Congratulations on your acceptance to Cornell University!

Below, you’ll find important information to help you navigate the financial costs of your education! 

Please note that not all tasks will apply to every student, as requirements vary based on specific enrollment details. We encourage you to review your New Student To Do List carefully and check in regularly to ensure a smooth start to your Cornell journey. Please contact the Tatkon Center for New Students if you have any questions or trouble accessing your To Do List.  

 

2026-2027 tuition rates can be found on our website: Tuition Rates and Fees | Office of the Bursar

Fee Bill Due Dates

Bills containing tuition and fees for each semester are typically produced in July for fall and January for spring. 

  • The ebill for fall 2026 will be generated on July 10th and will be due by August 7th.
  • The ebill for spring 2027 will be generated on January 8th and will be due by February 7th.

To avoid finance charges and enrollment holds, payment must be received each month by the billing due date. Bills are produced on the second Friday of the month and balances are due on the seventh day of the following month. Email notifications are sent each month an ebill is generated to the student and any authorized user(s). Billing Due Dates | Office of the Bursar

The student is financially responsible for their bursar account (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)). However, students may give parents and other users/payers online access to their accounts. Adding parents or other payers to your CASHNet account grants them permission to pay the student's bills on the student's behalf and to view and ask detailed questions about the student's bursar and CornellCard accounts.

Students, to invite an authorized user:

  1. Login to CASHNet
  2. Select My Account
  3. Select Send a payer invitation
  4. Fill in the required fields (name & email address) & review their permissions
  5. Click Send invitation

Other payers:

Once your student has done the above, you will receive an email welcoming you to CASHNet. This email will contain your username, a temporary password and a link to the site. You will log in to CASHNet using the Other User/Payer Login

It is important to plan how you are going to pay your fee bill.  Even if you are receiving grants, scholarships, and/or taking out loans, you may still have a balance you need to pay out-of-pocket.

Please see below for accepted payment methods and links for additional information:

The Cornell Installment Plan (CIP), also known as the Full-Service Payment Plan, administered by CASHNet (Illumia), enables students and their families to make monthly installments to cover each semester's tuition and expenses.

CASHNet is secure and can be accessed only by authorized application users. This service is not available for loan or collection account holders or students enrolled through Continuing Education.

Plan Benefits

  • Borrow less
  • Keep your assets longer, in interest-bearing accounts
  • Pay for fall and spring semesters in 5-month payment plans
  • The enrollment fee is $125 per semester

Enrollment Deadlines

  • Fall enrollment begins July 10th
  • Fall semester 5-month plan runs from August 1 - December 1
  • Spring semester 5-month plan runs from January - May 1*

*For the spring term, you may wish to set up the plan based on what you paid for fall, or wait until the bill is generated on January 8th. Renewal is not automatic and must be done each term you wish to utilize the plan.

To enroll in the Cornell Installment Plan: 

  1. Go to CASHNet, using the Student or Other User/Payer login on our Cashnet page.
  2. Choose Payment Plans from the menu.
  3. Select View Payment Plan Options and select the current term.
  4. Enter the amount you need to budget for the semester.
  5. Select Enroll in Plan.
  6. Accept the eSignature disclosure.
  7. Review the plan details and select I agree to the terms and conditions.
  8. Enter the enrollment information.
  9. Select your payment method.
  10. Enter your payment account information.
  11. Agree to the terms and conditions.
  12. Confirm the information and select Pay.

Other important notes: 

  • Payments can be made electronically utilizing a US checking/savings account, a participating 529, or by credit card.*

    *Please note, credit cards are an available payment method for the installment plan only. Please note that CASHNet assesses and retains a convenience fee to utilize a credit card for installment payment.

  • Please allow one business day for the Installment Plan to be reflected as a credit on the bursar account and the bursar balance to be updated. Users may edit the installment plan up/down as needed. For questions or support, get in touch with Bursar Account Services, bursar@cornell.edu.

For additional information regarding the Cornell Installment Plan, please visit: Cornell Installment Plan | Office of the Bursar

Financial institutions, including the financial departments of colleges and universities, are required by federal laws to be transparent with their policies/procedures and requirements. Our goal is to help students to understand the cost of their education and their financial responsibilities, as well as Cornell’s financial policies and expectations for payment.

For this reason, all Cornell students are required to accept the most current version of the Financial Responsibility Agreement. Signing this agreement is your acknowledgment of your financial obligations related to enrolling in classes, and your understanding of the potential consequences that may result if you fail to meet your obligations.

  Sign your Financial Responsibility Agreement

If you do not sign your agreement, your access to university services will be limited, you will not be able to enroll, and you will be subject to administrative withdrawal.

Notes:

  • This online form can only be accessed by users with an active Cornell NetID.
  • Online submission will effect your Bursar account within two business days.

If you receive Title IV aid, we encourage you to provide Title IV authorization. 

Title IV aid includes aid from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loan, and PLUS Loan programs. These funds can only be applied towards tuition, certain fees, housing, and dining, unless you provide authorization for Cornell to apply these funds to all charges on your student account. 

You are not required to provide this authorization, but if you do not do so at least two weeks before the start of instruction for the term:

  • Federal Title IV financial aid will not be applied to charges other than those for tuition, certain fees, housing and dining.  Other education-related charges that are assessed to the student account, such as student health insurance, parking permits, bookstore charges, service fees and fines, would therefore need to be paid by other means.
  • Title IV funds will be refunded while account balances remain due and payable.  Students who choose not to provide authorization must take special care to monitor their bills to ensure they pay all charges by their due dates.

To provide Title IV authorization:

  1. Go to Student Center (NetID login required).
  2. In the Finances section, click on the “Other Finance Information” dropdown, select View Student Permissions, then click the double arrow >> symbol.
  3. If the View Student Permissions page shows the “T4OPTIN” permission form already assigned, you’ve previously completed this authorization and don’t need to continue. Otherwise, click the yellow “Grant Permissions” button to move on to the next step.
  4. Read the associated text, and click the yellow “Next” button.
  5. Click to checkmark the “Yes, I have read the agreement” box and click the yellow “Submit” button, which will effect your authorization on your student account.

Title IV authorization can be withdrawn by following the instructions located here. Such withdrawal must be submitted no more than two weeks prior to the start of instruction for a term in order to impact the application of Title IV aid for that term.

Credit balances may appear on a student's account due to excess financial aid awards, stipends, overpayments, or charge adjustments. Refunds may be generated automatically or students may need to request a refund of credit balances. Enrolling in direct deposit is highly encouraged, but not required.

How to Sign Up

  1. Go to Nelnet Business Services and log in using your Cornell NetID and password. Cornell's Two-Step Login is required for authentication.
  2. Verify or edit the Student Profile Information.
  3. Select Direct Deposit and enter the routing and account number for your U.S. checking or savings account.
  4. Sign up for SMS messaging to receive a text when your refund is on the way.

Please note that if you wire more funds than what is due from an international account, we will return the overpayment to the originating bank via the same currency and payment method. Alternatively, the student may opt to keep the credit on the account to cover future charges. The overpayment amount will not be refunded. If you have questions about our process for wire transfers, please contact our office before you initiate payment.

For additional information regarding bursar refunds, please visit our webpage: Direct Deposit and Student Refunds | Office of the Bursar

CornellCard is an optional program that allows students to make purchases on-campus by presenting their Cornell student ID card. All full-time Cornell students are encouraged to take advantage of the CornellCard privileges. This service can help you manage your day-to-day expenses without having to carry large amounts of cash.

For more information, please visit Using CornellCard | Office of the Bursar

To enroll, please follow the link below:

   Administer your CornellCard