Payment Options

General Payment Information
Payment Plan

Payment Plan

The Catholic University of America is pleased to offer students the flexibility of monthly payments rather than paying in one or two large payments.  The opportunity to make smaller payments on a monthly basis allows many students and families to minimize the amount they need to borrow in student loans.  The Catholic University of America offers this popular payment option through Tuition Management Systems (TMS), a division of KeyBank, NA.  

This optional interest-free monthly payment plan divides tuition and other expenses into eight or ten smaller monthly payments spread out over the year. The 8-month plan runs from August 1 to March 1.  The 10-month plan has two options, running from June 1 to March 1 or from July 1 to April 1.  A semester-only plan for the Fall or Spring term and a three month payment plan for the Summer term are also available.  

This plan is interest free; the only cost to participate is a modest enrollment fee.

When setting up your budget, remember not to include work-study awards as part of the financial aid which will be applied to the student's account, since work-study funds are paid to the student directly through CUA’s Payroll Office.

You must verify that your contracted amount is sufficient to pay the balance due on the student's CUA account.  Full payment of the amount budgeted with TMS does not necessarily mean that the student's CUA account is paid in full.  If the payment plan budget is not sufficient to cover the term balance, you must either adjust your payment plan budget for a larger monthly payment or pay the remaining Fall balance by the August 1 billing due date and any remaining Spring balance not covered by the payment plan budget by the January billing due date.

It is very important for parents to review each monthly online billing statement for any adjustments during the term which might create a balance due on the account; this balance must be paid promptly so that the student does not encounter difficulties registering for the next term or incur a late fee.

Additional Information:

• You can use your credit card or have your payment deducted out of your checking or savings account to make your payment to TMS.  You may be charged a convenience fee by TMS for this service.  The amount of the convenience fee is displayed at the time of the payment transaction.  
•  You can also have TMS bill you and you can mail them a check.
•  Payments received by TMS by the first of the month are posted to the students' CUA accounts on the 15th of the month. They are not remitted to the University on a daily basis or as they are received by TMS.  It is important that payments to TMS be made promptly or you risk incurring a late fee from TMS.
•  A monthly payment plan account that has become inactive due to either cancellation or withdrawal will be assessed a reinstatement fee of $25 upon the account being approved for reinstatement at the payer's request.

For further information or to make budget adjustments visit the Tuition Management Systems CUA site or call Tuition Management System to speak to an Education Payment Advisor at (800) 722-4867.

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