Policies and Procedures

The Revenue and Receivables department is responsible for accurate assessment of charges to students’ accounts, timely issuance of billing statements and processing of payments to Georgetown University for charges assessed to students’ accounts, and for refunding overpayment of students’ accounts in accordance with Georgetown University policy and federal law.

Revenue and Receivables is open Monday through Friday, 9:00AM through 5:00PM Eastern time, excluding university holidays. Students and individuals authorized by students to access student account information may contact Revenue and Receivables by phone at 202-687-7100 or by email at studentaccounts@georgetown.edu and can expect a response within two business days. All physical correspondence, including paper payments, should be mailed to:

Georgetown University
Revenue and Receivables
37th and O St. NW 
Lower Level, White Gravenor
Washington, DC 20057

By the act of registration, class attendance, or participation in other activities associated with enrollment at Georgetown University, the student accepts financial responsibility for charges assessed to his/her student account. Charges include those for tuition, mandatory fees, room, board, and fines (such as late payment penalties, library fines, and fees associated with the cost of collection in the event of a delinquency, among others). This financial responsibility is not relieved until payment has been made for any and all charges incurred.

Non-Payment Fees: The Office of the Registrar considers a student’s registration for a given term to be complete only when payment (or payment arrangements, e.g., payment plan enrollment) for tuition and fees has been made in full. Following the end of the registration period, any student with an outstanding balance will be assessed a flat-fee (which varies by campus) at the behest of the Registrar for non-payment

Service Charges: Any billed amount due which remains unpaid as of the due-date articulated on a published billing statement will be subject to a service charge equal to 1.50% of the overdue amount. All charges incurred before the start of classes are eligible to be billed as due immediately when classes begin. Service charges are assessed on a monthly basis.

In the event that the student is expecting a payment from a third-party source that will cover a portion of his or her balance, every effort should be made to pay off the remaining balance by the due date. Late fees that accrue against any portion of the student’s balance for which the student is responsible will not be waived.

Service charges and non-payment fees will not be forgiven if they are assessed due to late or incomplete submission of financial aid application materials, late or incomplete submission of sponsorship documentation, or enrollment in a payment plan after these penalties have been assessed.

Additional penalties may be assessed to delinquent accounts that are referred to a third-party collection agency. More details can be found below.

Revenue and Receivables offers to invoice directly third-party sponsors (such as the US Federal Government, foreign governments, private companies, and so on) for the educational costs of Georgetown University students, at no cost to the student.

In order to meet the requirements of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and to ensure that bills are issued only for eligible students, official documentation endorsed by the sponsors detailing the third party’s obligation to the student must submitted to Revenue and Receivables. Any such authorizing document must contain the following (authorizations which fail to meet any of these requirements may be deemed insufficient):

• Student name
• Georgetown University ID number (the 9-digit code beginning with ‘8’ or ‘G0’)
• Name, physical address, and email address of the sponsor
• Academic terms covered
• Types of charges covered (i.e., tuition, fees, housing, etc.)
• Expected dollar amount of coverage
• Any special invoicing requirements of the sponsor

Examples of acceptable documentation include the US Government Training Authorization Form (SF-182), Contract for Commercial Items (SF-1449), a financial guarantee from a foreign government, or any award letter on official letterhead containing the above items.

In order to ensure prompt processing, authorizations should be sent via email as .PDF attachments to thirdpartybilling@georgetown.edu. In the event that the student does not have access to an electronic copy of the document in question, and does not have access to a scanner, authorizations can be mailed to our office. Invoices will be sent following the end of the add/drop period.

Georgetown University expects sponsors to process invoices and submit payment upon the issuance of an official invoice. Revenue and Receivables, at its discretion, may grant the student an exemption from late fees, service charges, or other penalties for the amount covered by a sponsor by granting temporary credit, in order to give the sponsor ample time to process the invoice. However, financial responsibility always resides with the student until an invoice is paid. 

Any outstanding balance may be subject to late fees, service charges, and the student may have a registration hold placed on his or her account. Financial holds will only be removed when the balance is paid in full.

Any student sponsored by an agency that intends to remit payment directly to the student (as opposed to paying Georgetown directly) must make arrangements to settle his or her balance by the due date. Any late fees which accrue against an unpaid balance after this date will not be reversed.

