What Does Authorized Payer Access Mean?

Student records, including financial information, are protected by federal privacy laws. There are three types of access you should consider getting while your student attends CU Boulder.

 

Authorized Payer Access

Authorized payer access to CUBill&Pay allows parents, family members and others (up to 5 people total) access to:

  • view the same billing information that the student sees and pay the tuition bill online
  • sign up for payment plans online
  • receive email notifications about the bill
  • discuss the bill, but not financial aid (see FERPA Consent to Release below), with Bursar's Office staff by email, phone and in person. Staff will verify your identity by asking for your full name and the email address associated with your authorized payer account.

If authorized payers have more than one student attending CU Boulder, each student needs to provide authorized payer access separately

  1. Students log in to Buff Portal.
  2. Locate the Your Current Finances card. It will be on the main Buff Portal page. If you are on the mobile view, skip to step 3. If you are on the desktop view, click “Full Screen.”
  3. Scroll down to Account Setup and click “Add/Edit Authorized Payers.”
  4. Click "Add New."
  5. Enter your authorized payer’s name and email address. Click "Save."
  6. An email will be sent to the authorized payer’s email address that you entered. They will then be prompted to set a password. You can add up to five authorized payers. You can delete them at any time. They will be notified by email when their status changes.

  Step-by-Step Instructions to Authorize Payers 

If your authorized payer access is removed, you will no longer receive emails notifying you when tuition bills are available online, when 1098T forms are available, etc. Your student can reauthorize your access at any time.

  1. Students go to the Your Current Finances card in Buff Portal.
  2. If you are on the desktop view, click “Full Screen.” 
  3. Scroll down to Account Setup and click “Add/Edit Authorized Payers.”
  4. Click the 'x' next to the authorized payer you want to delete. They will be notified by email that the account has been deleted.

Guest Access 

We also recommend Guest Access so that parents/family members can see selections that affect the university bill. Guest Access gives read-only, online access to specific educational information. In terms of billing information, Guest Access provides access to:

  • view the class schedule
  • view holds
  • view your student's College Opportunity Fund (COF) selections, if applicable
  • view your student's health insurance plan (SHIP) selection (must be selected every year)

Learn more about CU Guest Access. 

FERPA Consent to Release

We also recommend the FERPA Consent to Release so that you can discuss financial aid by email, phone and in person, if applicable. Learn more about the FERPA Consent to Release.