{"id":11438,"date":"2017-12-29T11:37:11","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T16:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/osfs\/?page_id=11438"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:48:46","slug":"your-aid-your-bill","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/osfs\/resources\/your-aid-your-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Aid & Your Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The cost of attendance (COA) sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive.\u00a0 The COA is not the bill that you get; it is the total amount it will cost you to go to college each year.\u00a0 It includes direct and indirect expenses and is based on the length of the period of enrollment.\u00a0 The direct expenses are shown on your Student Account or bill.
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Student Financials<\/a>\u00a0is responsible for billing students and processing payments.\u00a0 Settlement of your Student Account<\/a> can be completed in many ways, including direct payment, University-offered payment plans, University aid, federal and private loans, outside awards, and agency sponsorship. \u00a0 <\/span>Student Financials routinely sends important communications to students at their Boston University e-mail accounts. It is expected that students will check their e-mail frequently.<\/p>\n

Getting Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans Posted to Your Student Account<\/h4>\n

After you have applied<\/a><\/span> and been approved for a Federal\u00a0Stafford Loan, you must complete the Master Promissory Note<\/a> (MPN) and the Entrance Counseling<\/a> requirement. Both are completed online using your federal FSA ID.<\/p>\n

If you completed your FAFSA online, you may have signed the FAFSA electronically using your FSA ID. If you have not set up your FSA ID user name and password, click on the link to create your FSA ID before completing the MPN.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Getting Federal Graduate PLUS Loans Posted to Your Account<\/h4>\n
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  1. Complete the Graduate PLUS Loan application<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. Complete the PLUS Master Promissory Note<\/a>\u00a0(if you haven’t previously done so) to ensure that the funds will be credited to your student account.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Getting Private Credit-Based Loans Posted to Your Account<\/h4>\n

    Once approved for a credit-based loan, you will need to accept the terms of the loan and sign the remaining loan documents.\u00a0 The lender will send your loan details to BU for certification of your enrollment status (half-time or full-time), your anticipated graduation date, and your requested loan amount.\u00a0\u00a0 Once your loan is certified, your loan will be scheduled for disbursement to BU.<\/p>\n

    The <\/strong>Truth in Lending Self-Certification Form<\/strong><\/a> <\/span>must be signed by applicants and obtained by lenders before any credit-based education loans are disbursed. Most lenders have you complete this form when signing any other loan approval documents.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n