Student Account Policies

Student Account Policies

STUDENTS ARE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BALANCES. 

  • As a student, you are responsible for promptly paying any charges owed to the university related to your attendance. This is true even if a third party, such as a parent, grandparent, or benefits provider (such as your employer, the U. S. Department of Defense, or Veteran’s Administration) is planning to pay your tuition. Even if you expect financial aid to fully cover your bill, it is still your responsibility to ensure your balance is fully paid. If any of these plans fall through, the cost of tuition, fees, and any other charges is your responsibility to cover.
  • All students will be presented with and required to accept the Financial Responsibility Agreement at the beginning of each semester when they log into the myHPU portal.

As outlined in the HPU Academic Catalog, the Student Handbook, and the Financial Responsibility Agreement, students are responsible for paying their portion of tuition and fees, along with all other University charges and costs then due, by each term’s tuition payment deadline. If there is a difference between expected and actual financial aid, students are 
responsible for paying any balance resulting from this difference promptly. HPU’s Tuition and Fee Schedule (a full listing of studenttuition and fee charges) is available on our website. Tuition and fees are subject to change, and this website will host the most up-to-date information. Tuition payment deadlines are always several weeks before the start of the semester, and are published in the Academic Calendar.

By registering for courses, students accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees, housing charges, meal plan charges, and other associated costs assessed as a result of registration, attendance and all University goods and services offered. Students agree to comply with all requirements for registration, including fulfiling all financial obligations related to enrollment. 

What happens if I do not pay timely, or fall behind on my payment plan?

  1. A late fee of 5% or $50 may be added to the student account for each month tuition is not paid. Late fees begin being applied the month after the registration period closes.
  • Late Fee Assessment Date Schedule: 
    • Fall Semester
      • October 15
      • November 15
      • December 1 
    • Spring Semester
      • February 28
      • March 31
      • April 30
    • Summer Semester
      • June 30
      • July 15
      • August 1
    • When the Late Fee Assessment Date falls on a weekend or university holiday, Late Fees are assessed on the next business date. 
    • Late Fees may be reversed under certain, limited circumstances with approval from the Business Office. HPU's automated system is designed to assess late fees to student accounts appropriately and in accordance with policy.
  1. A student may have a hold placed on their account blocking their ability to order transcripts or receive a diploma (balances of $75 or more), and they may be blocked from registering for future semesters (balances of $5,000 or more). To lift the hold, pay the balance in full. 
  2. A student’s registration will not be canceled during the semester for unpaid balances related to that current semester, unless the student is an international visiting or degree-seeking student; international students are required to pay their balance in full by the tuition payment deadline each semester.
  3. A student’s registration may be canceled if their prior term charges accumulate to an unsustainable level. Students subject to being administratively dropped from their courses due to delinquent, unpaid balances will be notified in advance via email to their my.hpu.edu email address. If a student is dropped for nonpayment as a part of this process, their registration will not be reinstated for that semester. 
  4. A student may be prohibited from participating in HPU-run extracurricular activities with additional costs.
  5. A student may be unable to participate in commencement ceremonies (degrees will still be conferred).
  6. A student may be referred to a third-party collections agency if their balance remains unpaid at the end of the semester.

As outlined in the HPU Student Handbook, Academic Catalog, and Financial Responsibility Agreement: If a student drops or withdraws from some or all of the classes for which they have registered, students will be responsible for paying all or a portion of tuition and fees based upon the deadlines outlined in the ACADEMIC CALENDAR.   

In other words, students may drop or withdraw any and all courses for any reason before the semester begins and until the date posted in the Academic Calendar for the applicable term (typically the 8th calendar day after the first day of class) without financial penalty. After this date, a student will owe HPU for certain tuition and fees, even if they are no longer attending the university:   

  • If a student withdraws or drops classes for any reason on or before the last day to drop with a 100% tuition refund as specified in the Academic Calendar, they will receive 100% credit for tuition and fees owed, less any nonrefundable deposits.
  • If a student withdraws or drops classes for any reason after the last day to drop with a 100% tuition refund as specified in the Academic Calendar, the student will owe 100% of all fees assessed and either 50%, 75%, or 100% of all tuition assessed depending on the date they withdraw or drop their classes as outlined the Academic Calendar.
  • Regardless of the date of withdrawal:
    • Housing cancelation fees, forfeiture of the housing deposit, and/or daily room and meal plan charges may be owed if the student signed an HPU Housing Agreement and/or enrolled in a meal plan. After the last day to drop classes with a 100% tuition refund in a given semester, no refunds will be provided for housing and meal plan charges. Review housing and meal plan agreements for more information.
    • Students who picked up their uPass will not be refunded the Transportation Fee.
    • Nonrefundable deposits, such as enrollment deposits, will not be refunded.

