Financial Aid will initially show as “Pending.” Expected loans, grants and scholarships that are in process will be listed on your bill under the heading “Pending Financial Aid” until the money is actually received by the university. If your aid still shows as “Pending” after the first two weeks of classes, call Financial & Registration Services immediately to see why. Missing or incomplete financial aid paperwork will prevent students from receiving their loans/grants, and can result in late fees. Students can check their Portal under Financial Aid Document Status or with Financial & Registration Services.
University employees cannot discuss student finances with anyone, including parents, without the student’s express permission. Students must complete both the FERPA and Authorized User processes.
You can set up an Authorized User:
From the Portal Log-in page:
NOTE: If the authorized user should lose or forget their password, there is a link the Authorized User can click on below "Forgot your Password? near the lower left corner of the log-in page. The authorized user will then receive a one-time password.
Late fees will be charged to past due accounts. Late fees will be assessed to all student accounts that are not paid in a timely manner. Late fees will be charged monthly until the bill is paid in full at the following rate:
Balances due between $200 and $2,000 will be charged $50 monthly.
Balances due between $2,001 and $5,000 will be charged $100 monthly.
Balances due from $5,001 and higher will be charged $200 monthly.
Please refer to the Academic Calendar & Important Deadlines for specific dates.
Bills are due before classes begin each semester. Any balance of a student’s bill that is not covered by financial aid or payment plan is due in full before classes begin. Students are responsible for knowing if their expected payments or financial aid are sufficient to cover their current bill. Students whose bills are not paid, cannot register for the following semester or receive transcripts or diplomas, and will be subject to late fees.
Castleton offers three primary payment options:
a. Direct payment: cash, check, money order or credit card (Master Card, Visa, Discover, American Express)
b. Financial aid: loans, grants, scholarships or other third-party payments.
c. Monthly payment plan: by semester in 3, 4, 5, or 6 payments (6-pay is fall only). This option is online only.
Castleton accepts cash, checks, and money orders. Discover, American Express, Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards can be used online only, and will be charged a 2.85% service fee. Online payments can also be made with a checking/savings account, with no additional fee.
Online:
Students and Authorized User access: From the Castleton homepage, www.castleton.edu, click on the VSC Portal link at the bottom of the page. Choose Student/Faculty/Staff then click the link: VSC Bill Payment for Students and Authorized Users, under the green sign-in button. This will take you directly to the billing portal. Log in as a student or authorized user, then click the Make a Payment link at the top of the page. Castleton bills by semester, so choose the Pay by Term option and choose the semester you would like your payment applied to. The full balance will automatically populate, but there is an editable field where you can change the amount. You can pay with a credit/debit card or with a bank account. Be aware, if you pay using a bank account, the system will ask you to enter the account number, then enter it again, but in reverse order. You can save any of your payment methods for future use.
In Person:
Come to Financial & Registration Services on the first floor of Woodruff Hall, weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (4:00 during the summer). We will process your payment and give you a receipt. Be aware, we cannot process in-person credit/debit cards. In-person payment options are: checks, cash or money orders.
By Mail:
Checks can be made payable to Castleton University and mailed to:
Castleton University
Financial & Registration Services
62 Alumni Drive
Castleton, VT 05735. Please write the full 7-digit student ID number on the check memo line and/or check stub.
Flywire:
International students are encouraged to make their payments to Castleton through Flywire (www.Flywire.com), which allows payments in any currency, with payment tracking and multilingual customer support. Details can be found on the Financial & Registration Services web page: www.castleton.edu/finreg . If you have questions about making payments, please contact the Financial & Registration Services Office at 802.468.6070 or financial_registration@castleton.edu.
Students are allowed to charge their textbooks and school supplies to their student accounts during the first two weeks of classes only. Because refund checks are not available until after Add/Drop, students have the option of having their Castleton Store purchases applied directly to their student tuition accounts. Students who choose this option must show their current class schedule and a photo ID at the time of purchase.
Castleton Student Health Insurance
Castleton University policy requires that all full-time students carry health insurance, so the annual Castleton health insurance plan is billed to students every fall semester. Every fall all full-time students must log into their Castleton Portal and either accept or decline the insurance coverage by completing and submitting the Student Health Insurance Selection Form. Those who opt in will receive an ID card in the mail shortly after classes begin. Those who opt out must provide their current insurance information and will have the charge removed from their bill.
To accept or decline the insurance: from the Castleton home page, select the VSC Portal link at the very bottom of the page, and log in. Click on the Finances tile and then Student Health Insurance Form. Complete the form, leaving nothing blank, and then Submit.
Castleton offers insurance coverage through Wellfleet. For information on coverage and claim forms, Wellfleet can be reached at 1-800-633-7867, or on the Wellfleet website. Use the search bar to find Castleton University.
New Spring Students
New students who begin at Castleton in the spring semester will see the health insurance charge on their first spring tuition bill, only that one time. The charge will then appear on every subsequent fall bill.
The monthly payment plan is per semester, online only. Students and Authorized Users can enroll in the payment plan beginning in June for Fall semester and in November for Spring semester. You can choose 3, 4, 5 or 6 payments (6-pay is fall only). There is a $30 enrollment fee each semester. Students will be charged late fees if their payment is not received by the 15th of each month. The plan automatically calculates your installment payments, and updates your plan when any changes are made to your student account, such as book charges and parking fines.
Students whose tuition accounts have been over-paid by financial aid and/or other payments and have a credit balance will be refunded the difference after the two-week add/drop period at the beginning of each semester. Because financial aid often comes in more than one disbursement, we process refunds once a week throughout the semester. We encourage students to sign up for a direct deposit, as paper checks are mailed to home addresses from our central office in Montpelier, VT.
To sign up for direct deposit: log into the Castleton Portal. Click on the Finances tile and then click on Student Account Billing and Payments Information. On the right choose the Payments/Authorized Users link. Click the Students and Staff button and log in again, then select the "Electronic Refunds" icon on the right side of the page. You must complete Security Settings before setting up your refund account, then choose the Payment Profile tab and follow the instructions. Be sure to check the box to indicate refund account. Be aware: the system will ask you to enter your bank account number and routing number, then your account number again but in reverse order.
Students are billed by semester, not by year, and bills are viewable after students register for classes. Other charges such as textbooks, parking fines and late fees, appear on student accounts as they occur through the semester, so check bills often.
Students can create Authorized Users so family members can view bills and make payments with their own login and password. Students and Authorized Users will receive billing update notices via email when online statements are updated.
Bills can be viewed on the Castleton Portal and can be paid online by credit/debit card or web check. Credit card payments show on your credit card statement as Vermont State Colleges.
This snapshot of your bill is updated twice monthly, around the 1 and the 15 of each month.
To see recent transactions, select Current Activity under My Account.
Questions? Contact Financial & Registration Services: (802) 468-6070