Frequently Asked Questions - University Cashier

Do billing statements get mailed to the student and their bill payers?

No, all student billing at Carolina is done online. Each month a billing statement is generated for a student, a billing notification email is sent to the student’s University email address advising them that they have a bill to view on their student account portal. If the student has set up authorized users on their account, those authorized users will receive a similar email, letting them know their student has a billing statement that is available for viewing.

NOTE: The billing statement email does not have the billing statement attached or embedded in the email, just the link to log in to the student’s account.

Why am I having issues accessing the billing statement?

There are a few steps you can try with your web browser to help access your bill:

Clear your cache.
Turn off your pop-up blocker.
Save the billing statement to your computer as a PDF, or select a program to view the document. The Options or Tools menu allows you to change what your web browser does when you open a document.
Adobe Acrobat may no longer be compatible with Chrome and some browsers disable their plug-in. Please view the document on Opening your Billing Statement as a PDF and follow the instructions for the browser you are using.
The system works best with certain browsers.

How do I find my bill?

Students can go to ConnectCarolina and log in with their Onyen and password. Click on Self Service and then Student Center. In the Student Financials section, click on Pay Bills/Manage Student Finances. Click on the eBills tab, select the statement to view from the drop-down box and click on Go. The statement will appear in the next tab or new window, depending on your browser settings. You must have your pop-up blockers disabled to view the account and billing statement. Authorized users can go to Touchnet.

How do I set up someone as an authorized user on my account?

Please be aware that only a student can set up an authorized user on their account. This is the only way that an individual can access a student’s UNC-Chapel Hill account and make an online check or credit card payment. This access is different from third-party proxy access that gives individuals access to their student’s academic and financial aid information via Connect Carolina.

What if I’m being sponsored by an outside source such as an employer, a foreign government or a state prepaid tuition plan?

Our third-party billing unit handles the billing of outside sponsors such as employers, prepaid tuition plans and foreign governments. A billing authorization must be received from the outside sponsor, and the student must complete the Student FERPA Form for Sponsored Billing to grant our office permission to generate an invoice to a sponsor, and those invoices are generated after registration closes approximately two weeks after the start of classes.

Why would I receive notice of a billing statement when my account shows a zero balance?

Our system generates billing statements any month there is any activity on your account, even if there is no balance due. Any new charges or payments are listed on page 2 of the billing statement.

What if I’m receiving financial aid when my semester bill becomes due?

Pending anticipated aid is displayed on the initial billing statement of the semester as well as on the online student account portal for the first few weeks each semester, and only the remaining balance needs to be paid on time pending disbursement of financial aid.
Students expecting to receive financial aid are eligible to request a financial aid deferment that would grant them approximately two additional weeks to secure their financial aid.

How can I defer my bill?

See the Defer Charges section of the Financial Aid page.

Why is my outside scholarship not listed?

Outside Scholarships will show on your student account when aid is disbursed the first week of classes or when the university receives the scholarship payment if it is received after classes have already started.

Can you adjust my tuition and fees, since I’ll be fully remote this semester?

The Cashier’s Office is available to answer billing questions but is not authorized to make adjustments to tuition or fees for individual students. The UNC System Board of Governors has affirmed that the current tuition and fee structure will remain in place for the academic year regardless of any changes in instructional format.

Why do I have multiple tuition charges on my student account?

Tuition is assessed based on the credit hours a student is actually registered for so if you’re an undergraduate student who starts out with only a part-time schedule, you’ll be assessed tuition each time you add a course until you reach 12 credit hours and full-time status. In addition, each time you drop a course or add a course, your tuition could temporarily increase or decrease based on the total number of credit hours you’re registered for at the time.

Why is this charge on my bill?

Charges on your student account originate from many different offices around the University. If you have questions about charges on your bill, please refer to our Guide to Charges on Your Bill page.

I withdrew from classes, why do I still have charges?

Please refer to our pages on Leaving the University and Important Dates.

Is health insurance mandatory for all students?

Yes, health insurance is mandatory for all students who meet the University’s eligibility criteria, but students can waive out of the requirement if they have private health insurance that meets the University’s minimum requirements. Waivers must be submitted each semester. Fall waivers must be submitted by September 10, and spring waivers must be submitted by January 31 each semester.

Please that this waiver option only applies to the student health insurance premium, not the student health fee that is one of the mandatory fees that is assessed to all students in non-online programs.