Any student sponsored by an agency that refuses to remit payment until after the completion of a course or semester, or by an agency that will not remit payment upon receipt of an invoice for any reason, will not be granted the aforementioned exemption from late fees or service charges. In instances such as these, it will be the student’s responsibility to arrange for payment of his or her balance by the payment due date, and then recoup the funds from any subsequent payment by the agency in question.

Revenue and Receivables reserves the right to refuse to invoice any third party, to refuse to grant temporary credit for anticipated payments, or to reverse credit granted for anticipated payments never submitted by the sponsor. All inquiries regarding third party billing should be sent to thirdpartybilling@georgetown.edu.

529 tax-incentivized investment plans allow students and their benefactors to pay a portion of qualified educational expenses from an investment account. Students who are the beneficiaries of plans that allow for withdrawals by request of the donor or student should make every effort to ensure that any such withdrawal is made at such a time as to allow transfer to Georgetown University by the posted due-date. Any penalties which accrue due to late action on the part of the student or donor in this regard will not be forgiven.

Many state-run plans require invoices from the educational institution before a withdrawal will be granted. In this case, students should make sure that documentation indicating that they are the beneficiary of such a plan is transmitted to the Third Party Billing operation of this office in advance of the start of the academic term. Georgetown will submit invoices after the end of the add/drop period of each term, ensuring both compliance with the requirements of many 529 programs and an accurate statement of the student’s account. Students for whom invoices are submitted will have penalties reversed insofar as they were assessed against any portion of their bill covered by the 529 program. As such, students and their benefactors should make a good-faith effort to ensure that the remainder of the account balance has been settled by the due-date. 

Revenue and Receivables generally requires a student’s request in order for a refund to be generated; students may request a refund whenever total payments to their account exceed total charges. Requests must be submitted online via GU Experience. Negative values in the “Current Due” field may not reflect a refundable balance, as this value can reflect memo items connected with payment arrangements (such as anticipated payments from third-party sponsors).

Revenue and Receivables will automatically issue refunds in two circumstances: when payments for a particular semester from Title IV sources exceed institutional charges (as required by federal law and regulations) and when the student has become inactive while retaining a credit balance.

Revenue and Receivables processes refund requests within three business days of submission. Additional processing time for the generation and mailing of a refund check, or for the execution of an electronic transfer of funds, is outside the control of Revenue and Receivables.

Revenue and Receivables reserves the right to hold or deny a refund request when there is the possibility that the charges on the student account were not properly assessed, or when payments are subject to adjustment. If for any reason a refund request is not approved, an email will be sent to the student indicating the reason and the contact person with whom the student should discuss the matter.

If the student is requesting the return of funds paid via a credit-card (e.g., via PayPath), the refund will be sent to the credit-card in question. 

If the student has established an electronic refund profile, refunds will be deposited to the account indicated via ACH (Automated Clearing House) transaction. If the account information is inaccurate, or if the account has been closed, the student will be notified via email of the failed transaction.

Students who have not established an electronic refund profile, refunds will be issued via paper check and mailed to the student’s local address, if one is on file, otherwise to the permanent address on file. If the paper check is not received in a reasonable amount of time, the student should contact the Revenue and Receivables and request a stop payment of the missing check. When this has been accomplished, the student will need to verify the address on file, and again request the refund.

Note that Revenue and Receivables does not issue refunds via wire transfer. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

In compliance with FERPA, all refund payments are made directly to students. The only exceptions are in certain cases of payments submitted by third party sponsors or outside scholarships organizations, Parent PLUS loans, and rare extenuating circumstances as defined by Georgetown University. If a student receives a refund to which he or she was not entitled, any outstanding balance that may result must be paid back to the student account immediately to prevent penalties.

Enrolled students may apply for an emergency loan with Revenue and Receivables. Approval of any such e-Loan request is entirely at the discretion of Revenue and Receivables. The amount of any approved loan is charged to the student account, and must be repaid in full if a student is to avoid a financial hold. 

Debt to the university is immediately due at the time a student becomes inactive. The reason for the inactivity is immaterial, whether it be graduation or completion of an academic program, withdrawal, an approved leave of absence, failure to register for the next semester in the student’s academic program, or any other reason.

