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Sponsored Billing

Some students have third party payers, such as a government agency, embassy, or private company, that request the University to bill them directly. Upon receipt of a billing authorization from the payer and a FERPA form from the student, we will bill the third party approximately two weeks after classes start for each term. Since we generate hundreds of these bills, it can take several weeks to send all of them. The student remains responsible for ensuring that their account is paid in full. Students will continue to receive bills until the third party pays, and the account is paid in full.

For students who have already submitted an authorization from a sponsor, please fill out the Student FERPA Form for Sponsored Billing to grant our office permission to send a bill to the third party payer.

Please contact sponsored@unc.edu with any questions.

A third-party sponsor is a government agency, embassy, or private company that pays all or a portion of a student’s invoice directly to the university.

Sponsors must submit a billing authorization to the University Cashier’s Office. This can be a letter, email or standard voucher from your sponsoring organization that authorizes payment to UNC Chapel Hill. The authorizations must include the following information:

  • Name of the student
  • Nine-digit student ID number (PID)
  • Items to be paid by sponsor (i.e., tuition, fees, housing, meal plan, book charges)
  • Semester(s) authorized for payment
  • Contact name, phone number, email address, and physical address

Sponsors may send an authorization for several semesters or on a semester-by-semester basis.

Invoices will be submitted by email unless authorization states original invoice only.

Please send the billing authorization to:

Office of the University Cashier
Sponsored Billing
450 Ridge Road, Suite 2215
CB #1400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

(Fax: 919-962-1568)
sponsored@unc.edu

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill requires sponsored students to complete a FERPA Form for Sponsored Billing before UNC can invoice the sponsor on your behalf.  This consent gives the University permission to release information from your education records to your sponsor.  The consent form is good for the duration of your stay at UNC.  You may revoke your consent at any time by submitting a written notice to the University Cashier’s Office.

The University Cashier’s Office will not be able to invoice your sponsor if you do not complete the Online FERPA Form.

Upon receipt of the authorization, the specific charges to be paid by the sponsor will be deferred, and a sponsored service indicator will be placed on your Student Account. Once the drop/add period has ended, the Cashier’s Office will bill your sponsor for the items they have agreed to pay.

Sponsors are expected to remit payment within 30 days of the billing date on the invoice. Payments can be made either by a check made payable to UNC-CH or online as an electronic funds transfer.

Student account payments should include the student’s name and PID, made payable to UNC-CH and be mailed to:

Office of the University Cashier
450 Ridge Road, Suite 2215
CB #1400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Contact the third-party billing office to obtain electronic funds transfer (EFT) bank instructions. Include any information that would help identify the payment in the text portion of the transfer. The customer number, student name, or student PID number of the person expecting the money is particularly helpful.

To ensure proper credit, EFT payment notification is encouraged to be sent via e-mail or U. S. Postal Service to Third Party Billing and include the following:

  • amount due
  • trace number
  • payment transfer date (approximately)
  • academic term
  • billing statement number
  • student’s name
  • partial payment amount (if a billing statement is not being paid in its entirety)

If the sponsor’s authorization does not pay the balance in full, the student is responsible for payment of any outstanding balance by the statement due date. If payment is not received from the sponsor, then the student will be held liable for all charges.

Military-affiliated students can find more information on how to establish eligibility for the in-state tuition rate on the Registrar’s VA educational benefits website.

Refund of Tuition, Fees, and Other Expenses

Enrolled students called to duty during the semester, and who complete a military withdrawal from their course(s), shall be afforded the following special considerations.

  1. Issue a full refund of all payments made by or on behalf of the student, and/or adjust the student’s financial aid account, as appropriate.
  2. Issue a full refund for textbooks purchased through UNC Student Stores for the semester in progress. The student being called to duty must present the textbooks, purchase receipt(s), and a copy of the applicable military orders to UNC Student Stores.
  3. Issue a prorated refund of room rent for an on-campus residence facility. This refund will be based on the student’s official check-out date.
  4. Issue a prorated refund of board fees. This refund will be prorated from the opening date of the dining hall for the term during which the call to active duty occurs.
  5. Allow unpaid account balances to be subject to an installment payment plan formulated with the student. No collection actions will occur during deployment.

Regulation for Military Student Success

Advance Request Form

Reimbursement Programs

If payment of your costs is dependent upon completion of the course(s) or receiving a grade, this is considered a reimbursement program and your educational expenses must be paid by due date. These arrangements are not considered a sponsorship.  Reimbursement forms can be emailed to cashier@unc.edu or faxed to 919-962-1568.

Includes Tuition Remission and In-State Awards

Many departments fund students (usually graduate students) from grants and other sources. Awards fall into three basic categories:

  • Those paid directly to the student through Payroll or Accounts Payable,
  • Those paid directly to the University Cashier and
  • Those paid through the Graduate School.

Awards made directly by a department or through the Graduate School to the University Cashier are paid through the GradStar system.  This system was designed to comply with federal requirements to coordinate departmental funding with need-based aid handled through the Office of Scholarships & Student Aid. Awards are entered into the system by each department and are processed beginning about a month after the term begins.

We do not advance financial aid refunds in anticipation of departmental funding. Our system allows departmental funding to be disbursed like financial aid within about the same time frame. Your refund will be posted within a day or two of your account having a credit balance. Please set up direct deposit. Once we post the refund, it does take 2-3 days to be delivered to your bank by direct deposit.

Departmental staff with questions about GradStar should email gradstar@unc.edu. Departmental staff with questions about student accounts should email funded@unc.edu.

Graduate School Tuition Support Policies

Our office works with Athletics and the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid to handle the funding for student athletes and comply with NCAA requirements.