Student Affairs

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access meal plan. In addition to the items outlined above, students will have varied personal,
medical and transportation expenses. Consider the cost for trips home, laundry, toiletries and
entertainment as you plan your finances. The student bill will be available in iROAR in mid-to-
late July. A paper bill is not mailed. The bill must be paid by the payment deadline to avoid late
fees and class cancellation.
An eCheck is the University’s preferred method of payment and is offered with no additional
processing fee. An eCheck is a direct draft from your checking account that is applied instantly
to your tuition bill. The eCheck payment option is available in the Student Billing section in
iROAR. A physical check may also be turned in to the Student Financial Services office in
G-08 Sikes Hall or by mail. The student’s Clemson ID number should be written on the check.
Credit cards are also accepted as payment via iROAR but are not accepted in person. Clemson
University accepts MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Visa. There is a 2.85%
processing fee for each credit card payment. Payment Plans are available through iROAR and
require monthly payments throughout the semester. Additional information is available on
the Student Financial Services website.
529 College Savings Plans are accepted by Clemson University. Please ask your plan
administrator to include the student’s Clemson ID number to ensure proper credit. Payments
should be mailed to G-08 Sikes Hall and must arrive prior to the published payment deadline.
If your student is part of the South Carolina Tuition Prepayment Program, please submit a
copy of the “South Carolina Tuition Prepaid Program Identification Card” to the Office of
Student Financial Services. This can be done by having your student scan and email a copy
f their card or letter (as soon as possible) to r drop it to the Office
of Student Financial Services. If your student has another state prepaid plan, please contact
that state’s programadministrator and complete the required forms to use the benefit at Clemson.
PERSONAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT
College is a time for students to gain independence and to learn important life skills, including
how to manage finances. Parents and students should discuss financial pitfalls and ways to
avoid costly mistakes. For more information on financial literacy, visit
COLLEGE FINANCE LINGO
1098-T
This tax document reports qualified tuition and related expenses (tuition and fees billed to the
student for enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution) and scholarships
and grants for any given calendar year. This document is released prior to January 31 of each
year and is retrievable through iROAR.
529 Savings Plans
State-sponsored investment plans, officially called Qualified Tuition Programs (QTP), help
families save money for college. The plans have tax benefits, so your savings can grow faster.
The money in the accounts can be used only for education expenses.
Authorized Users
Students are permitted to add parents and guardians to their account who may have an
interest in their financial records. Authorized users can be granted varying levels of access to
the student’s account including the ability to view the student’s tuition bill, make a payment,
enroll in a payment plan or retrieve 1098-T tax information.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
COA is the total amount of college expenses before financial aid. Cost of attendance includes
money spent on tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and living expenses.
Cost of attendance can also include reasonable amounts for study-abroad programs and
personal computers.
FINANCES
Clemson University’s financial team is comprised of Student Financial Aid, Scholarships
and Student Financial Services. The offices of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships award
scholarships, grants, loans and work-study and are available to answer questions regarding
eligibility and applications, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Office of Student Financial Services is responsible for the University’s billing process
and can assist families with inquiries about payment plans, payment methods, University
charges and refunds. These offices work closely with students and their families to provide
the most up-to-date information and resources. We recommend visiting each office’s website
often for important deadlines and announcements.
Applying for Aid
Need-based aid, such as grants, student loans and work-study, requires the submission of the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Each year, students and families should
complete the FAFSA to secure aid for the next academic year. The FAFSA priority deadline
is January 2 for incoming first-year students. Continuing students should renew the FAFSA
annually by April 1. For families who need additional assistance, applications for parent
PLUS loans and private loans should be submitted annually by June 15.
In cooperation with the Office of Admissions, recruiting scholarships are awarded on the
basis of the student’s admissions application, high school transcript and official test scores
received by December 31. South Carolina residents are considered for state merit-based
scholarships, including the Palmetto Fellows, LIFE and Hope scholarships. Continuing
students are automatically considered for general and departmental scholarships on the
basis of their college work.
When financial aid is awarded, students will receive an email alerting them to view their
awards in iROAR. Students must review and accept the terms and conditions of their awards
before they can individually accept or decline their financial aid. Available funds will be
credited to the student bill, except for work-study stipends, which are paid bi-weekly based on
the hours worked. Arrange for direct deposit of financial aid refunds to avoid handling large
sums of cash and discuss with your student ways to budget funds for the entire semester.
BILL PAYMENT
Final tuition rates are typically set in July
before the Fall semester. Tuition and fees
are based on the average costs for full-
time students (12 or more credit hours
per semester for undergraduates). Fees
include all required charges for full-time
enrollment plus average lab fees. This figure
does not include differential fees, such as
for behavioral science or business majors.
It also does not include optional fees, such
as for the Clemson University Honors
College. Books and supplies are based on a
survey of student expenses for books and
required coursework material for all majors.
These expenses will vary by major and
other factors (new versus used, bookstore
versus online, hard copy versus electronic,
purchase versus rental, etc.). Room and
board estimates are based on average bed
costs for on-campus housing and the full-
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:
FINANCES
Bookmark each of the following websites to
stay up-to-date and informed on important
deadlines and announcements:
•
•
•
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:
BILL PAYMENT
• Encourage your student to apply
for Federal Work-Study, a program
that provides jobs for students with
established financial need through
submission of the FAFSA. Students
not qualifying for Federal Work-Study
can look for part-time jobs through
ClemsonJobLink.
• Encourage your student to get
connected. The Office of Financial
Aid disseminates program and event
information and helpful advice on
Facebook (search “Clemson University
Student Financial Aid”) and Twitter
(follow
• Encourage your student to be proactive.
Clemson University’s Office of Student
Financial Aid periodically presents a
Financial Awareness Week filled with
seminars focused on teaching students
how to fill out the FASFA, connect with
scholarships and budget for the future.
• Encourage your student to plan in
advance. Some scholarships are
awarded for only the first year of
college while others are open for
application throughout the year. The
Office of Student Financial Aid provides
resources and search engines on their
website to connect students to open
scholarships.
• Encourage your student to become
familiar with these resources to make
the financial aid process less stressful.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:
PERSONAL FINANCE
MANAGEMENT
Discuss the proliferation of credit card
offers. Consider adding your student to
your credit card and setting a spending
limit. If your student is ready to handle
a personal credit card, discuss the
importance of timely payments and
building a strong credit score.
Encourage responsible borrowing.
Student loans play a valuable role
in financing higher education, which is
a worthy investment. However, students
need to monitor their indebtedness
and borrow only enough to meet their
educational and basic living expenses.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:
COLLEGE FINANCE LINGO
Ask your student to add you as an
authorized user via iROAR. Authorized
users are able to access the student’s
tuition bill and make payments but,
in compliance with FERPA, are not
authorized to access information such as
enrollment records, grades, financial aid
information or other student records.