The Office of Student Accounts is responsible for the collection and billing of student-related fees (e.g., tuition, fees, room, meals, and study group fees) and miscellaneous fines (library fines, parking fines, etc.).
Questions about your student account or the billing process can be answered by the Office of Student Accounts. Information is also provided by this office, in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid, to families that need to educate themselves about the options available for financing a Colgate education.
Welcome New Students
Below are the important steps you should take for the Office of Student Accounts.
- Complete the Financial Responsibility Form
- Establish Authorized Users for your TouchNet student account
- Waive out or Enroll in the Colgate Student Health Insurance (domestic students only)
- Contact us with any questions or concerns.
Standard Tuition and Fees
Other Costs
Off-campus study groups
For information about the cost of studying abroad and off campus, see the off-campus study program costs and financial aid page.
The student account balance, account activity, 1098-T statements, and monthly billing statements are accessible by students and Authorized Users via TouchNet. Monthly billing statements are generated for students with a balance due (or a credit balance available) the first week of each month with a corresponding email notification to students and their Authorized Users. Colgate does not issue paper bills for active students.
The main term charges (tuition, student association fee, housing, meal plan, and health insurance) are assessed prior to the start of each term*.
| Term Date | Billing Date | Payment Due** |
| Fall | First Week of July | August 1 |
| Spring | First Week of December | January 10 |
Throughout the term, miscellaneous new charges and credits; adjustments to existing charges and credits; and/or payments made may appear on the student account activity. The deadlines to pay miscellaneous balances throughout the term are indicated in emails and billing notifications sent to students and Authorized Users. Typically, charges assessed in the first two months of the term are due within one month, and charges assessed afterward are due within one week.**
The monthly billing notification is a courtesy to assist students with their responsibility to be aware of and take care of their student account. Students are responsible to know what their balance is, seek assistance if they have questions, and ensure their student account is in good standing.
* Upperclass students must be anticipated to enroll and be assigned to a housing/meal plan to be assessed the corresponding fees.
** If a family utilizes a monthly payment plan, the payment due dates are defined by the plan.
Account Holds/Late Fee Assessment
Overdue balances will result in an Financial Hold, and are subject to monthly late fees of 1% of the balance (or a minimum of $1.00). Financial holds prevent a student from course registration, participating in the Drop/Add period, and diploma and graduation exercises.
Click a payment plan below to learn more. Additional information about any of the following options is also available by contacting the Office of Student Accounts.
If you require payment arrangements other than the traditional options listed in this section, please contact the Office of Student Accounts, at stuaccounts@colgate.edu or 315-228-4817 for consideration of possible alternative payment arrangements.
Semesterly (default payment schedule)
Unless a monthly payment plan is utilized, Colgate families pay the student account balance twice each year, at the beginning of each semester. (Additional payments may be necessary for miscellaneous charges throughout the term.) See additional information in the Billing Schedule section.
TouchNet Term-based Payment Plan
Through our student account platform TouchNet, families may sign up for a payment plan that splits the term balance into multiple payments made throughout the term. A $20 set-up fee is applied at sign-up, then the plan evenly divides the current student account balance over the eligible number of months per the available plan, with payments due the first day of each month. The payment plan automatically updates based on student account activity throughout the term.
To set-up a TouchNet payment plan, log-in to TouchNet, click on “Payment Plans” at the top of the page, and follow the prompts to enroll in the available plan.
Tuition Prepayment Plan
Families may pre-pay tuition for two or three years at the tuition rate set for the first year of participation in the plan (which may occur no earlier than the student's first year of enrollment at Colgate). The deadline to prepay tuition at the 2024-2025 academic year rate is March 1, 2025. For more information review our Tuition Prepayment Information form and to enroll complete the Tuition Prepayment Plan Agreement form.
Colgate accepts a number of student account payment methods, including electronic (ACH) payments, credit card payments, bank wire transfers, checks, scholarships, international bank transfers, and cash.
During your time at Colgate, your student account activity may result in a credit balance. A credit balance appears on your student account as a negative figure. Credit balances are typically the result of payment or financial aid disbursement in excess of billed charges.
