Information for International Students
International Students
Payment Options
Illinois State University charges tuition and fees on a per-credit-hour basis. Because of this, bills are inclusive of a single semester, not the academic year. Each semester, students have the option of paying in full or signing up for a payment plan.
You can view your tuition rate through our Undergraduate and Graduate tuition tables.
Payment in Full
If you choose to pay in full for the semester, you must pay the total balance by the first installment due date.
Payment Plan
All students with a current semester balance are automatically enrolled in a payment plan at the beginning of the semester. The payment plan consists of five installments for Fall (Aug-Dec) and Spring (Jan-May) and two installments for Summer (June-July).
You will be charged a payment plan convenience fee if there is a current semester balance by the third installment due date for Fall/Spring or after the first installment for Summer semester. This fee is charged once per semester and is only assessed to accounts that are not paid in full as noted above. The payment plan convenience fee is $35 for Fall/Spring semesters and $30 for Summer semester.
Any new current semester changes to your account will affect your future payment plan amounts. The system will automatically recalculate your future installments to reflect the changes and will send you and any Authorized Users an email with the updated installment amounts.
* If you are studying abroad at an institution outside of the U.S., please be aware that Study Abroad charges are not eligible for the payment plan and are due in full by the date stated on the bill.
Payment Methods
International students can pay their student bill using the following payment methods:
TransferMate
- Payments can be made in the Students Financial Portal. Just select TransferMate from the Payment Method dropdown.
Benefits of paying with TransferMate:
- Faster payment posting to your student account
- Peace of mind that your payment will be received in full and on time
- Rates are held for 48 hours so you have complete visibility of the amount you will pay
- No need to worry about exchange rates fluctuations
- Local currency payment methods
- Great exchange rates
- Ability to track your transaction throughout the payment process
- 24-7 customer support
- Authorized User access to make payments
The process of paying by international payments is easy
- Log in to your student account and proceed to make a payment.
- Select TransferMate INTL from the drop down menu.
- Choose the country you’re paying from and select "review rate"
- Review your rate.
- Enter your details
- Confirm your details
- Submit Payment
- Track your payment throughout the process
Find additional details in a video walkthrough on how to make a payment.
***Students must grant parents or other payers access by setting them up as an Authorized User following the steps below. Authorized users may view student account activity, make payments, and set up payment plans.
- Log into your My Illinois State Account
- Click the Authorized Users link in the My Account menu.
- Click Add Authorized User near the bottom of the window.
- Enter the email address of your authorized user.
- An automated email including a link, username and temporary password will be sent. Your authorized user will use this information to log in and set up his/her profile.
- After set up, all authorized users making tuition payments on your behalf will access the system directly through the dedicated Authorized User access. Authorized User Login
**Please be aware that parents or authorized users will not have access to invoices or payment options until they are added to your account. Authorized users will not be able to view any other student information from this access.
Flywire
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Electronic wire transfers can be completed at www.flywire.com/pay/ilstu .
- The bank account used for the transfer must be in your home country currency.
- There is a $50 minimum amount to utilize flywire.
- Payments generally post within 2 business days.
With Flywireyou can:
- Track your payments from start to finish
- Make payments in more than 140 currencies, online and from banks worldwide
- Other available payment methods include international credit and debit cards, and other international payment options that vary by country
- Save on bank fees and exchange rates
- Enjoy peace of mind with dedicated multilingual customer support
- Ensure accurate and timely posting of your payment to your student account
- To learn more about Flywire, go to www.flywire.com
Check or Money Order
If you have a U.S. bank account, you can:
- Pay via Electronic check online through your my.ilstu.edu portal.
- Make a payment via check/money order in person at the Cashiers Office located within the Student Accounts Building.
- Mail a check/money order made out to “Illinois State University” to:
Illinois State University
Cashiers Office
Campus Box 1210
Normal, IL 61790-1210
Please include your EMPLID located on your bill.
- Drop the check/money order in the drop box located outside theStudent Accounts Building. Your payment will be processed the next business day. Please include your EMPLID located on your bill.
