Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State is announcing policy changes relating to student accounts beginning with the fall 2018 semester and the July billing cycle. The effort is expected to reduce student debt and foster responsible financial management skills.

The university announced this month that new payment plans will allow students to pay tuition, residence halls, meal plans and other expenses through monthly installments. All statement due dates will move to the first day of each month.

“These changes have many benefits for students, parents and the university,” said Kevin Edelblute, MSU assistant vice president and controller/treasurer. “We are clarifying due dates and student responsibilities, and we anticipate that our students will realize lower debt with this new payment schedule.”

Students currently receive their monthly billing statements around the 15th of each month, and the balance is due on the 9th of the following month. Beginning July 2018, students will continue receiving statements around the 15th day of the month, but due dates will be on the 1st of the following month. For example, the July 15th billing statements will have a due date of August 1.

Fall semester bills must be paid in full, or students must enroll in a payment plan, by August 1. Students who do not meet the deadline for payment or enrolling in a payment plan will be subject to cancellation of their class schedules.

“I think students will feel a great incentive toward success due to the upfront investment they are making for each semester,” Edelblute said.

He noted that similar payment policies have become standard practice used by many universities throughout the country.

The amount due will consist of all charges, minus any pending student aid.

For the fall 2018 semester, the payment due date is August 1, and spring 2019 charges will be due January 1. Students planning to live in a residence hall must pay in full or enroll in a payment plan before they move in. Summer charges are not eligible for the payment plan and must be paid when billed.

Edelblute and other MSU officials are advising students to begin planning now for the coming changes that apply to all students, with two exceptions. Graduate assistants will be exempt from the upfront payment requirement because most, if not all, of their tuition is covered by their assistantships. First-semester international students are required to make an initial payment prior to arriving in the U.S. to begin their education at MSU, and, therefore, are exempt from this policy.

For more information, visit http://www.paymybill.msstate.edu or contact the Office of Student Account Services at 662-325-2071 or email studentaccounts@msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.