the fine was unfairly assessed. The Bursar's Office will respond to the student in writing within thirty days of receipt of the appeal. No appeal will be considered before the balance has been resolved and any petition must be received within 60 days of the date the fine was assessed.
Contact
If you have questions about financial aid clearance, please call 617-636-6551 or email hsbursar@tufts.edu.