Revenue and Receivables will issue a final invoice to inactive students with debt. Payment is due within 30-days of the date that the statement was issued. If payment has not been made by the due date, the account will be forwarded to a collection agency. The cost to the University for the use of the services of a third-party collection agency is equivalent to one-quarter of the value of the debt; the student will be responsible for paying this fee in addition to the original outstanding balance. Once debt has been transferred to a collection agency, all payments will be processed by that agency. In addition, the collection agency may report the debt to the nation’s three credit reporting agencies.

Past due balances are non-negotiable and will not be recalled from the collection agency once submitted.

Students will be declared inactive when any of the following circumstances obtain:

• The student fails to register for a term that he or she would otherwise be expected to register for as a part of his or her academic program
• The student has graduated from Georgetown University and has not been admitted into another program
• The student withdraws from school during the current term for any reason
• The student takes a leave of absence

Revenue and Receivables accepts the following payment methods:

Electronic Checks (eChecks)

• Must be made online at the Student Accounts Services Site accessible via GU Experience
• Must come from a personal US-based checking or savings account. eChecks written from money market, investment, or line-of-credit accounts will be returned
• eChecks returned for any reason may be subject to an $80 returned check fee
• In certain cases, verification of eCheck clearance may be required before the removal of a registration hold. The final day to pay via eCheck in order to clear a registration hold prior to graduation is 5 business days before the start of graduation. After this point, payment must be made via cash, wire, certified check, or money order

Paper Checks

• Must be drawn from a US-based bank, and in US dollars
• Student name and 9-digit Georgetown ID must appear on the check
• Checks should be mailed to the address listed on this website exactly as it appears
• Checks returned for any reason may be subject to an $80 returned check fee
• A paper check must be received by the due date in order to prevent the assessment of service charges
• In certain cases, verification of check clearance may be required before the removal of a registration hold. The final day to pay via check in order to clear a registration hold prior to graduation is 5 business days before the start of graduation. After this point, payment must be made via eCheck, cash, wire, certified check, or money order

Cash

• Never send cash through the mail
• Can be deposited with our cashier on campus between 9:00am and 3:00pm Monday through Friday.
• Appropriate ID must be provided for cash payments that either exceed $4,000 in a single payment or exceeds $10,000 in a series of payments within a 12-month period. Acceptable ID’s include Passport, US Driver’s License, and Alien ID Card Number.

Wire Payments

• Wire instructions are available via the Wire Information document
• Wires should be sent in US dollars
• Student name and 9-digit Georgetown ID should be referenced
• Wire confirmation should be emailed or faxed to this office
• Wires will be posted on the business day following deposit into Georgetown’s bank account
• Note that while domestic wires occur in real-time, wires originating in foreign countries may experience delays
• Neither Georgetown University, nor our financial institution, deducts any fees from wire transfers

International Transfer of Funds via Flywire

• Available by visiting the Flywire website
• Wholesale exchange rates, resulting in lower costs
• To execute payment, payor must:
  • Enter all required fields at Flywire site
  • Obtain transfer instructions at Flywire site
  • Execute instructions with his/her financial institution
• Payments will be posted to the student’s account 2 business days after being noted as “Delivered” by Flywire.
• International students and their benefactors with foreign bank accounts denominated in US dollars should note that a traditional wire payment is likely the least costly method

Credit Cards 

• Major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are accepted, along with Diners Club, JCB, and China Union cards
• Must be paid online using the PayPath service
  • Credit card payment in person, via phone, or by email is not permitted
• The convenience fee of 2.95% for payments made in USD or 4.25% for payments made in non-USD of the transaction amount (minimum $3.00) is assessed by PayPath, not Georgetown, and will not appear on Georgetown billing statements
• For more detailed information, see our dedicated Credit Card FAQ

Certified Checks/Money Orders

• Certified checks and money orders can be mailed or delivered in person to our office on campus
• Georgetown University reserves the right to insist upon payment with a certified check