What is a cashier’s hold?: A cashier’s hold is placed on your account because you have a balance that is past due. Once that balance has been paid in full, the hold can be removed. Our hold prevents registration, transcript and diploma release.
Why do I have a hold on my account?: You may have a past due balance on your account. Please look at your account history in the ConnectCarolina Student Center. If, on your most recent billing statement, there is a previous balance that has not yet been resolved, then you have a past due balance.
Do I have to pay the whole balance to get the hold removed?: If the entire balance on your account is past due, then yes, you have to pay the whole amount to get the hold removed. If only part of your balance is past due, then you may want to contact our office at cashier@unc.edu to determine the amount that needs to be paid in order for the hold to be lifted.
If I make payments toward my balance, can the hold be removed?: We appreciate your efforts to make payments toward your balance. We cannot remove the stop/hold until the balance is paid in full.

How do I obtain an official letter?

Students have access to on-demand statements through the Connect Carolina Student Center, and authorized users can access it through their portal. The on-demand statements usually contain information needed for employers or third party sponsors. Complete the Request for Official Letter form if you need additional information not available on the on-demand statement. Only the Registrar’s Office may certify or verify enrollment. Letter requests are usually processed within two to three business days.

If your outside scholarship provider needs additional information, please see the Outside Scholarships information from Scholarships and Student Aid to determine if an Official Letter is needed.

NOTE: MBA@UNC students can email MBAOnlineTuitionAssistance@kenan-flagler.unc.edu for quarterly invoices including a course listing instead of completing a Request for Official Letter.

What are the payment options?

The payment options, which include paying online, by mail, by wire, dropping off a payment, using a 529 Plan, Financial Aid, a Payment Plan, Employee Waiver or having a Third-party Sponsor, and details related to each payment type are on our website under “Payment Options“.

Why isn’t my full payment amount listed under Payments?

Your student account had additional charges added for another term (like a lost key charge from Housing or Campus Health charges), so your payment is posted in multiple terms. You can go to View Activity and click the arrow to the left of the Payments heading to see the list of payments for each term.

What is the quickest way to make a payment on a student’s account?

Once an individual has been made an authorized user on a student’s account, they or their student can make an online payment, either by checking/savings account or credit card. Please note that there is a 2.95% fee added to the amount of a debit/credit card payment request to cover the cost the University incurs from the credit card issuer, but there is no additional fee for paying by online check. It should be noted that there is no way to make an online payment without student or authorized user access. The University is not permitted to accept payments over the telephone for a student’s account.

Does the University offer an installment payment plan?

Yes, an installment payment plan is offered and administered by Nelnet on behalf of the University for the fall and spring semesters. A five-payment plan is offered from June to October for the fall semester, and November to March for the spring semester for a $47 enrollment fee. Because of the short summer terms, there is no installment payment plan option for summer school nor for past due charges on a student’s account.

How can I make an international wire payment through my country’s banking system?

International wire payments can be made through Flywire, the University’s international payment partner. Payments are made by you in your home country’s currency, converted into U.S. currency and sent to our office for posting to your student account. Please be aware that it takes three to four business days after you submit the payment to Flywire before our office will receive the funds.

Please note that due to security concerns, the University does not release its proprietary banking information to the public.

What does Refund mean on my billing statement? Why did I get a refund?: There was a credit on your account at one time, and a refund has been issued to the student. You can view the reason for the refund by logging into ConnectCarolina, clicking the Student Center tile, and selecting Account Activity from the dropdown list about halfway down the page. You should see either a payment or a reversed charge around the same time as the refund.
Why does the refund look like a charge?: The refund is listed as a charge because the money was removed from your student account and refunded to the student.
Are checks sent out in the mail for refunds that are due to the student?: No, all student refunds are done by direct deposit, and students must sign up for direct deposit in order to receive their refund. International students who don’t have or cannot get a U.S. bank account can email refund@unc.edu, with their name and PID for assistance in setting up their refund.
I was issued a refund on my student account but I have an outstanding balance. Why were these funds refunded and not applied to my account balance?: Some funding, including Federal CARES money and the Internet Supplement funding, by law cannot be applied directly to your student account charges. Therefore, when these types of funds are received, we process them as a refund and issue to the student via direct deposit. If you have not yet set up direct deposit, see the ConnectCarolina User Information on Setting Up Your Direct Deposit. If you have a remaining balance owed on your student account after receiving a refund, you will be responsible for paying this balance with these or other funds you have available to you.
Why do I owe money after I got a refund?: If you owe money after you got a refund, you may not have given Title IV permission, had additional charges after the refund, had aid that is set to refund directly without paying charges, or had your financial aid reduced. See your Account Activity for details.

I am an North Carolina resident; why was I charged non-resident tuition? How do I change that?: Your tuition charges are based on your student residency status listed in ConnectCarolina. If you leave UNC-Chapel Hill and return, you will need to submit a new residency application. See Residency Information on the Registrar’s website for additional information. You can enter your Residency Certification Number (RCN) on the lower right side of your Student Center page in ConnectCarolina. If the NC Residency Determination Service determines that you are a North Carolina resident for a term with existing non-resident tuition charges, your tuition will be recalculated within a week of your RCN update in ConnectCarolina.

Why am I seeing an Access Denied message?: The “Access Denied” red box means you have not authenticated yourself through 2-Step/DUO. This is part of UNC’s continuing effort to protect your personal information. Registering for 2-Step is easy! If you need assistance with 2-Step/DUO, please contact the Help Desk. Students can invite parents or 3rd parties to register for their own Authorized User access to view the Student Financial information.
I am an authorized user. Why am I having login issues?: Five logon attempts with an incorrect password will lock your account for fifteen minutes. Try again or use the link to request a password change after that time is up
I am using Safari. Why am I having issues with the payment system?: Unfortunately, Safari does not work well with our payment system. Please use another browser.

What is the 1098-T?

The IRS requires the University to issue Form 1098-T, “Tuition Payments Statement,” to each student by Jan. 31. Form 1098-T is an information tax document to aid taxpayers in determining whether they are eligible to claim a tax deduction or one of the education tax credits on their federal income tax return.

How do I access my 1098-T form?

Current Students
Students can locate their 1098-T after January 31 each year by logging in to their ConnectCarolina student center, clicking View 1098-T in the drop-down box, and then clicking the blue hyperlink for the year they want.
Authorized users do not have access to their student’s 1098-T but may be emailed a copy upon sending a request to cashier@unc.edu.

Current Students/Employees and Proxy
If you are a student and also an employee on campus or a proxy, you can switch to the Student page using the white arrow in the top center of the home page, and Student Center will be an option. In the drop-down menu under the Student Financials section about halfway down the page, select “View 1098T” and click the arrow button. The YEAR listed is a hyperlink to the form for that year.

Go to Connect Carolina
Using the white arrow at the top, Click Student page
Under Student Financials section, select “View 1098T”

Alumni
Alumni can establish guest access on Connect Carolina to access their 1098-T forms. Once you have given the system time to populate your student account information, log back into Connect Carolina, you can switch to the Student page using the white arrow in the top center of the home page, and Student Center will be an option. In the drop-down menu under the Student Financials section, select “View 1098T” and click the arrow button. The YEAR listed is a hyperlink to the form for that year.

It takes approximately 24 hours for your student account information to populate into the Guest ID account. You will need to create the account and log back in later to access your student account information.

Why is my Global Launch payment not on my 1098T?

Carolina Global Launch expenses cannot be claimed as education tax credits because the international universities are not eligible educational institutions as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. However, your expenses once you’ve enrolled full-time at Carolina may be claimed as education tax credits per IRS guidelines.

What do I do if my SSN or name is incorrect?

The University Cashier will issue a W-9S requesting a correct SSN if the one on file is missing (or incorrect according to the IRS). If you receive one from our office, please complete it and return it to the Registrar’s Office in person or via the fax number on the form. Please complete Parts I and III (enter your nine-digit PID under “Tuition account number” in Part III) of the IRS form available online and return it to the Office of the University Registrar in person, by fax or by mail, using the following contact information:

University Registrar
Campus Box 2100
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Office location: Third floor of SASB North
Fax: 919-962-1655

For security reasons, please do not send the completed form by email.

I’m a student employee, what are other forms do I need to be aware of?

The University Cashier only issues Form 1098-T and 1098-E. Here are some other helpful forms:

Form W-4 and NC-4
Form W-4 and NC-4: Tells your employer how much federal and state taxes to withhold from each paycheck. As your employer, UNC-Chapel Hill will remit the tax withheld from each paycheck to the IRS and state of North Carolina on your behalf. These forms are to be completed online after your first day via the Self Service tab in ConnectCarolina. Visit Payroll Services for more information.

Form W-2
Form W-2: A statement of your earnings produced by UNC-Chapel Hill each January to show how much you earned during the previous calendar year and how much was withheld in taxes from your paycheck. You need your W-2 form to file federal and state tax returns. Your W-2 will be mailed out by University Payroll during the month of January, typically during the last week of the month. You can also opt-out of receiving a paper W-2 in which case you will access the form electronically in Connect Carolina. Visit Finance and Budget for more details and instructions on how to opt-out of receiving a paper W-2.

Form 1099-M
Form 1099-M: The Accounts Payable office issues this form to report any payment via their office, such as a stipend for work performed on a grant, for the calendar year.

Form 1042-S
Form 1042-S: This is a statement of earnings for international students who have declared a tax treaty during the previous calendar year. It reports earnings which were exempt under the tax treaty. International students whose earnings exceeded their country’s treaty limit will receive both a Form 1042S and a Form W-2 and should not file a tax return until they have received both forms. Form 1042-S are sent out by Payroll Services by mid-March.