Methods of Payment

Student Accounts accepts the following forms of payment listed below. We encourage you to make an e-payment whenever possible, as it will be applied to your account immediately. Payments by cash or credit/debit card are not accepted.

Overpayments: Harvard University may only accept payments that cover educational expenses. Payments over the cost of attendance may be returned to you. *

*Harvard University can only accept payments for charges billed to your student account. Since Harvard does not meet the criteria to be considered a financial institution (as defined in 31. U.S. Code § 5312), we cannot accept payments for charges other than educational expenses billed directly to your student account. Only loans and scholarships disbursed through the student account, in excess of tuition and fees, are an exception to this policy.  

E-Payments

E-Payments (specifically, ACH transfers) can be made by students or delegates from a U.S. checking or savings account by logging into your student accountchoosing the Pay Now link below your Amount Due, and selecting Pay Online Now. You will need your bank account number and bank routing number to make the payment1. You can also set up a payment profile to store your account information for future use. Individual e-payments may not exceed $80,000. To pay over this amount the payment must be split into multiple transactions.

1. No brokerage, investment or Money Market accounts can be used. If you are unsure if the account you want to use to pay can be debited via ACH, please contact your financial institution.

Please note:

  • Your first payment on the student account portal (my.harvard) will undergo a “pre-note” process before your bank can withdraw the funds. This adds an additional 5-6 business days of processing time to your payment. Although your payment is immediately reflected on the student bill, funds will only be debited from your bank account after successful completion of the pre-note. 
  • Returned e-payments or checks may be assessed a fee**

Checks

Payments by check should be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank account (Harvard does not accept foreign checks). Checks should not be postdated, and must be made payable to Harvard University and reference a Harvard ID number. All payments by check, including outside awards, loans, and 529/Prepaid Plan checks, should be sent to the Student Accounts Office (see address in left margin under "Payment Mailing").

If you would like to deliver a payment for your student account at the Smith Center, please utilize the SFS drop box in the Smith Center Arcade, which is located next to the security desk at the main elevator bank (to the left of the green wall). Please be sure to include your full name and Harvard ID number on the check payment to ensure timely and accurate posting to your account. Please be advised that the Smith Center building access is currently restricted to Harvard University ID holders only, between the hours of 7AM and 5PM. 

When you provide a check as payment to the Harvard University Student Account Department, you authorize us either to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction. For inquiries, please contact us using the information to the left of the page under “Contact Us”.

529 Plans

529/Prepaid Plan payments should be mailed to the Student Account Office (see address in left margin). Please be sure to include the student's name and HUID on the memo line of the check. You can contact the Student Accounts Office with questions about 529 payments but will need to contact your plan administrator with specific questions about your plan.

Convera and Flywire Wire Transfers

If you do not have a U.S. checking or savings account, a wire transfer with Convera or Flywire may be the best option.

International Wire Payments:

Harvard University contracts with both Convera and Flywire to provide international students with a convenient way to pay their student account charges by wire transfer. Each company offers various payment methods, a wide range of international currency options, competitive exchange rates, and the convenience of paying through a local bank. There are no transaction fees from Harvard University's bank, though your bank may charge a fee. To send an international wire transfer with Convera, click here. To send a transfer with Flywire, click here.

Domestic Wire Payments:

Convera has been contracted to expedite the process of student domestic wire transfers directly to Harvard. By using Convera, Harvard can track your payment and make sure it gets posted directly to your account after the University receives it. To send a domestic wire transfer with Convera, click here.

 

**If an e-payment or check is returned by the bank, your student account will be charged a $25 returned check fee. Multiple returned payments may result in the University requiring future payments to be made by certified or bank check. Please note that it can take a week or more before a bank notifies us that your payment has been returned. Your account will not reflect a returned payment until we receive that information from the bank.