Financial Aid

• For instructions on applying for aid, visit the website of the Office of Student Financial Services
• Estimated aid will be reflected on the bill as “memo” items
• Students must submit a complete (as determined by the Office of Student Financial Services) Financial Aid application
• All financial aid memos will be removed from student accounts before the end of the semester. Late fees will be assessed against any remaining balance
  • Fall memo removal date: October 1st
  • Spring memo removal date: March 1st
• Any questions about financial aid should be directed to the student’s counselor

Third-Party Billing

• Students must submit a valid billing authorization to the Revenue and Receivables’ Third-Party Billing operation (thirdpartybilling@georgetown.edu)

Enrollment in a Payment Plan

• Must be performed through GU Experience via Student Account Services

In accordance with Federal regulations, Georgetown will mail a copy of a student’s 1098-T form for a given tax year by January 31st of the following calendar year, if the student has not opted for a paperless copy. At the same time, an electronic copy of the form will be posted online at GU Experience. As of 2018, the IRS requires educational institutions to report payments received for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE) for the respective year. As such, Georgetown reports payments received (up to the QTRE) for each student in Box 1 of form 1098-T.

A student’s form will be mailed to one of the following types of address on file with the university (in descending order):

1. Billing address
2. Permanent address
3. Local off-campus address
4. Applicant Address

Please note that IRS Form 1098-T is for informational purposes only. The data which appears on these forms can be used to claim educational tax credits, but the figures provided neither guarantee nor preclude eligibility for these tax credits. “Qualified tuition” in this context is determined by guidelines issued by the IRS. This may or may not reflect “qualified tuition” as determined by certain educational funding organizations, such as 529 plans. As a result of differing definitions as to what constitutes “qualified tuition”, there may be variation among the amounts that are deemed to qualify.

IRS regulations require that institutions of higher learning obtain the correct identifying number (e.g., SSNs and ITINs) for all matriculated students. Please review the information on supplying or changing either an SSN or ITIN. 

For more information on tax benefits for education, consult IRS Publication 970.

Georgetown University does not issue paper bills. Electronic copies of the student bill are periodically posted online. Upon the issuance of a new bill, an email will be sent to the student’s Georgetown email address as well as to the email addresses of any authorized user. The email itself is not a bill, but a notification that a new bill has been posted online at Student Account Services (accessible only via GU Experience to students, and directly to authorized users). The billing term and associated due date are represented below:

Summer 2024 (unless otherwise noted below)
May 17, 2024

Summer 2024 (Second Sessions)
June 27, 2024

Fall 2024
August 23, 2024

Spring 2025
January 7, 2025

The due-date for any monthly bill is the date published on that bill; this date takes precedence over any due-date published elsewhere.

The due-date for any installment of an active monthly payment plan for the fall or spring term is the 27th of the month.

Any student with an outstanding account balance may not register for classes in future semesters and the outstanding balance may impact the ability to obtain an official transcript. While financial holds for active students do not restrict generation of an official transcript, financial holds for inactive students may restrict the generation of an official transcript provided that Georgetown is not restricted by federal regulation to release the transcript. Students whose transcripts have been held may petition to have their transcript released directly to a third-party employer or school.

Financial holds can prevent academic registration, the generation of official transcripts, and the issuance of diplomas and certificates. Final holds are applied to the accounts of students with amounts due prior to the start of registration for the following term according to the following schema:

Summer 2025
January 31, 2025
on account balances greater than $500

Fall 2025
March 31, 2025
on account balances greater than $500

Spring 2025
October 31, 2024
on account balances greater than $2,000

Please note that the summer school hold applied at the end of January only prevents early registration for summer for populations entitled to register for the summer term before April 1. It does not prevent access to official transcripts.

Financial holds are not released until the past-due debt is paid in full; payment arrangements are not sufficient to release these holds. Revenue and Receivables reserves the right to keep a financial hold in place until it can verify that funds have been deposited (without the possibility of reversal) into a Georgetown bank account.

Additionally, any student that has become inactive and for whom there remains an outstanding balance will have a hold placed on his or her account. Students will be declared inactive when one of the following occurs:

• The student fails to register for a term that he or she would otherwise be expected to register for as a part of his or her academic program
• The student has graduated from Georgetown University and has not been admitted into another program
• The student withdraws from school during the current term for any reason
• The student takes a leave of absence