<p>This is my first child in college, and I have a really dumb question. </p>
<p>When the university issues the bill for first semester (within the next week or so), does it only include items for the first semester? Like half tuition, half housing, half dining, etc? And then it credits half her university aid & federal grants/loans?</p>
<p>I’ll cosign your dumb question stressedout. Im a first time college parent too and I’m wondering the same thing!</p>
<p>OP, that’s what I’m used to seeing, but on my son’s last bill, they charged him for the full year of premiums for the new “mandatory health insurance.” It’s kind of annoying, because they added it automatically, and the onus is on DS to prove that he already has coverage. I don’t think DS would have even noticed the charge if I hadn’t seen the bill!</p>
<p>I’m just seeing my first bill for DD#2, and I’ve been looking for the one for DD#1. Yes, 1/2 of the tuition/r&b etc are there, as well as 1/2 of the school aid and 1/2 of the state grant. The state scholarship (Bright Futures) is not there because they haven’t issued it yet, so I don’t know if I get to assume it’s coming or if I have to pay and then get a reimbursement. I also can’t tell if the fees are for the entire year or just half - of course these are fees that have never been mentioned before, so I don’t know they are one time fees or yearly. Also saw the increase in R&B for the first time! It’s frustrating that the school can just slap these on and I have to pay them.</p>
<p>I was surprised it was only 1/2 of the insurance as I thought it would be the full amount. Some schools do charge the full amount of fees and insurance in the fall semester. I think (not sure) you can opt to take half the student loans in the fall or defer the entire amount to spring too.</p>
<p>It depends upon the college. My son is on the quarter system. Tuition is billed each quarter. Meal plan and housing were billed in total and due before tuition. </p>
<p>Everything on my bill is for only one semester. </p>
<p>Not sure about the health ins but doesn’t really matter as it will be waived. </p>
<p>
Some schools: the tuition would appear on the bill only if you registered for the classes.</p>
<p>Yeah, you should just call and see how this school does it. But be nice. I called this week with questions about ds2’s bill, and they are getting slammed. 
Your question will be a happy respite from the people mad about the mixed-up meal plan!</p>
<p>That’s how my daughter’s bill worked. One semester’s tuition, fees, room and board were included, as was one semester of her scholarship. There might have been one or two things, such as a parking permit, that were for the full year. Then in December we got the bill for the spring semester’s tuition, etc.</p>
<p>For S’s school they also only credited 1/2 of the Deposit in the Fall and 1/2 in the Spring. D’s school credited the entire deposit in the Fall.</p>
<p>Regarding the health insurance, our college sends a reminder to the kid (not parents) about applying for the health care waiver so you don’t get charged. Some kids miss them, don’t mention to parents, then they show up on the bill. We have an “early warning system” now on the Yahoo! parents group to mention when someone’s kid gets the email so everyone on the group knows to ask our kids about it so we can get the waiver applications in. Last year the school promised one parent they would start notifying parents, too, this year when waivers could be requested, but it didn’t happen. Our version of “neighborhood watch”, I guess. :)</p>
<p>One should also go to the college’s website and do search for student health insurance waiver. It should have date which it must be waved by (my kid’s school is 9/30) I left big sticky on the island yesterday telling S to take care of it asap. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that the bill could be due before all the FA is distributed. At my daughter’s school we needed to request that the part of the bill that is covered by loans, grants and scholarship be deferred otherwise her classregistration could be cancelled. The process for her school is easy but you have to request it. Check with your school to see when the FA funds are disburse. If after the due date for the bill ask how that is handled.</p>
<p>Speaking of bills, does anyone know how long it takes 529 checks to be sent and posted, if one orders them sent directly to the school? We aren’t in a time crunch. I went online today and ordered a check from the 529 account to be sent to the school, and now I’m sweating with visions of that large amount of money rattling around out of my sphere of control. Maybe I should have had it sent to us?</p>
<p>Also a lot of colleges no longer send a bill in the mail. It’s all online now so you need to make sure you keep track of when payments are due.</p>
<p>It takes longer if it is sent to you (check has to come to you, you have to deposit it, then you have to pay the school). Also, can result in letters from the IRS down the road and you have to send them copies of the bill to prove you paid qualified expenses; I have done it, no big deal, but some people find it unsettling.</p>
<p>I called the school the other day to get the bill. I know it’s early as it isn’t due until Sept 19, but the person told me a lot of people need them early to order 529 money, or as in my case, to get scholarship money released. She said they will start posting to the bills (which are online) on July 16.</p>
<p>As someone else posted above, the deposit of $300 was credited entirely to fall semester. It seems so lonely there among the big numbers for tuition, room, board, fees, insurance that I almost missed it!</p>
<p>For future searchers, the first bill was pretty much split down the middle with half tuition, half housing, half meal plan. There are a few “full year” fees (healthcare is one, but we waived it) and there were a few fees that were unexpected ($300 lab fee for physics, for instance) but overall it was only a few hundred dollars more than we’d been estimating, so we’re in good shape.</p>
<p>Now we’re chasing a scholarship that my daughter was told she’d receive that no one seems to know about, but it’s small and we’ll manage if it doesn’t show up.</p>
<p>Tuition rates have not been issued for the Florida public schools just as yet so tuition hasn’t been issued. You guys are lucky they put tuition on your bill! At my school, many people only see their room and board and that’s it!</p>
<p>@Niquii77 Holy crap that would stress me out. Everything is due (or first payment if you’re in a payment plan) by August 20th. I was stressed enough not knowing the official amount until this past weekend. I can’t imagine not knowing tuition officially yet!</p>