Student Accounts

Payers
Students can grant other individuals, called payers in CASHNet, limited access to their CASHNet account to view account activity and transactions, as well as make payments to the student’s outstanding balance. Students should review the job aid Grant Access to Your CASHNet Account for information on how to grant this access.

If you have been granted access to a student’s CASHNet account, you will receive an email with details on how to access CASHNet. Please follow the instructions in the email.

Once you have set up your CASHNet access, you can subsequently login to CASHNet.

Billing and Payment Dates
A student will receive a bill near the end of each month in which there is activity on the account. Payment of the full outstanding balance is due on the 15th of the next month.

Health Insurance Fee
The annual health insurance fee is billed to each student in July. If the health insurance is waived appropriately during the formal waiver process, the charge will be reversed.

Late Payments
Late fees are assessed at the rate of 1.25 percent per month on overdue balances. Students with overdue balances face other administrative consequences as well, such as class registration holds and transcript or diploma holds.

If you cannot pay your balance due by the deadline, please contact us so that we can work with you to find a resolution, and possibly prevent late fees from accruing on your account.

What is a Bill Payment Period (BPP)?
Tuition is assessed 50/50 per Bill Payment Period during an academic year. Federal aid and, in general, institutional aid is also disbursed 50/50 per BPP.

Institutional Aid that does not disburse 50/50 includes living stipends, internship scholarships & the HR Grant for M.S.W. students and Supervisory Grants for Ph.D. students.

For additional details, see Types of Financial Aid.

Please see Fees under Tuition and Fees and also Plan for Major Bill Due Dates under Student Accounts for more info on other charges & their bill due date(s), if applicable.

Smith College does not accept credit card payments.

Be sure to include the student's name and college ID on all forms of payment and correspondence.

Smith College accepts the following forms of direct payment:

Electronic Check (ACH)
Electronic check payments can be made using Smith’s billing system, CASHNet. Students access CASHNet through the Finances application on their Workday homepage. Other payers, who have been granted access by a student, can access CASHNet here.

For information on how to use CASHNet, students will find step-by-step job aids and video tutorials on the Workday Help site.

We suggest you start with the Job Aid: Accessing CASHNet & CASHNet Overview.
We also have step-by-step job aids and video tutorials available for payers. We suggest you start with the job aid Accessing CASHNet & CASHNet Overview - Payer.

Check/Money Order
Checks or money orders (including outside scholarships, 529 Plans, and tuition benefit checks) should be made payable to "Smith College" in U.S. dollars, and drawn on a U.S. bank. Be sure that the student ID number is clearly written on the check.

Please mail payment and remittance stub to:

Smith College
Student Financial Services
College Hall 106
10 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01063-0021

Express mail and all other correspondence may be mailed to this address as well.

Cash Payments
Cash payments may only be made at the cashier's window, College Hall, Room 204. The cashier is open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Bank Wires/Wire Transfers
Bank wires and wire transfers are accepted forms of payment for students with non-U.S.bank accounts. Please visit Flywire.

All students are expected to establish direct deposit with a valid bank account. Refunds will be issued via direct deposit unless a third party refund is requested. Download the Direct Deposit Authorization Form [PDF].

Refunds
SFS will automatically generate refunds on a weekly basis after the beginning of the first Bill_Pay period. The first available refund date for each Bill_Pay period is detailed under important processing dates.

Any refund required by federal regulation will be sent within the required time period. Refunds will be processed weekly. During College closures refunds will be processed the following week.

Refunds are processed for actual credit balances only. Pending credits do not qualify. A refund will not be processed unless all loan requirements needed to disburse the loan are met and confirmed by SFS in a timely manner.

Advances
Advances of up to $1,500 are allowed only once prior to each Bill_Pay Period and no earlier than three weeks prior to the first available refund date for the applicable Bill_Pay Period. See important processing dates for details.

An advance will not be processed unless all loan requirements needed to disburse the loan are met and confirmed by SFS in a timely manner.

Advance Request Form: This form is now available in Net Partner as an Online Fillable Form. Prior year paper forms will not be accepted for processing.

Important Notes: While College staff work diligently to meet the dates listed, please note that College processing dates are approximate and could be changed due to processing constraints, unforeseen College closings or Banner system issues.

Students returning from a leave or withdrawal under an individual agreement with the Dean, such as a July or September start date, should contact sfs@smith.edu to inquire about advance and refund dates per Bill_Pay Period. After the first disbursement for each Bill_Pay Period, refunds will be automatically generated on a weekly basis as detailed above.

If you are considering withdrawal from the college, you should review the appropriate program handbook.

Adjustment of Charges

Any student who withdraws prior to the first day of classes will receive a 100% refund of institutional charges. All disbursed Title IV aid, institutional aid and other aid will be returned to the appropriate account by the college.

A student who withdraws on or after the first day of classes, but before the time when she or he will have completed 60% of each Bill Payment Period, will have the tuition charge as well as institutional aid adjusted based on a daily proration of attendance. A student enrolled beyond the 60% point of the Bill Payment Period, will have 100% of tuition remain for that period.

Summer housing and food plan charges are adjusted on a daily proration schedule up until the 60% point of the summer enrollment and then will have 100% of the housing and food plan charge remain for that period.

Other charges, such as meal plans, library fines, parking fines and infirmary charges are not adjusted upon the student's withdrawal.

Students Receiving Title IV Federal Aid

Per federal regulations, a student earns aid based on the period of time enrolled in each Bill Payment Period. Unearned Title IV funds must be returned to the appropriate federal agency. During the first 60% of each Bill Payment Period, a student earns Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time enrolled. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all of the aid for the Bill Payment Period.

For example, if the period of enrollment is 100 days and the student completes 25 days, then 25 percent of the aid has been earned. The remainder of the aid must be returned to the appropriate federal agency. Unearned aid must be returned to specific programs, in order, up to the total net amount disbursed from each source. The order of return is as follows: Unsubsidized Direct Loan and then Direct Graduate PLUS Loan.

Institutional Aid

Unless otherwise stated, SSW institutional aid is prorated following the federal aid proration schedule.

If a student withdraws or takes a leave from the program or falls below 1/2 time enrollment:

• An internship scholarship is prorated based upon the number of days enrolled in the Winter Internship Term.
• A monthly living stipend will cease and the most recent stipend paid will be prorated based upon the number of days enrolled in that particular month.
• A head resident grant will be prorated based upon the number of days employed as specified in the HR employment contract.

Readmission

Charges for each new Bill Pay Period must be paid in full by the due date shown on the bill. Any student who requires federal loans to pay the bill but does not complete the FAFSA (including verification requirements as determined by the Department of Education) or receive credit approval for a GradPLUS loan (if applied for) by the due date may have his or her readmission revoked.