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Convenience Fee

CONVENIENCE FEE INFORMATION

  • UCA will no longer directly accept credit or debit cards for payment of tuition and Student Account charges, but has arranged for a third-party vendor to accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express when payment is made online.
  • The third-party vendor, CASHNet, assesses a 2.95% service fee (4.25% for international cards) to the payee for processing the transaction.  The minimum service fee for card transactions over $20 and less than $106 will be $3.
  • The service fee is not paid to UCA and is not refundable, even if the related payment to UCA is refunded.
  • Credit and debit cards will no longer be accepted at our Cashier window (or over the phone) and can only be used via CASHNet online through myUCA.

FAQ

1. Why do debit and credit card transactions have a service fee?

UCA does not directly accept credit or debit cards for payment of tuition and Student Account charges, but has arranged for a third-party vendor to accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express when payment is made online. The third-party vendor, CashNet, assesses a 2.95% service fee (4.25% for international cards) for processing the transaction. The service fee is not paid to UCA and is not refundable, even if the related payment to UCA is refunded.

2. Why doesn’t UCA directly accept credit or debit card payments?

UCA made the decision to stop accepting credit or debit card payments for tuition and other student account charges after careful consideration because of the significant and rising cost to the University for credit card processing fees. The cost of accepting credit or debit cards was paid out of tuition and other University revenues, reducing revenue available for campus services to all students, regardless of whether or not they used a credit or debit card to make payments. The savings realized by UCA because of this change could help potentially fund, for example, increased student campus resources, more faculty, classroom upgrades, and other student enhancements.

3. Can I pay online without a credit or debit card?

Yes, eChecks (or electronic ACH) are UCA’s preferred payment option and are accepted online with no service fee.  Similar to a debit card, the eCheck (or electronic ACH) electronically debits a checking or savings account. eChecks are accepted at no cost to the student and are a fast and easy payment option.

4. What if I receive a refund for my tuition?

The 2.95% service fee (4.25% for international cards) is nonrefundable. CashNet assessed the service fee for the processing of the original credit or debit card transaction and therefore it is nonrefundable, even if the related payment to UCA is refunded.

5. How was the service fee percentage determined?

The service fee was determined by our vendor. The University is not directly accepting credit or debit card payments for Tuition and Student Account payments; they are being accepted by our vendor who is assessing the 2.95% service fee (4.25% for international cards) for the processing of the credit or debit card payment. The service fee is not paid to UCA and is not refundable, even if the related payment to UCA is refunded.