In spring of 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, appropriating approximately $39.6 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). It was the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.

Taken together, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and the ARP represent HEERF I, HEERF II and HEERF III, respectively.

Each provides funding to institutions of higher education to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.

A credit balance remaining after all university obligations have been met, which results from state or federal financial aid, grants, or loans, will be refunded within 14 days. When a federal PLUS Loan creates a credit balance on a student's account, this refund will be payable to the borrower. All other refunds will be payable to the student.

Students may request a refund for other credit balances at anytime. All refunds are subject to the Director of Student Accounting Services approval. There are no refunds of fees once the semester has begun.

Students have the option to sign up for direct deposit of their student refund. They may do so through My.SBU — under the One Stop Tab, then the Student Accounts option, and select Sign up for Direct Deposit - Student Refunds. All university rules and regulations apply — the Director of Student Accounting Services approves all refunds.

Any excess credit from the payment plan over St. Bonaventure’s cost will not be refunded until the payment plan has been paid in full.  Please call the Student Records and Financial Services office to discuss the over-payment and ways to adjust the contract so you are not waiting for a refund at 716-375-2020.

Refunds are issued by check on a weekly basis and mailed to the address on file. If you would like your check payable to someone other than the student or mailed to another address, the student will need to inform the Student Records and Financial Services office in writing. Requests taken in person from the student will supersede a previous request.

Due dates for the payment of tuition, room, meal plan and other semester charges are set well in advance of the beginning of that semester. The due date for the fall is Aug. 1 for returning students and graduate students. Freshmen and transfer bills are due Aug. 10. Spring semester bills are due Jan. 3.

Financial responsibility begins with registration for a course. Failure to attend will not cancel a bill. Written notice must be given to the university registrar. A student's registration is subject to cancellation if charges for a semester are not paid by the due date specified on the bill.

Financial clearance must be obtained from the director of Student Accounting Services prior to arrival on campus or the due dates listed above, whichever is earlier. Failure to receive financial clearance may result in deregistration and other consequences.

Failure to settle accounts in full will prevent the student from registering for subsequent classes or semesters, administrative withdrawal prior to the completion of the current semester (including loss of credit), possible suspension of on-campus benefits such as meal plan and extracurricular activities, loss of access to commencement tickets/activities and suspension of ability to receive a diploma.

The account of any student who chooses to use a monthly payment plan, or RA (resident assistant) payment, is considered cleared but not settled until all such payments or obligations have been satisfied. These are elective plans for which the student decides to enroll, and which grant the student a temporary postponement of some payment obligations. Until full payment is received by the university the student account is not considered satisfied.

Semester bills for the academic year will be posted online in mid-June with a due date of Aug. 1 for the fall semester. Freshmen and transfer student bills are due Aug. 10. Spring semester bills are posted in late November with a due date of Jan. 3. All accounts that are not satisfied by the due date will be assessed a $100 late fee.

You are liable for the amount shown due on your original bill by our due date. A new or revised bill will be sent later, at which time any additional outstanding balance is due.

If you wish to submit payment by check, please send payment to St. Bonaventure University, P.O. Box 2448, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778. Checks should be payable to St. Bonaventure University or SBU. Please indicate the student’s account number and name on the memo line of the check.

Financial aid awards that include grants, scholarships, and loans may offset expenses for many students. Federal work-study awards or Bona work cannot be credited to the semester bill.

Students who expect to receive financial aid or loans from any source should begin their application process well in advance of the beginning of any semester. Since direct loans are issued in two disbursements, only 50 percent of the total loan amount, less origination and insurance fees, can be applied any given semester, with any remaining balance due by published due date.

Deferments are accepted for approved bank loans and financial aid. Items showing in the pending aid section of the bill are acceptable deferments. If your loans or financial aid do not appear on your account statement, please provide the following information: type of deferment, name, address, telephone number to verify deferment, and disbursement date of funds. Please send information before the semester due date. The student is responsible to notify the Student Records and Financial Services Office of outstanding deferments, each semester, when the student seeks financial clearance.

