Office of Student Accounts

Billing Schedule

Statements will be available online 20 days before each scheduled payment due date. Balances should be paid promptly; overdue balances are subject to a finance charge of 1 percent per month (12 percent per year). Accounts more than 15 days late in payment are subject to an additional $25 late fee. Finance charges on amounts to be paid by financial aid that has not yet been credited to a student’s account will not be waived unless Bard College is at fault for late processing of the aid. If accounts are not paid as due, the College reserves the right to require that payment be made by bank cashier's check or money order, or wire transfer. Academic and financial holds are placed on accounts not paid as due. These holds prevent release of transcripts and registration confirmation and changes. If the required payment is not received before the start of the term, the students' account will be inactivated, and the students' registration will be canceled for that semester. In addition to the required payment due, there is a $100 late registration fee applicable to the outstanding balance.

If our office is notified of a students' enrollment shortly before the semester begins or after the semester has started, a billing statement will be generated reflecting the amount due for the student's account. Payment will be due upon receipt in order for the student's account to be activated for the specific semester and to confirm the student's enrollment, housing, and registration status.

Students who take an academic leave of absence are charged a $750 administrative fee per semester.

Course Audits 
Registered students may audit a maximum of 4 credits per semester at no charge. A fee of $300 is charged for each additional credit audited. Nonmatriculated students who are approved to audit a course or courses at Bard will be charged a fee of $300 for each credit audited. Matriculated students who are on an approved leave of absence and are approved to audit a course or courses at Bard will be charged a fee of $300 for each credit audited. These fees are nonrefundable for courses dropped after the semesters' drop/add period.

Financial Aid as Applied to Billing

Financial aid is administered by the Office of Financial Aid, not by the Office of Student Accounts. Students eligible for financial aid receive an award letter. If a scholarship or grant other than those listed in the award letter is to be used as a credit, a letter of intent from the sponsor of the outside award must be submitted to the Office of Student Accounts.

Financial aid that has been approved by the Financial Aid Office is credited on billing statements by that office, not by the Office of Student Accounts. Financial aid credits are listed only if all required pertinent items have been submitted to and approved by the Financial Aid Office. Payment in lieu of missing financial aid is due as billed on the statement and is subject to finance charges if not received by the due date. Parent and student loans (Federal Direct PLUS, Federal Direct, Alternative, and the like) are credited to students' accounts only after written confirmation of approval is received from the lending agencies. For students who receive financial aid and elect to participate in the Bard Budget Plan, the approved financial aid figures (excluding College stipend and employment funds) will be used in the calculation of the Bard Budget Plan.

Students who do not participate in the Bard Budget Plan may deduct 50 percent of the approved fall term financial aid (excluding College stipend and employment funds) from the installment due in June. The remaining 50 percent will be credited on the July installment. Similarly, 50 percent of the approved spring term financial aid may be deducted from the November installment, and the remaining 50 percent from the December installment. Bard College prohibits the use of any current-year financial aid for payment of past-due balances from previous years.