Billing and Payments FAQs
About TouchNet
What is TouchNet? TouchNet is Vassar College's new online platform for managing student accounts. It provides access to your student billing statements, real-time account activity, options for one-time payments, and enrollment in the monthly payment plan.
Insurance
How do I waive the Student Health Insurance or Dewar Tuition Insurance? To waive the student health or tuition insurance, please visit the Insurance section of our website.
I am an international student; why am I not able to waive the health insurance? Vassar College requires all international students to purchase the Vassar Health Insurance to ensure comprehensive coverage while studying at Vassar.
I waived the health insurance, but my waiver was denied. Why? Vassar requires all students to have complete insurance coverage, including both regular and emergency care, while in the Poughkeepsie, NY area. Not all insurance plans fulfill these specific requirements.
I am a student studying abroad. Does Vassar Health Insurance cover me while abroad? Yes, the Vassar Health Insurance plan covers students while abroad. Students will need to pay out-of-pocket for any medical expenses incurred while abroad and then submit the bills to the insurance company for reimbursement.
What is GeoBlue insurance, and why am I being charged? All students studying abroad are required to have GeoBlue insurance. For more information, please refer to the Insurance page on our website.
Billing & Charges
Since my student is living off-campus, why am I charged a meal plan? All Vassar students, whether living on or off-campus, are required to have a meal plan. If you would like to apply for an exemption, please complete the Exemption Form provided by Campus Dining.
Should I make a payment if I don’t know what my financial aid package will be? Yes. You are responsible for paying the charges on your bill by the payment deadline, even if your financial aid award has not yet been finalized. Once your aid is finalized, your payment arrangements may be adjusted.
- If you are on the monthly payment plan: You may either increase or decrease the amount of your contract at that time.
- If you paid in full and the finalized award creates a credit balance: You may request a refund.
Important: Paying your bill on time is crucial. Failure to do so may prevent you from participating in room draw, registering for classes, or even returning for the following semester.
Why isn’t my work-study award credited to my account? Work-study awards are not credited directly to your bill as a memo or credit. Students earn these funds on an hourly basis and receive them via a bi-weekly paycheck.
What is a memo? Why doesn't my outside scholarship show up in the memo balance? A memo represents anticipated aid or payments that have not yet been officially received by the college. It acknowledges that these funds will become a payment once all necessary requirements are met.
For outside scholarship awards to appear as a memo on your monthly statement, you must provide acceptable documentation (such as an award letter, billing authorization, or sponsorship letter) by the published payment deadline. Unless otherwise specified in the sponsorship letter, all outside scholarships will be evenly applied to the fall and spring semesters.
I am a student studying abroad this year; why am I being charged full Vassar tuition? Students studying abroad are charged Vassar tuition because they receive Vassar credit for their coursework and retain access to Vassar resources while abroad.
I am on the monthly payment plan. Why is there still a balance on my account? If you are enrolled in the monthly payment plan and a balance remains, you may have under-budgeted your contract. You can view your account to determine the outstanding amount. You can either pay this amount directly to the college or increase your payment plan online.
Why do I have a hold on my account? A hold is placed on a student account due to an outstanding balance. Students with a hold may be prevented from participating in room draw and pre-registration. The hold will remain on your account until the outstanding balance is paid in full or all anticipated resources have been received.
My account is with a collection agency. Can I arrange a payment plan with the college instead of the agency? Once a student account has been placed with a collection agency, you should discuss payment options directly with that agency.
Loans & Financial Aid
I am on financial aid and would like to take out a loan. How do I do this? To request a loan, please email Financial Aid with the desired loan amount. For information on available loan types, please refer to the Loans and Lenders page on our website.
Payments & Access
I am a student; how do I log into TouchNet to view and pay my bill? Click here to view your Student Account in TouchNet.
I am a student; how do I give my parents permission to access my bill? Students must set up their parents (or other third parties) as Authorized Users in their Student Account Portal.
How do I set someone up as an Authorized User? The student must log into Student Account Portal and navigate to the "Authorized User" section to add them.
Do you offer a payment plan? Yes. Vassar offers two semester-based monthly payment plan options: a 5-installment plan and a 4-installment plan. These plans run for the duration of the semester, not the academic year. For more information, please refer to the Payment Options section of our website.
How do I sign up for a payment plan? The student or an authorized payer must log into Student Account Portal, click on "Payment Plan," and follow the instructions.
Refunds
I have a credit balance on my student account. How do I receive these funds? There are two steps to the refund process:
- Complete the online Student Account Refund Request Form.
- To receive the funds via direct deposit, link your bank account information in Student Account Portal by clicking on the "Refunds" tab. All refunds are issued electronically.
Note: If a credit balance is due to a memo (anticipated aid), we cannot issue a refund until the aid has been officially paid to the student account.
I have direct deposit set up for my work-study job. Is that the same as a refund? No. TouchNet cannot access your payroll direct deposit information. You must specifically set up your bank account information for refunds within your Student Account Portal.