Books, supplies, or other items purchased at the university bookstore may not be charged to student accounts. The bookstore accepts MasterCard, VISA, Discover, and American Express.

Students will be held financially responsible for any laboratory equipment damaged or lost due to student’s negligence, carelessness, failure to follow instruction or failure to return items. 

Students are responsible for maintaining the physical condition of their residence hall rooms as they find them. Rooms are checked for damages periodically by the Office of Residential Life, and students will be charged for any damage they cause. Residence halls are available for occupancy only during the time established in the academic calendar.

The local banks in the Olean/Allegany area offer a variety of options for students to maintain checking and savings accounts. A local checking account is suggested in order to expedite purchases locally. Merchants do not normally accept out-of-town checks.

An ATM is located within the Reilly Center, adjacent to the University Bookstore, with Five Star Bank as the servicing bank. VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are also accepted.

Bona ID Card
Your Bona ID card serves as your campus identification card, library card, building access card, and meal plan card. 

A leave of absence for medical reasons is issued by the vice president for Student Affairs only upon the written advice of other appropriate professional persons and only for one semester. 

Students will not be liable for any tuition or fees if they decide to withdraw because of military service. All state and federal tuition assistance funding will be returned to the appropriate organizations that issued the funding.

Students may request a review of their withdraw type, date of withdraw, or calculation within 30 calendar days of issuance of the final billing from the university. Requests made after 30 days will not be reviewed.

Military service withdrawal

If a student is called to active duty, a military withdrawal will be granted through the university's registrar's office. Students should contact the registrar's office as soon as possible to fill out the official withdrawal form.

A military withdrawal will be granted once the university receives a copy of the official orders or a notice from the student's commander. The registrar will indicate on the withdrawal form that the reason for withdrawal is "military service."

If timing does not permit the student to fill out the withdrawal form, the student may initiate the withdrawal by providing a formal request in writing. The student must sign the letter and send it to: Office of the Registrar, P.O. Box C, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778. The letter may also be sent by fax to (716) 375-2087.

Once the form is received, the registrar will initiate the withdrawal on the student's behalf. In addition, a copy of the orders must accompany the form.

All full-time students are required to have some form of health insurance coverage. The cost of the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan for the 2023-2024 academic year is $2,750.00 and will appear on your fall tuition bill.

However, if you have equivalent medical insurance coverage and do not wish to purchase the university's insurance, complete the insurance waiver information, which is available online at www.haylor.com/sbu.  

You need to complete the waiver card online by Sept. 8, 2023. Your account will be credited upon receipt of the completed waiver information. If you continue to be billed for the student health insurance, please contact the Student Records and Financial Services Office at (716) 375-2020 to verify that the waiver information was received.
 
NO WAIVER WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER SEPT. 8, 2023.  

Total withdrawal from the university

Any student who withdraws (all courses) from the university must give formal notice to the University Registrar. The policy below will be used for all withdrawals from the University with the exception of medical and military service leaves. The official withdrawal date is the date that the student begins the school's withdrawal process at the Registrar's Office, or the date that the student otherwise provided official notification.

Please refer to the Academic Policy section of the University catalog for policies and procedures to formally withdraw from the University. Federal financial aid will be calculated on an earned per diem basis for the academic calendar up to the 60 percent point in the semester. Please refer to the Financial Aid section of the University's catalog for details.

Students may request a review of their withdraw type, date of withdraw, or calculation within 30 calendar days of issuance of the final billing from the University. Requests made after 30 days will not be reviewed.

Fifteen-week tuition, room and meal plan refund

Tuition, room and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule:

Five-week tuition, room and meal plan refund

Tuition, room and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule:

Seven-week tuition, room and meal plan refund

Tuition, room and meal plan charges will be refunded according to the following schedule: