Student Financial Responsibility Agreement

The Sonoma State University Student Financial Responsibility Agreement is the University’s way of ensuring our students understand the financial responsibilities of enrolling in classes at Sonoma State University. It outlines the University’s expectations for payments, holds, and the possible employment of collection agencies for past due balances.

By reading and accepting the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement, students are acknowledging their consideration of the cost of their education, including financial planning and debt management.

To ensure each student is considering their finances each year, the agreement must be completed twice per academic year prior-to Fall and Spring registration.

To complete the agreement, the student needs to log in to their MySSU portal, and complete the agreement which is located in their To-do list in the Student Center.

Please visit the detailed instructions on how to complete this To-Do list item.

The Sonoma State University Student Financial Responsibility Agreement

Determination of Fees/Payment of Fees: I understand that when I register for any class at Sonoma State University (SSU) or receive any service from SSU, I accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, registration charges, fees and other associated costs assessed as a result of my registration and/or receipt of services. I understand that whether I attend classes or not, fees are charged for all classes on my class schedule the first day of instruction or thereafter. I understand that my failure to attend class or receive an electronic bill does not absolve me of my financial responsibility as described above.; I understand and agree that if I drop or withdraw from some or all of the classes for which I register, I will be responsible for paying all or a portion of tuition and fees in accordance with the published Refund of Student Charges/Fees information outlined in the semester Schedule of Classes.; I understand it is my responsibility to drop courses, regardless of the reason, by the published deadlines to avoid charges and be eligible for a full or prorated refund. I understand that failure to do so may result in charges that I will be required to pay.
Disenrollment from Classes Due to Non-Payment: I understand that I may be disenrolled from all classes if I fail to pay all fees by the deadline.; I understand that financial aid students with a verified award offer in an amount sufficient to cover all semester registration charges are usually not subject to disenrollment as long as a financial aid deferment is in place. I understand that I will not be disenrolled if I have an active fee deferment, and I will owe full or pro-rated fees on any classes dropped due to disenrollment following inactivation of my deferment.
Total Withdrawal from the University: I understand that if I want to withdraw completely from the University, I must fill out a "Total Withdrawal from SSU" form, available online or from the Office of the Registrar, Salazar Hall. If I have received financial aid, I may be required to return a portion of those funds that I am no longer eligible to receive, which may result in owing the University for charges or refunds that the reduced financial aid had initially paid.; (For more information on withdrawing from the University and learning how your financial aid may be affected, visit the Financial Aid Office Help Book Enrollment webpage.)
Failure to Notify the University of Withdrawal (Unofficial Withdrawal): I understand that failure to notify the University if I stop attending all classes is considered an Unofficial Withdrawal. Failing to attend a class does not constitute an official withdrawal. If I am a financial aid recipient and all my classes are assigned a grade of F, WU, or NC during a semester, my federal financial aid award will be reduced 50% up to the amount of eligible tuition and fees or disbursed federal aid (lesser amount). I understand that I will owe the University for unpaid charges or for financial aid that may have been previously refunded to me.; (For more information on withdrawing from the University and learning how your financial aid may be affected, visit the Financial Aid Office Help Book Enrollment webpage.)
Delinquent Account/Collections: Financial Hold: I understand and agree that if I fail to pay my student account bill or any monies due and owing SSU by the scheduled due date(s) and do not have a financial aid deferment in place, I understand that SSU will place a financial hold on my student account. Should a student or former student fail to pay a fee or a debt owed to SSU, SSU may “withhold permission to register, to use facilities for which a fee is authorized to be charged, to receive services, materials, food or merchandise or any combination of the above from any person owing a debt” until the debt is paid (see Title 5, California Code of Regulations, sections 42380 and 42381).; I understand that SSU may also report the debt to a credit bureau, offset the amount due against any future state tax refunds due to me, refer the debt to an outside collection agency and/or charge the student actual and reasonable collection costs, including reasonable attorney fees if litigation is necessary in collecting any amount not paid when due.; Collection Agency Fees: I understand and accept that if I fail to pay my student account bill or any monies due and owing SSU by the scheduled due date, and fail to make acceptable payment arrangements to bring my account current, SSU may refer my delinquent account to a collection agency.; If a person believes they do not owe all or part of an asserted unpaid obligation, that person may contact the Seawolf Service Center department at 707-664-2308. The Seawolf Service Center will review all pertinent information provided by the person and available.
Communication: Method of Communication: I understand and agree that SSU uses e-mail as an official method of communication with me and that therefore I am responsible for reading the e-mails I receive from SSU to my SSU email on a timely basis.; Updating Contact Information: I understand and agree that I am responsible for keeping SSU records up to date with my current physical addresses and phone numbers by updating my records in MySSU. Upon leaving SSU for any reason, I understand it is my responsibility to provide SSU with updated contact information for purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts that remain due and owing to SSU.
Financial Aid: I understand that my financial aid award does not represent actual or guaranteed payment, but is an estimate of the aid I may receive if I meet all requirements stipulated by that aid program.; I understand that my financial aid award is contingent upon my continued enrollment and attendance in each class upon which my financial aid eligibility was calculated. If I drop any class before completion, I understand that my financial aid eligibility may decrease and some or all of the financial aid awarded to me may be revoked.; I understand that if some or all of my financial aid is revoked because I dropped or failed to attend class, I agree to repay all revoked aid that was disbursed to my account and resulted in a credit balance that was refunded to me.; I understand that financial aid, scholarships and fee waivers awarded to me may reduce the amount due to the University. However, if financial aid does not pay my fees in full, it is my responsibility to pay any remaining balance by the established deadline.; Prizes, Awards, Scholarships, Grants: I understand that all prizes, awards, scholarships and grants awarded to me by SSU will be credited to my student account and applied toward any outstanding balance. I further understand that my receipt of a prize, award, scholarship or grant is considered a financial resource according to federal Title IV financial aid regulations, and may therefore reduce my eligibility for other federal and/or state financial aid (i.e., loans, grants, Federal Work Study), which, if already disbursed to my student account, must be reversed and returned to the aid source.
Method of Billing: I understand that SSU periodically sends courtesy emails to my SSU email account informing me that my electronic bill (e-bill) is available for viewing. I understand that SSU will not mail or otherwise send a hard copy invoice and I am responsible for viewing and paying my student account e-bill by the scheduled due date. I further understand that failure to review my e-bill does not constitute a valid reason for not paying my bill on time.
Billing Errors: I understand that administrative, clerical or technical billing errors do not absolve me of my financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition, fees and other associated financial obligations assessed as a result of my registration at SSU.
Returned Payments/Failed Payment Agreements: If a payment made to my student account is returned by the bank for any reason, I agree to repay the original amount of the payment plus a returned payment fee of $20 per returned payment. I understand that multiple returned payments and/or failure to comply with the terms of any payment plan or agreement I sign with SSU may result in cancellation of my classes and/or suspension of my eligibility to register for future classes at SSU.
CSU Fee Disclaimer: The CSU makes every effort to keep student costs to a minimum. Fees listed in published schedules or student accounts may need to be increased when public funding is inadequate. Therefore, CSU must reserve the right, even after fees are initially charged or initial fee payments are made, to increase or modify any listed fees. All listed fees, other than mandatory systemwide fees, are subject to change without notice, until the date when instruction for a particular semester or quarter has begun. All CSU listed fees should be regarded as estimates that are subject to change upon approval by the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, or the Presidents, as appropriate. Changes in mandatory systemwide fees will be made in accordance with the requirements of the Working Families Student Fee Transparency and Accountability Act (Sections 66028 - 66028.6 of the Education Code).