FAQ's for Parents
Welcome! This webpage is for parents and other family members who have students attending the University of Colorado at Boulder. While all of our communications will be with your student, this page provides you with some of the general information we will be sharing with your student. We urge you to keep the lines of communication open with your student as the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) limits the amount of information we can provide to you. Most of our communication with your student will be via his or her university e-mail account (colorado.edu) so you may ask your student to share that information with you.
Information on How to read a bill
Frequently Asked Questions by Parents
- How do I pay my student's bill?
- How are bills distributed?
- What if I do not receive an e-mail notification?
- How much is tuition going to cost?
- How much does my student owe?
- When is tuition due?
- What if I cannot pay on time?
- What are mandatory fees?
- What are course fees?
- What is the College Opportunity Fund?
- Why can't I see my student's bill or other information?
- How does my student or I receive a refund?
- How are refunds issued for Parent PLUS loans?
1. How do I pay my student's bill?
With CU Bill&Pay, students can authorize their parent(s) and/or other payers (up to five people) to make payments to their bursar account on the students' behalf. The authorized payers will receive an e-mail notification when their student's official billing statement is available and will be able to pay and view the official tuition and fee bill online at CUBill&Pay. Payment options can be found on the Tuition and Fee Bill link under Methods of Payments.
2. How are bills distributed?
Bills are online.All students and authorized payers will receive an e-mail when the official tuition and fee bill is available online. The e-mail will have a link directing you to the CUBill&Pay website. Although CUBill&Pay provides a monthly statement of the bill, students ALWAYS have the most up to date billing information on their CUConnect account. Please check with your student for up-to-the-minute billing information.
3. What if I do not receive an e-mail notification?
Bills must be paid by the due date to avoid late and service charges even if you or your student does not receive the official e-mail notification. Students are able to view their account balance online anytime on CUConnect.
4. How much is tuition going to cost?
Tuition rates are decided around June of every year for the following fall, spring, and summer semesters. To view the most recent tuition rates or to use the bill estimator please see Tuition and Fees.
5. How much does my student owe?
Students can view their account balances 24 hours a day, seven days a week, online through CUConnect. Please note that the tuition and fee bill, and any other charges accumulated while at the university are in the student's name, and ultimately the student is responsible to make sure the charges are paid in full.
If your CU student has authorized you as a payer on CUBill&Pay, you can log in and view the monthly statement.
6. When is tuition due?
Refer to our due dates page for due dates.
7. What if I cannot pay on time?
Accounts with unpaid balances as of the due date for each semester will be subject to late and service charges and a financial stop. This will result in a student's inability to register for a future term, withholding of a transcript and/or degree, and/or unenrollment from future term classes. See details.
Or, you might be Interested in our two-payment plan.
8. What are mandatory fees?
Mandatory fees are charged to all students (in addition to tuition) to provide services such as the recreation center, on-campus computer labs, an RTD bus pass, and many other programs. Details can be found for each academic year and the summer semester on our Tuition and Fees page, under Mandatory Fees.
9. What are course fees?
Some courses carry an additional fee for enrolled students, at the discretion of the department offering the course. Detailed course fees for each semester can be found on our Tuition and Fees page, under Course Fees.
10. What is the College Opportunity Fund?
The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a state voucher (also called a stipend) that helps Colorado resident families offset rising higher education costs. All Colorado resident, undergraduate students are eligible. It is not financial aid. It is the state's way of contributing to Colorado residents' undergraduate education at public universities and colleges. Student must apply once at the state website, and authorize each semester during registration. The COF credit will appear on the billing statement.
For more information, go to the COF FAQ's.
11. Why can't I automatically see my student's bill or other information?
Because of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university will not disclose specific information about student accounts without the student's written permission. However with CU Bill&Pay, students can authorize parents to become an authorized payer, allowing you to both view and pay the university bill. (This access does not allow you to see grades, schedules, or information other than the student's bill.
12. How does my student receive a refund?
Refunds are directly deposited into students' designated bank accounts. To sign up, go to direct deposit.
13. How are refunds issued for Parent PLUS loans?
See the Parent PLUS page for information on refunds.