Credit Card
- Pay online through your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal
- A 2.85% fee will be charged for each credit card payment made via Paypath.
- Variety of cards are accepted including: VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club International, UCB, Union Pay, BC Card and Dina Card (these may change, see an up-to-date list in your student portal when making a payment).
- System alerts may come through pop-ups, so it is recommended you allow pop-ups for the site when utilizing it to make a payment.
- If you need assistance with making an online credit card payment, you can visit the Student Accounts or Cashiers Office where a staff member can assist you at one of the available computer stations.
- Payments made by credit card should be reflected immediately on your student account.
Cash
- Payment should be made in person at the Cashiers Office located within theStudent Accounts Building.
Refunds
Refunds are issued on a student account when there is an over payment. Refunds are processed weekly.
If you have a U.S. bank account:
- We strongly encourage you to sign up for eRefunds through your student account.
- A refund check will be issued if you did not sign up for eRefunds. You can cash or deposit the refund check(s) at your local bank.
If you do not have U.S. bank account:
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A refund check can be cashed at any Commerce Bank branch with a picture ID (A fee may be charged by the bank). You can also check with the Cashiers Office on cashing options.
Questions
Please feel free to contact the Student Accounts Office or International Student and Scholar Services if you have further questions.
Students in an Academic English or Pathway Program
The INTO Illinois State University (INTO ISU) Center offers the Academic English, International Year One, and Graduate Pathway programs for international students to improve their English language comprehension while preparing them to be successful, degree seeking students at the University.
- All Academic English (AE) and Pathway Program tuition and fees are to be paid four weeks before arrival through INTOpay (see your offer letter for details).
- Incidental charges accrued on ISU’s campus are paid directly to Student Accounts.
- Invoices will be sent monthly via email for incidentals. Be sure to bring the invoice with you when you make payment in person.
- Payments can be made:
- In person at the Cashiers Office via cash, money order or check (must be from a U.S. bank account, please see above for further details).
- Online via:
- TransferMate -https://touchnetillinoisstateuniversity.transfermateeducation.com/
- Flywire - www.flywire.com/pay/ilstu
* More information on TransferMate and Flywire can be found on this webpage under “Payment Methods”.
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- See examples of incidental charges below:
- Health Services fees
- Uniform fees
- Optional meal plans
- Deposits
- Fees for new Redbird Cards
- See examples of incidental charges below:
- Any questions relating to Student Health Service charges must be dealt with in person at Student Health Services, located in the Student Services Building, Room 203. Due to privacy regulations (HIPAA) and Illinois law, we are unable to see any detailed charges relating to your account.
- If you are a Pathway or Academic English student and receive an email containing ISU tuition and fee information, please contact the INTO ISU Center at second floor of Fell Hall.
- Please contact the INTO ISU Center if you have further questions.
Exchange Students
If you are an exchange student studying at Illinois State University based upon an exchange agreement between ISU and your home institution, you will have some unique billing-related issues.
Beginning Your Program
- Your tuition waiver will not be reflected on your initial student bill.
- Tuition will not be removed from your bill until after the 3rd week of classes, but you will not be charged any late fees associated with this delay.
- You can view your itemized bill in your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal. Prior to the tuition being removed from your account, you can either submit a payment for the other items listed on your bill that are not included in tuition or wait until the waiver has been posted to your account in order to have the most accurate reflection of your billing charges for the semester.
- Any payments made prior to the tuition waiver posting will automatically be applied to tuition first, but you will still receive the full amount of your tuition waiver.
- Once the tuition waiver is posted to your account, you should submit payment for the remaining balance. If you submitted a payment prior, it will be applied to the remaining balance. If you have overpaid, you will receive a refund check.
Ending Your Program
- Your final transcript will not be issued until you have a zero account balance on your student bill.
- You will continue to have access to your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal for several months following the end of your program to view your bill.
- In certain cases, charges may be applied after the semester has ended.
- If you have trouble accessing your portal account, try resetting your password or contact supportcenter@ilstu.edu.