Frequently Asked Questions

• Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday through Friday
• Location: First floor of Payne Hall on the Summerville Campus

• Tuition and fees are due before the first day of classes.  Payment deadlines are published in POUNCE in the billing center, on the Business Office web site, reminder emails include the dates, auto-calls are made, and the dates also appear on flyer's and on the large screen in the Business Office lobby.
• On each payment deadline, students may pay until 5:00 p.m.
• After 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date, if your balance is not paid in full, you may be dropped for non-payment.
• Attendance without payment for tuition and fees is not allowed under BOR Policy.

• Log onto POUNCE
• From the main menu, select: “Student Account”
• A new window will open
• On the right side, select "My Profile"
• Click “Authorized Users”
• Enter the email address of the Authorized User, then make three choices on the statements that are presented to you
• Click Continue
• The “Agreement to Add Authorized Users” appears on the screen
• Click the box stating “I Agree” and you may also print this agreement
• Click Continue
• You will see a confirmation email that the authorized user you set up has been provided with access to your account.

• Payment plans through Nelnet are available through the end of drop/add each semester but if you are registered and need to pay on time, you must contract with Nelnet by the payment deadline for it to count toward your balance due before add/drop.
  • Payment plans are available to students only through the end of the add/drop period of each term and the plans open at the same time as registration.
  • The only payment plan option that is available is through Nelnet
  • Payment plans are not available for prior term balances and they are not available after the close of drop/add
  • Payment plans are not available for students who are not enrolled
  • If you add charges after the payment plan cutoff date, the charges will not be added to your plan and you must pay the University for these charges at the time they are billed.
• To sign up for a Nelnet Payment Plan, log into POUNCE and complete the steps below:
  
  • Click on the main menu: Nelnet Payment Plan
  • Select the term for which you need to add the plan
  • Click “Setup Payment Plan”
  • Choose a term
  • Follow the setup steps on the Nelnet web site
  • Review the Nelnet FAQs

• The coding of your enrollment record begins with your admissions application.  The coding on your student account determines the tuition rate you will pay, as evaluated by Academic Admissions
• Once you are enrolled, you will need to contact the Registrar’s Office to submit documentation if you believe your residency for tuition purposes is inaccurate or has changed.
• If you are in the admissions process, you should work through your residency questions with Academic Admissions

• You will receive two email notifications if your student has provided your email address in POUNCE for you to have access to pay their account.
• One email will notify you that they have provided you with access.  Your username is included in this email and it will list the email address to be used in the welcome message.
• The other email will contain your password for the login.
• Once you log in, you will be able to review your student’s bill and make payment by electronic check or credit card.
• Electronic check is simply an electronic payment from your bank account.  You enter this by using the bank routing number and account number from the bottom of your check.
• Credit cards are accepted for a 2.85% convenience fee.
• If you would like to pay using a savings account electronically, please verify with your banking institution that the savings account allows electronic payments before attempting this type of payment.
• If you pay with a debit card used as credit, you should be aware that debit cards can carry a daily limit of $500.  Usually, this daily limit amount can be lifted by contacting your bank before making payment.
• If you have any trouble making payments, please contact the Business Office at 706-737-1767.

Financial aid that is in memo or authorized status has not yet been received by Augusta University from the lender.  If your financial aid memo amount is equal to or greater than the total balance for the semester due to Augusta University, no other payment is needed prior to the first day of class.  However, if your memo amount of financial aid does not cover your outstanding semester balance in full, you will need to make payment to cover the remaining balance prior to the first day of class by the published payment deadline.  You can view your financial aid award status on the Financial Aid link in POUNCE.  Pending financial aid is also listed in the billing center in POUNCE and offsets the balance due.

• Electronic check online is available through POUNCE at no cost. 
  • Invalid entry of the bank routing or account number will incur a $30 fine after one incorrect offense.
  • All returned electronic and paper check items due to insufficient funds incur a $30 fine (all payment amounts) or 5% of the total cost for payment exceeding $600. 
  • Three returned items will result in returned item fines and your student account will be placed on cash-only hold.
• Credit card payment is available online for 2.85% of the balance due.
• Cash, checks, money orders or traveler’s checks are accepted at the Business Office in person.
• You may wire funds for tuition and fees ahead of the payment deadline.  The payment must be received by the deadline.  Contact the Business Office to find out how to wire a payment.
• Nelnet payment plans are available to help students defer a portion of the cost of tuition and fees, or to help defer the cost of tuition and fees after a partial financial aid award.  Nelnet information is on the Business Office web pages in the side menu and can also be found within POUNCE.
• Financial Aid and scholarships may be applied for online prior to the start of the semester and can be credited against your account to offset your balance if you are eligible.  Please visit the Financial Aid webpage or the Office of Student Financial Aid.
• Third Party Contracts may be set up ahead of the semester by contracting with a third party to pay all or a portion of your tuition and fees to the University on your behalf  If you have a third party contract to set up, please email the Business Office with that information at least 4 weeks ahead of the payment deadline to ensure you can get that contract submitted and to complete the necessary paperwork required by the Business Office. 