If you are eligible to receive a refund of your credit balance, the primary method of refund is by electronic transfer to a designated bank account established in TouchNet. Please see the instructions below to establish a Refund Account in TouchNet.
Credit balances are not automatically refunded (unless required by federal guidelines based on receipt of federal financial aid).
Refund authorization may be required from parties other than the student, depending on the source of payment(s).
Initial term refunds are processed the week before the start of classes.
A student requiring an early advance on an anticipated term credit balance should contact the Office of Student Accounts.
Please contact the Office of Student Accounts with any questions or to request a refund.
Federal Financial Aid Recipients: Colgate is able to use Federal Student Aid (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, or PLUS) to pay only current-year, standard billed charges such as tuition and fees, room and meals. These federal regulations can result in a situation where Colgate is obligated to refund you a federal aid credit, even while a balance remains on your student account.
Students or parents receiving Title IV federal funds (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, or PLUS) should consider completing the appropriate form below:
Title IV Authorization for Parents
Title IV Authorization for Students
Instructions to Establish a TouchNet E-Refund Account
- Log-in to TouchNet (to the student TouchNet record via the Colgate Portal)
- The refund account must be established on the student TouchNet Record, not an Authorized User record.
- To confirm your existing saved payment methods, and refund accounts:
- Under My Profile Setup, select “Personal Profile”, then “Payment Profile”.
- Details of saved payment accounts, and whether any are designated as a refund account, are displayed.
- To establish a Refund Account:
- Under My Profile Setup, select “Electronic Refunds”
- If not yet completed, you must first enroll in Two-Step Verification.
- A message will appear confirming this step. Select “Security Settings”
- Follow the instructions to complete the two-step verification enrollment.
- Once complete, once again select “Electronic Refunds” (under My Profile Set-up)
- Select the orange “Set Up Account” button
- If a payment method already exists, you may designate it as your refund account
- Or, enter new account information and designate it as the refund account.
Student Health Insurance
Colgate requires that students have health insurance providing adequate coverage. Students are billed in the fall term for annual coverage (August 1 through July 31).
Each year all domestic students must activate or waive coverage by August 1 with our insurance broker Haylor, Freyer & Coon. Students who do not activate or waive by the deadline are enrolled in the coverage by default. It is the responsibility of the student and/or their family to update the university when changes in coverage occur. Additional information on the Colgate student health insurance can be found here.
Students whose permanent address is outside the United States are ineligible to waive out of the Colgate plan, and will be enrolled automatically.
Tuition Refund Insurance
Tuition insurance is available through A.W.G. Dewar, Inc. Information for the tuition insurance program is mailed to enrolled students in late spring. If you decide to purchase this coverage and your student is forced to withdraw due to illness, accident or other medical reasons, the protection afforded by the plan may be a welcome resource.
1098-T Form
As required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Form 1098-T is prepared annually with our partner Heartland ECSI for all students with qualified tuition and other related educational expenses for the calendar year considered. The form is made available by January 31 each year for the prior calendar year and sent electronically (if consented to) or by hard copy to a student's permanent address.
- Instructions to Access Your 1098-T Form (available by January 31 for the prior calendar year)
- Detailed information about the 1098-T Form
- 1098-T Electronic Consent Form
Reminder to students: If you elect to receive the 1098-T electronically, you may also provide a parent email address (under the alternate email address field) and they too will receive the 1098-T electronically.
Financial Responsibility Form
All Colgate students must complete this form prior to enrolling. Most students will access and complete the form from the new student checklist.
Use the 'Gate Card to pay with 'Gate Cash, a declining balance account, around campus and at select local businesses. Additional information on the 'Gate Card can be found here.
Contact Us
Office of Student Accounts
stuaccounts@colgate.edu, 315-228-4817
Weekdays 8:00 a.m. - noon and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Cashier's Window
Weekdays 8:00 a.m. - noon and 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
USPS address
Student Accounts
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346
Campus Location
James B Colgate Hall
Accounting Office
Room B-1