Going to college is extremely expensive these days. The College Board says that full-time tuition and fees at public four-year colleges were $10,740 on average for the 2021–2022 school year and $38,070 at private nonprofit four-year colleges. This means that a lot of students have to take out loans or depend on grants and scholarships to help pay for college.
But what happens if despite your best efforts you still can’t pay your college bill in full when it comes due? Unfortunately, failing to pay your college tuition bill can lead to some pretty serious consequences. In this article, we’ll explain what can happen if you don’t pay your college tuition bill and provide some tips on how to avoid these outcomes.
Consequences for Not Paying Your College Tuition Bill
Here are some of the potential consequences students may face for not paying their college tuition bill on time:
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Registration Hold: Colleges can place a hold on your account that prevents you from registering for future classes until you pay off your outstanding balance. This means you won’t be able to sign up for courses in the next semester until your past due tuition bill is paid.
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Transcript Hold: Your college can refuse to release your official transcripts until your balance is paid in full. This makes it difficult to transfer schools or to apply for jobs or graduate school.
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Graduation Hold You may not be allowed to graduate or receive your diploma until all tuition and fees are paid off. Even if you’ve completed your degree requirements the college can withhold your diploma.
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Dropped Classes: If you don’t pay on time for too long, the college may drop you from the classes you’re taking this semester. This can derail your education and graduation timeline.
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Early Payment Fees: Colleges often charge late payment fees that can add hundreds or even thousands to your bill. These extra charges are meant to incentivize students to pay on time.
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Collection Agency: If your tuition bill remains unpaid for an extended period, the college may turn your account over to a collection agency. This can severely hurt your credit score and make it difficult to qualify for loans, credit cards, and other financing in the future.
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Lawsuits: As a last resort, your college may sue you to recover the unpaid tuition costs. If this happens, you’ll likely have to hire a lawyer and go to court to fight the lawsuit.
As you can see, not paying your college tuition bill can seriously disrupt your education and have lasting financial consequences. So what can you do to avoid these outcomes if money is tight?
Tips to Avoid Consequences of Unpaid Tuition
Here are some tips to help you avoid negative consequences if you’re struggling to pay your college tuition bill:
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Talk to the financial aid office: Tell them about your situation and see if they can increase your financial aid package or point you to emergency grants or other resources.
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Apply for scholarships: Even during the school year, you may be able to find and apply for scholarship opportunities to help cover costs.
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Get a part-time job: Look for a flexible job on or near campus that can provide some extra income to put toward tuition.
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Ask about payment plans: See if your college offers monthly payment plans that allow you to pay tuition in installments over the semester. This prevents the full balance from coming due all at once.
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Borrow federal student loans: Federal student loans like Direct Loans feature low fixed interest rates, flexible repayment options, and other borrower protections.
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Consider private student loans: These require good credit or a cosigner but can provide funds when federal loans aren’t enough.
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Talk to friends or family: As a last resort, explain the situation and see if any relatives would be willing to loan you money until your next financial aid disbursement.
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Look into emergency tuition assistance: Some colleges have emergency funds set up to help students who hit an unexpected financial hardship mid-year.
The key is addressing the issue proactively. Avoid sticking your head in the sand because the consequences will only worsen over time. As soon as you foresee payment issues, get in touch with the financial aid office to discuss options.
What Happens If Your Tuition Bill Goes to Collections?
If you go too long without paying your tuition bill, your college may turn the account over to a collections agency. This means a company will take over efforts to collect the amount you owe on behalf of the college.
Having an unpaid tuition bill in collections can seriously hurt your credit standing:
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Lower Credit Scores: The collection account will show up on your credit report and can significantly drag down your credit scores. A single collections account can decrease your scores by over 100 points!
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Less Access to Credit: Lenders view collections accounts as a red flag, so you’ll have a very hard time getting approved for financing like credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages while you have unpaid tuition debt in collections.
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Legal Action: Collectors may decide to sue you in court to try to recover the debt. This can result in wage garnishment if they win a judgment against you.
To avoid these outcomes, act quickly to address the unpaid tuition bill if you receive a collections notice. Here are some options:
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Negotiate a payment plan: See if the collections agency will let you pay off the balance in affordable monthly installments. Get any agreement in writing.
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Pay a lump sum: If possible, try to come up with a large lump sum payment to clear a portion of the debt right away. Even paying off half the balance looks better.
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Dispute inaccurate information: If you notice any errors on the collection account, dispute them according to the process set forth in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
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Ask about pay-for-delete: Some collectors will delete a collection account from your credit report if you’re able to pay off the entire balance. But get this agreement in writing first.
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Consider credit counseling: A nonprofit credit counseling agency may be able to help you negotiate with collections to resolve the unpaid tuition bill.
The worst thing you can do is avoid the calls and letters from collections altogether. Work proactively to address the issue so you can move forward financially.
How Can You Avoid Unpaid Tuition in the Future?
Once you get past this hump, it’s important to take steps so you don’t end up in the same situation with upcoming tuition bills:
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Update your FAFSA: File the FAFSA annually to qualify for all possible financial aid opportunities. Report any changes to income.
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Appeal for more aid: Ask the financial aid office to re-evaluate your aid package if your financial circumstances have changed since first applying.
