How to Pay Tuition and Fees and Other University Charges

IMPORTANT - SDSU has transitioned to a "post-pay model" for paying Basic Tuition & Fees. This means you will pay your tuition & fees in my.SDSU after you have enrolled in classes for a given term. Please refer to your my.SDSU "Financial Account" Tile for your specific due date.

Financial Aid Students

Financial Aid Students are those who will utilized Federal and State Student Aid to help pay for their Tuition. Students are responsible for ensuring all the necessary documents and tasks are completed in order to activate their Financial Aid Award package. Financial Aid Students eligible for a refund should actively monitor their my.SDSU account for any pending charges. There are two types of Financial Aid students; Full Funding & Partial Funding. Students can log into their my.SDSU account to view their estimated aid award and determine which type they fall under.

Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid Disbursement

When Financial Aid disbursements begin, typically 10 days before the start of term, aid will automatically be applied to all eligible fees, such as tuition, campus fees, housing, etc.at the time of disbursement; however, there are some fees that cannot be covered by financial aid. Any excess financial aid will be refunded to the student directly via direct deposit (if enrolled) or check. Please note it is the student’s responsibility to review their account for any outstanding balance not covered by their financial aid award.

What is a Financial Aid Tuition Fee Deferment?

A Financial Aid Tuition Fee Deferment prevents cancellation of registration for non-payment of fees and temporarily prevents assessment of late payment fees.

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Full Funding Financial Aid Student

The Anticipated Financial Aid Award Package is equal to or greater than the cost of the tuition balance in full for the upcoming term. Students in this category may qualify for a Financial Aid Tuition Fee Deferment, which will be visible in the student's account after students are enrolled and the Financial Award has posted.

*Please note; If your award or tuition fees change for any reason, causing you to no longer qualify, your fee deferment may be removed.  Students will be responsible for their fees by the designated due date.  Please monitor your my.SDSU account regularly for any changes to your account.

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Partial Funding Financial Aid Student

The Anticipated Financial Aid Award Package is less than the cost of tuition in full for the upcoming term. Once enrolled and after the financial award has posted, students in this category must log in to their my.SDSU to check their out-of-pocket expense. 

To check for out-of-pocket expense;

  1. Sign in to my.SDSU
  2. Select "Financial Account" tile.
  3. and review:  "Account Balance" section.
  4. To determine out-of-pocket expenses, identify the Total Due amount.
  5. To view current charges, click the "Charges Due" on left side navigation.
  6. Make payment by the given "Due Date"
  7. Once payment is made, the Financial Aid Tuition Fee Deferment will automatically be applied.

How to check your out-of-pocket expense 

*Students are responsible for checking their student account for any outstanding balances. Failure to check for an outstanding balance may incur Tuition Late Fees at the students expense.

Financial Aid Overview

It is the policy of SDSU to directly apply Financial Aid and/or scholarship funds to current-year institutional charges. First, funds are applied in accordance to due date. Then, funds are allocated in the following order:

  1. Basic Tuition & Fees
  2. Non-Resident Tuition & Fees, if applicable
  3. Housing & Meal Plan, if applicable

Refer to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for questions related to financial aid awards.

Questions? Cal Coast Student Financial Center

Installment Payment Plans

Installment Payment Plans (IPP) are offered as a payment option to help students and families manage the cost of educational expenses. Tuition Payment Plans break up the total cost of an expense into multiple partial payments over the course of the semester. Installment Payment Plans are only available during Fall and Spring semesters. There are three types of Installment Payment Plans: Resident Tuition and Fees IPP, Non-Resident Tuition & Fees IPP and Housing IPP.

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*Please Note: Students must first enroll in an Installment Payment Plan before making initial payment. Deadline to enroll in the Installment Plan is the Schedule Adjustment Deadline.

  • Enrollment in the Tuition Installment Payment Plan should be done by the Payment Due Date in your my.SDSU account
  • Students must re-enroll into the Tuition Installment Plan each semester
  • Parking,  miscellaneous fees and Global Campus tuition fees may not be paid in installments
  • Professional Program Fees may not be paid in installments
  • The deadline to enroll in the Installment Plan is the Schedule Adjustment Deadline.
  • Basic Tuition & Fees Installment Plan is not available for Summer Sessions
  • Late registration participants may enroll in the Installment Plan - a $50 late registration fee will be accrued in addition to related installment fees. For more infomration please visit Money Matters.

