FAFSA package applied but son missed tuition bill deadline - emergency payment options?

Don't panic! Call the bursar's office (not financial aid) first thing tomorrow morning. Most schools have emergency payment plans you can set up even after the deadline. My daughter did the exact same thing her freshman year. They'll probably charge a late fee (around $75-100) but won't drop his classes as long as you contact them and make arrangements. Ask about their installment plan options too.

This happens ALL THE TIME with freshmen. I worked in university billing for 6 years. Here's what you should do: 1. Most schools have a 3-5 day grace period after the deadline before any penalties 2. Call the bursar/student accounts office (NOT financial aid) and explain the situation 3. Ask about their late payment plan options - usually they'll let you split the payment into 2-3 installments with a small fee ($25-50) 4. If they're not helpful, ask to speak with a supervisor - they have more authority to make exceptions As for your son not being ready - this is literally what freshman year is for. The first semester is a huge learning curve for kids who've never had to manage these things. Almost everyone messes up something financial their first semester.

omg this EXACT thing happened with my son last year!!!! he ignored the tuition bill emails then had the nerve to text me from orientation like "btw did you pay my tuition yet" 🤦‍♀️ teenagers i swear call the school tomorrow and explain. they will work with you. we had to pay a $50 late fee but otherwise no issues. most schools understand that parents are still figuring out the system too and freshmen are useless at admin stuff lol

im sorry but they dont care about your excuses. my university dropped all my classes when payment was 2 days late and i had to re-register and lost all my preferred sections. also got charged a $150 reinstatement fee. depends on the school but some are super strict about this. if i was you id be taking a cash advance from a credit card tomorrow and sorting it out later. good luck

You really should have been on top of this. June to late July is plenty of time to liquidate investments. Why would you wait until the last minute to even check if payment was due? My daughter's university has a parent portal specifically to avoid this problem. Did you not set one up? Most schools offer them now.

If you can't get through to the financial aid office by phone, try using Claimyr to avoid those endless phone waits. The website is claimyr.com and they basically wait on hold for you then call when an agent is ready. I used it last month when dealing with my FAFSA verification issues. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ if you want to see how it works. Saved me hours of frustration when trying to reach our financial aid office about verification issues.

As for your son not being ready for college - honestly, this is super normal. My oldest ignored his first tuition bill too. And his second semester housing deadline. And his meal plan selection. It didn't mean he wasn't ready for college - his grades were great! Some kids are just terrible with administrative tasks but thrive academically. Maybe set calendar reminders for yourself for future payment deadlines.

One thing to consider - he may be subconsciously afraid of going to college and this was an avoidance tactic. My brother did something similar ("forgot" to register for housing until all dorms were full). We later learned he was dealing with serious anxiety about leaving home. Might be worth a deeper conversation about if he's actually excited to go or just going through the motions because it's expected.

u should make him pay the late fee from his own money. thats what my parents did when I messed up deadlines and I learned QUICK to pay attention to that stuff lol