• Log onto POUNCE
• Click on Pay Your Bill/View Student Account/Set up eRefund Deposit Information
• Click “Connect to Student Account Center”
• Click “Payments” tab
• Click “Make a Payment”
• Follow the prompts to choose the method of payment

• Your financial aid refund for each semester will be processed after attendance verification has ended and after financial aid is verified.  The refund amount will include any balance remaining after all institutional charges for the semester have been paid.
• If you signed up for eRefunds in the billing center within POUNCE, please allow 24-48 hours for the funds to credit your designated bank account. Note, if your bank does not process on weekends, it may be Monday or Tuesday of the following week before funds are received in your account.  Be sure to maintain your banking information in POUNCE to ensure your refunds are not delayed.  This means regularly checking and updating your banking information on POUNCE to ensure you have the correct bank routing and account number for refunds.
• If you have not signed up for direct deposit (eDeposit), your refund can take up to 10 days by mail to your most current mailing address on file.  If your address becomes invalid at any time, you may change it on POUNCE.

• First, log onto POUNCE to see if you have a balance due to Augusta University and pay the balance.  Most holds are due to an outstanding balance.  Once the balance is paid, the hold will be released.
• If your account is on hold and you pay the balance by check, your hold will not be released until the check has cleared the bank.  For payments made with electronic checks, this is five business days and for paper checks this is ten business days.  Business days include Monday through Friday and Saturday but not Sunday.  Holidays are also excluded.
• Holds will keep you from registering for classes and from receiving your transcripts.  All balances are due immediately or upon registration if they are related to enrollment.
• If your account reflects a “cash only” hold, you will need to pay your outstanding balances with a cash-type payment in the Business Office.  These holds are rare, but they are placed against your account due to excessive returned checks.
• Holds are released daily by the Business Office as they are cleared by payments.
• Sometimes a hold may be due to invalid or missing contact information.  If the Business Office cannot contact you using the information that you have provided on POUNCE, a hold may be placed until you update that information.  You may make the update within POUNCE or call or email the Business Office.

• Log onto POUNCE
• Choose the menu item: Pay Your Bill/View Student Account/Set up eRefund Deposit Information
• Click “Connect to Student Account Center” (you may need to disable pop-up blockers in your browser settings)
• Once you are in the Student Account Center, click the tab labeled eRefunds at the top of the screen
• Click “Set up Account”
• Complete your banking information (checking or savings account information)
• Click “I Agree” when presented with the agreement
• Click Continue
• You will see a page confirming “Your new ACH refund account has been saved”
• You may change your refund account designation at any time if it becomes invalid or if you want to change the account for refunds.  Remember to first inactivate your current account information before entering a new account designation.

• Refunds are processed bi-weekly outside of the scheduled semester refund dates
• If you have signed up for eDeposit on POUNCE this is the most reliable and most efficient way to receive refunds

Visit https://augusta.aimsparking.com/ to pay a parking permit or fine.

• You should check your POUNCE account periodically through the term to pay any outstanding balances and to avoid end of term holds.  These types of charges are payable in the student account center in POUNCE and are due when the charge is assessed.
• You will receive courtesy email notifications from the Business_Office email account notifying you of your outstanding obligations.
• Unpaid amounts will result in your student account being placed on hold.  Holds will not be removed until your balances are paid in full.  Services may be withheld until fines or fees are paid in full as well.

• Yes, account balances must be paid in full to be eligible to register for the next semester.
• All institutional balances must be paid in full to attend class.
• Any outstanding balance on or after the first day of class may result in being dropped from your classes due to non-payment.
• Non-attendance in your scheduled classes may result in being dropped from classes due to non-attendance.

• Undergraduate rates are determined by the Georgia Board of Regents for each USG Institution.  While they may increase a small percentage each fall, Augusta University maintains the most competitive tuition rates in the state for our programs of study.
• Graduate and professional rates are reviewed and researched each year including an in-depth peer analysis by the Augusta University Colleges.  Budgetary requirements are finalized and peer competitor analysis is performed to ensure Augusta University is offering the most competitive rate possible for the graduate and professional programs that it offers.  Augusta University has very competitive rates.

• Out-of-state tuition waivers must be applied for through the Registrar’s Office your first term of enrollment if you did not apply for the waiver during your Admissions process.
• The waiver application should be submitted by the deadlines published on the Registrar's web page to ensure your application and any supporting documents can be reviewed and processed before the payment deadline of the upcoming semester.
• If you are not able to get your waiver finalized before the payment deadline, you should plan to make payment in full for the semester by the payment deadline.  If your waiver is approved, any overage will be refunded to you once the waiver has been applied to your student account to offset a portion of your balance.
• Tuition Assistant Program (TAP) waivers have their own strict deadlines for application and processing that must be adhered to.  There is also a TAP Benefit Course provided by Human Resources that is very beneficial to TAP waiver participants.  TAP is a benefit of employment, and there are tax implications for tap waivers exceeding $5,250 in a tax year.  TAP recipients are responsible for paying all balances not covered by the TAP benefit. TAP exceeding $5,250 in a tax year will be taxed through the Payroll Office.
• Most waivers require an application and submission of supporting documentation each and every semester.  Be sure to take care of this in a timely manner to avoid having to pay for unnecessary out of pocket costs that would otherwise have been waived.
• Waivers are included in your account details on POUNCE. 
• TAP may not cover all tuition for which you are charged, and will not cover non-mandatory fees such as course, program, lab or book fees, etc.  You are responsible for paying these non-covered amounts by the payment deadline.