If a student is unable to attend the university for any reason, it is up to the student to withdraw or drop their courses. Students must follow the policies of the Registrar to officially drop courses, request a Leave of Absence, and/or to withdraw from the university. Failing to attend classes a student is registered for or failing to drop or withdraw officially before the deadlines outlined in the ACADEMIC CALENDAR does not absolve a student of their financial responsibility.

The only way for a student to receive 100% credit for tuition and mandatory fees is to withdraw or drop the courses by the last day to drop with a 100% tuition refund as posted in the ACADEMIC CALENDAR.

Withdrawing, dropping courses, and/or failing to attend classes may result in students being required to repay Title IV Federal Student Aid, including federal loans, and/or tuition benefits such as active-duty tuition assistance or veteran’s benefits. Withdrawing, dropping courses, and/or failing to attend class may also result in students failing to meet full-time status or other criteria needed to receive certain scholarships.

A student who remains registered/enrolled in classes past the last day to drop to receive a 100% tuition refund will no longer be eligible to receive 100% credit for tuition and fees and will remain financially responsible for all charges at either 50%, 75%, or 100% of the cost depending upon the date the student drops or withdraws from their classes.

Credits for tuition and fee charges as outlined in this policy will first be used to pay any existing, past-due balances owed by the student except as prohibited by U.S. Department of Education regulations on the application of federal student aid, or other applicable statute or regulation.

If crediting the prorated amount of tuition and fees and applying the credited amount to past-due balances results in an overall credit (negative) balance on the student account, a refund will be paid to the student according to HPU’s standard refund procedures.

If crediting the prorated amount of tuition and fees does not result in an overall credit (negative) balance on the student account:

  • A refund will not be paid to the student, and the credit will be used to pay the student’s prior past-due account balances. 
  • If, after applying the prorated credited tuition and fees, there is a residual balance on the student’s account due to prior-term unpaid balances, the student will remain financially responsible for paying those outstanding charges and will be subject to financial consequences, including late fees and referral to collections agencies, as long as the residual balance remains unpaid.

It is possible that a student may have to repay or make payment after receiving a refund from the University . If there are adjustments to a student account after the date the refund is initiated, such as new charges or financial aid adjustments, the student is financially responsible for those balances even if they previously received a refund the student must pay the account in full.

Housing deposits are not eligible for a refund to the student unless there is a remaining credit on the student’s account after all charges, including non-housing charges, are paid.

If you received a returned item notice, it means your financial institution could not process the requested transfer to Hawaii Pacific University’s bank for one reason or another. The most common reasons are “Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF)” and “Invalid Account Number: Please Verify with Customer/Employee.” The returned item email will specify the exact reason for the returned item. Should you have additional questions about why there was a returned item, please contact your personal financial institution.

If your bank returns your payment for any reason, you will be charged a $30.00 returned item fee. If this fee is not paid, late fees and administrative holds will be applied to your account. Any outstanding balance plus the returned item fee must be paid in full before your hold will be removed. Please note that if your payment was processed through Transact, you will also be charged a $25.00 returned item fee by Transact.

After three (3) occurrences of returned items, the following procedures may be enforced: 

  • All future payments must be made in the form of credit card, cash, cashier’s check, or money order.
  • Online bank account payments will not be accepted, unless the student contacts the Business Office to remove the codes that will prevent online payment with a bank account and if the Business Office approves lifting this restriction as an exception to policy. 
  • Personal checks will not be accepted. If a personal check is submitted to the Business Office, it may be returned to the issuer and any financial consequences or penalties will apply. 

Hawaii Pacific University understands that sometimes accidents happen when managing your funds. We are willing to work with the student or parent/guardian to ensure the student's balance is paid in full. Please contact us if you have further questions about your options. 

Financial Holds are applied to student accounts with past due balances; these holds restrict or prohibit certain activities as explained in this section. 

A past due balance is a balance comprised of any charges that remain unpaid after the Tuition Payment Deadline (each term's Tuition Payment Deadline can be found in the Academic Calendar).

 

The Business Office applies financial holds according to the dates designated in the Academic Calendar.

Types of Financial Holds

  • Account Balance – The past due balance is $75 or more. This hold prevents students from accessing transcripts or receiving diplomas.
  • Student Account Superhold – The past due balance is $5,000 or more. This hold is in addition to the Account Balance hold. This hold prevents students from registering for classes or adjusting their schedule. 
  • Write Off Hold - The past due balance is of sufficient age that the account is no longer active. This does not absolve a student of their financial responsibility to pay the amount owed. 
  • Other Financial Hold – The Business Office has placed a discretionary financial hold on the student account that will not be lifted until specific requirements are fulfilled. Please contact the Business Office for more information. 

Removing Financial Holds

Remove financial holds by paying the past due balance in full.

For more information on how you can pay your past due balance, please contact the Business Office. Financial Aid may also be able to assist you in obtaining a past-due alternative loan to pay your past due balance. Past-due alternative loans are subject to lender approval and are not an option for all students.

 

If your overall account balance is negative, you may be able to request a refund for the overpayment. To review your account balance for any overpayments, log in to MyHPU. On the left menu, under Student Services, select Business & Payments. You will then be taken to your account in Transact. On the left menu in Transact, select Activity Details. 

The overpayment may be eligible for one of three types of refunds, each of which are processed in a different way.

The three types of refunds are

  • Financial Aid: A financial aid refund is processed for an overpayment from financial aid items (FAFSA loans, alternative loans, Federal Pell Grant, etc). This refund is processed automatically by the Grants and Federal Aid Department. More information about financial aid refunds can be found here
  • Housing Deposit: The Accounts Receivable Department will automatically process housing deposit refunds once the Housing Department releases the housing deposits to eligible student accounts. This credit is applied first towards housing charges (if any) and then to any balances owed to the University (if any). If there is a remaining credit after these two categories of charges are satisfied, the student will receive a refund. 
  • Account Credit: To be eligible for an account credit refund, the overpayment must be the result of student payments or other payments made on behalf of the student. If you have a credit on your account that is not related to financial aid or housing, you have two options: 1) leave the credit as is so that it can be applied to future charges at HPU or 2) request a refund of the credit. To request the account credit be issued as a refund, visit hpu.edu/refunds. 

Learn more about refunds on our website: hpu.edu/refunds. 

Outstanding Student Account Balances Related to Disciplinary Suspension or Expulsion

Policy

If a student violates University expectations as outlined in The Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) Student Handbook, the student may be subject to suspension (an involuntary withdrawal or dismissal from the University for a specified number of semesters), or permanent expulsion from the University.

Guidelines

A student who is suspended or expelled from the University forfeits all payments for tuition, fees, or housing incurred for the semester/part of term the incident occurred as well as any prior terms. Any outstanding student account balances are the responsibility of the student for payment.

The student will be sent to collections for an unpaid balance as part of the normal collections process.

If the next semester/part of term has not yet begun and payments for tuition and fees have been received, the student may receive a refund, less any financial aid received, and less any outstanding account balances from the current and prior terms. The student will be administratively dropped from classes for the next semester/part of term and related charges will be removed from his/her student account. Because housing is awarded on an academic year basis, no refund will be given for housing.

Refunds will not be distributed until all disciplinary procedures, including the appeals process, are complete.

The University may, in its sole discretion, place a hold on the student's academic records at the time of the incident, which will limit access to transcripts and other educational records until the disciplinary process is complete.

Any student expelled from the University must refrain from visiting the University premises except when engaged in official business approved in writing by the Dean of Students or designee.

HPU Student Handbook

This Business Office policy is referenced in the HPU Student Handbook. The university reserves the right to change any of the policies, rules, regulations, and standards of conduct at any time as may be necessary in the interest of the university. The university also reserves the right to modify or discontinue any of the services, programs or activities described in the HPU Student Handbook.

The most up-to-date handbook can be found online at www.hpu.edu/studenthandbook

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