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Apply for scholarships: Look for scholarships year-round, not just when first applying to the college. Check databases like Fastweb.com and Bold.org for opportunities.
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Get a part-time job: Find an on-campus job or paid internship that provides an income cushion and pays tuition directly.
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Start budgeting: Create a budget to limit discretionary spending and ensure you’re reserving enough for tuition and fees each semester.
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Open a savings account: Have a dedicated savings account to stash away extra money whenever possible to build a tuition payment buffer.
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Minimize living costs: Reduce expenses by buying used textbooks, living with roommates, limiting entertainment costs, and finding free activities.
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Anticipate all costs: Verify you understand the complete costs of attendance. Don’t let extra fees or living expenses catch you off guard.
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Ask about payment plans: Find out what installment payment options your college offers for breaking tuition up into smaller monthly sums.
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Stay organized: Mark payment deadlines on your calendar and set payment reminders to avoid accidentally missing due dates.
With proper planning and budgeting, you can avoid ending up with a past due tuition bill. But if you do hit a rough patch, act quickly to address the issue and get back on stable financial ground.
What to Do If You Can No Longer Afford College
Sometimes students realize mid-way that their college is no longer affordable for them, even with loans, financial aid, a campus job, and the tips above. When that happens, you have a few options:
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Talk to an advisor: Meet with an academic advisor to discuss your options. Perhaps you can switch to a more affordable school or program.
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Take fewer classes: Consider enrolling part-time or taking time off to work more and save up. Just make sure you have a plan to eventually re-enroll.
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Defer enrollment: If you’re just about to start college but can no longer afford it, ask if you can defer your acceptance a year while you save for tuition.
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Join the military: Active duty servicemembers receive generous education benefits, like the GI Bill, that can pay for college. You can serve first, then attend school.
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Enroll in community college: Knock out gen ed requirements at an affordable local community college, then transfer to a four
What Happens if You Don’t Pay Your College Tuition?
Before collections come into play, schools can take immediate action on late tuition. They may impose late fees and put your student account on financial hold. From there, unpaid tuition bills can bring on an escalating range of consequences, including the following:
- Registration hold: Youll be prohibited from registering for classes until your bill is paid and the hold is lifted.
- Transcript hold: You wont be able to have your transcript sent to potential transfer schools, graduate programs, employers or scholarship sources.
- Graduation hold: You may be unable to complete your degree or receive your diploma.
- Current classes: If your tuition goes unpaid for an extended period, you may be dropped from your current classes.
- Campus housing: Similarly, you may lose your student housing and dining hall access if your bill is seriously overdue.
- Collection expenses: If your account is sent to collections, the associated expenses may be added to your balance.
- Automatic payment plan: At some schools, unpaid tuition can trigger automatic enrollment in a tuition payment plan (more on these plans below).
Some states—including New York, California, Maine, Minnesota and Washington—have protections in place to prevent colleges from withholding transcripts or diplomas due to unpaid tuition. If you believe your transcript or degree are being withheld illegally, check with your states attorney generals office.
What Is a Tuition Payment Plan?
If youre late paying tuition, you may be offered or enrolled in a tuition payment plan. These installment plans convert tuition payments into monthly installments, which can make individual payments more manageable. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reviewed tuition payment plans at 450 colleges and universities. Here are a few of their findings:
- Payment plans may have enrollment fees. In some cases, these fees were as high as $200.
- Enrollment may be automatic or easy to overlook. Plan agreements and disclosure documents that spell out fees and terms may be included with other registration documents where they go unnoticed. Students and their parents may not realize what theyre signing.
- Late fees and penalty interest may apply. While many tuition payment plans are interest-free, they may have late fees that can increase the amount you owe. If you dont make your payments on time, your balance may be subject to interest, which also increases your balance.
Overall, a tuition payment plan can be helpful if you need help tackling a large balance. However, payment plans dont reduce the total amount of money you owe, and may have fees or terms that can increase your debt and make it more difficult to bring your account current. If you truly cant afford your tuition, a payment plan may not be enough.
Understanding the College Bill & how to reduce it. Plus what happens if you don’t pay it…
FAQ
What happens if you owe a college money and don’t pay?
What happens if you never pay for college?
What can happen if a student doesn t pay their bill by the deadline?
Does unpaid college tuition affect credit score?
What if I don’t pay my college Bill?
Make a plan to pay the bill by the due date. If you don’t pay your college bill in full or sign up for a payment plan before the due date, the college may drop your classes or charge you late fees. If you need help understanding your college bill or financial aid, reach out to the college by phone or email.
What happens if you don’t pay your student loans?
When you don’t pay your student loans, you eventually **default**, which can have serious financial consequences.Here’s what can happen: 1.**Federal Student Loans**: – If your payment is late by at
What happens if you don’t pay college tuition?
Unpaid tuition can damage your credit if your account goes into collections. Consider a tuition payment plan to get back on track, but make sure you understand fees and terms—and that school will be affordable for you in the long term. What Happens if You Don’t Pay Your College Tuition? What Is a Tuition Payment Plan?
What happens if I don’t pay my bill?
If you don’t pay your bill and we can’t agree on a payment arrangement with you, we may report your balance to the credit bureau and place it with an outside collection agency. You could also face legal trouble, wage garnishment, or loss of income tax refunds.