How to enroll in an Installment Payment Plan?

Follow the steps below:

*Please note: The deadline to enroll in a Installment Payment Plan is the Schedule Adjustment Deadline for each term. For more information reference "Money Matters".

Third Party Billing/Waivers

Third Party students are those who have an outside agency funding their tuition and fees. Sponsor and Sponsored students must submit the Sponsorship letter or Third Party Billing Authorization form to the University Bursar's Office prior to the basic tuition and fees due date each term.

Personal Funding

All students are required to pay for Tuition and Fees by their due date to prevent late fees and/or cancellations. Due dates are posted on the University Bursar's website. Failure to submit payment by the designated due date will result in a $50 late fee for each payment missed. Guides are availble to assist students on how to pay for their tuition and fees. If a student is using Personal Funding sources, the following options are availbale to make a payment.

If you are not sure what funding source you are using, please contact the Cal Coast Financial Center for assistance.

You may pay your Basic Tuition and Fees and other charges using the ACH payment option. This is just like writing a check. There is no additional charge for this option. You will need your bank routing and checking account number; which is not the same as your debit card number.

If your payment is returned by your bank to the University Bursar’s Office for any reason, you will be billed a $35 dishonored payment charge and a $50 late fee when applicable (this fee applies to all forms of payment that are returned by your bank). Non-payment of Tuition and Fees may result in cancellation of your registration and withholding of further services until all financial liabilities have been resolved. The university reserves the right to refuse payments by electronic check from those individuals who have previously had items returned unpaid by their bank.

The university reserves the right to refuse payments by electronic check from those individuals who have previously had items returned unpaid by their bank.

Online - Credit Card  - Students are able to use MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Card to pay Basic Tuition and Fees using Transact, our secure third party vendor. The University Bursar’s Office does not accept credit cards for in-person payment of Basic Tuition and Fees. Payments made using Transact are normally posted to the student’s account in real time. Transact assesses each customer a 2.65% service charge based on the transaction amount. See Transact website for more details.

If your payment is returned by your bank to the University Bursar’s Office for any reason, you will be billed a $35 dishonored payment charge and a $50 late fee when applicable (this fee applies to all forms of payment that are returned by your bank). Non-payment of Basic Tuition and Fees may result in cancellation of your registration and withholding of further services until all financial liabilities have been resolved.

If a payment is returned due to a payment dispute or charge back, your credit card privileges will be revoked and this payment option will no longer be available.

Basic Tuition and Fees may be paid in full by personal check, money order, or certified funds. Checks should be made payable to SDSU. In order to have your payment processed on time, print the fee payment coupon and submit it (via mail or University Bursar’s Office drop box) with your payment prior to your payment deadline.

Payments should be mailed to:

University Bursar's Office

San Diego State University

5500 Campanile Dr, SSW 2536

San Diego, CA 92182-7425

Checks are accepted for the exact amount of the payment. Overpayments of $10.00 or less are re- funded only upon request.

If your payment is returned by your bank to the University Bursar’s Office for any reason, you will be billed a $35 dishonored payment charge and a $50 late fee when applicable (this fee applies to all forms of payment that are returned by your bank). Non-payment of Tuition and Fees may result in cancellation of your registration and withholding of further services until all financial liabilities have been resolved.

Students are welcome to make a payment in person with the university cashiers department. We are located on the Main Campus in the Student Services West Builing - 2536.

Please note our office is open Monday - Friday 9am - 3:30pm.

SDSU has partnered with Convera and Flywire to provide a convenient and secure online payment option for international students.

All students paying in foreign currency should use the IFT option through Transact in my.SDSU. Payments are automatically posted to your student account once received.

Wires through Convera and Flywire offer favorable exchange rates and eliminate bank fees typically associated with wire transfers.

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings account designed to be used for the beneficiary's education expenses. The account holder can use the funds to pay all or a portion of a student's Tuition and Fees at SDSU. We recommend that you request funds a month in advance to ensure that our office receives payment in time for registration.

If someone other than the student will be paying the bills, a Alternate Payer Account may be created which will allow the individual to make payments to SDSU on the student’s behalf. To make a payment click here.