Below are some of the most common questions Student Financial Services receives about billing and student accounts. If you have questions not listed here, call 413.662.5230 or email StudentAccounts@mcla.edu.
This FAQ section is specifically geared toward general billing questions. We also offer a general financial aid FAQ and a student loan FAQ.
We bill by semester. Fall semester bills are mailed in early July and are due in early August. Spring semester bills are mailed in mid-November and will be due in mid-December. Payment arrangements must be in place by the due date for students to remain registered for their coursework and to check into housing (if applicable.)
If you have accepted your financial aid award, it will show your accepted aid on your statement. However, if you accepted federal student loans and you a first time borrower, you will need to complete online Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note before those loans will show as a credit. You will receive instructions from Financial Aid if you have this requirement.
If you believe you have accepted aid but it is not listed on your bill, contact Financial Aid at 413-662-5219 or FinAid@mcla.edu.
You can enroll in an interest-free monthly payment plan through Nelnet. For costs, schedules, or to enroll, visit MyCollegePaymentPlan.com/MCLA. There is an enrollment fee of $40 per semester. You can pay in 4 or 3 installments in the fall semester and 4 or 3 installments for spring semester.
You may be eligible for a book advance if your financial aid exceeds the amount of your charges and you have a credit on your account. If you have a credit, you can contact Student Accounts at 413-662-5230 or StudentAccounts@mcla.edu to inquire about the book advance process. Book advance requests are fulfilled during the add/drop period by coming to Student Accounts.
If your financial aid does not exceed the amount of your bill, you would not be eligible for a book advance from Student Accounts.
No. Your meal plan will automatically be put on your student ID card and will be ready
when you move on campus.
However, if you are having issues with your card, bring your card to Student Accounts
and we will troubleshoot.
Usually, students are allowed to change their meal plans based on their status of their residency requirement. However, due to COVID-19, the meal plans are structured in a different way than they are during a typical academic year. For this academic year, all resident students are assigned the plan they are required to be on.
If you try to waive the insurance but the website is telling you're ineligible to waive, it's probably how you're answering the questions. Go back to the waiver and carefully read the questions. Feel free to contact Student Accounts if you need clarification on some of the questions, but we recommend reaching out to your health insurance provider if you aren't sure how to answer them.
If it won't let you waive based on your responses after speaking with your health insurance provider, your health insurance does not meet the requirements of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this case, you will have to enroll in the student health insurance program.
If you aren't sure what the questions are asking, you can contact Student Accounts for clarification. However, if you aren't sure what your health insurance plan covers, you should contact your insurance company and go over the questions together when completing the waiver.
If you don't have health insurance or health insurance that meets the waiver guidelines, you will need to enroll in the student health insurance program. This is a requirement of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Visit the University Health Plans website and click "Enrollment Form" and then complete the enrollment form.
Once you enroll and your enrollment is processed, you will be covered by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue Plan from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. Completing the enrollment in a timely manner ensures that your coverage is activated and a card is sent out to you.
We take privacy very seriously in Student Financial Services. Due to Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations, we must have written permission from you if you want us to release information on your record to anyone besides you. We need written permission even if your family will be calling on your behalf.
You may fill out a FERPA release of information form electronically, or visit Student Accounts/Financial Aid to request a paper form. Only those you list on the FERPA form will be allowed to request information and you may rescind that authorization at any time. This FERPA release of information only extends to Student Financial Services.