Business Office

Room 309, Christofferson Building (3) 

Payment of Tuition and Fees

Students enrolling in courses at CEI incur a debt to the College upon registration. Payment in full or satisfactory payment arrangements for each semester is due on the tuition and fee deadline each semester, as published on the CEI calendar. Students are liable for all charges whether they attended the class or not. It is the student’s responsibility to drop any course(s) they are not going to be attending.

Students can pay their tuition and fees, and other applicable charges online through CEI Student Self-Service using a credit card, debit card or ACH payment. Payments can also be made in person at the Cashier Window in Building 3 or by phone during normal business hours.

Students are responsible for knowing the tuition and fee deadline and paying by the due date. To avoid any unforeseen complications, students should not wait until the last minute to pay.

Students are responsible for paying all charges not covered by financial aid, scholarship, sponsor, and/or employer.

Tuition and Fee Payment Plan

Students may elect to pay for tuition and fees through an authorized payment plan, available for Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. Students must enroll in a new plan each semester. Payment plan enrollment must be completed prior to the tuition and fee deadlines for each term to prevent possible registration cancellation. A down payment of the tuition balance and a non-refundable enrollment fee are required at the time of enrollment.  A late payment fee will be charged for payments not received by the payment plan installment due dates. Students can enroll in a Payment Plan online through CEI Student Self-Service.

Sponsor Billing (Third Party)

The following sponsor payment conditions apply:

• Sponsorship forms must be received by CEI by the tuition and fee deadline.
• Students receiving financial assistance from an external organization should ensure the agency is aware of the payment deadlines and present a sponsor form supplied by the sponsor organization to the CEI Cashier Office by the tuition and fee deadline.
• Organizations submitting student tuition payments may mail a company check made payable to College of Eastern Idaho, Attn: Business Office, 1600 S. 25th E, Idaho Falls, ID, 83404.  Be sure to identify the student and the term being paid.
• If a student’s sponsor fails to pay charges upon receipt of the bill, the student will be responsible for all charges.

Financial Aid

Financial aid awards are automatically applied towards tuition and fees. If financial aid funds are less than the amount owed to CEI, payment or satisfactory payment arrangements are expected by the payment due date published on the CEI calendar each semester. If financial aid funds exceed the amount owed to CEI, a refund will be issued to the student.

Any student receiving financial aid from CEI and/or other sources must ensure that they have completed all required documentation and accepted aid online prior to the tuition and fee deadline.

Attendance and Financial Aid Eligibility

Students must actively attend and participate in their classes to remain eligible for federal financial aid. If a student is reported as not attending a course, financial aid for that course will be removed, and the student will become financially responsible for the associated tuition and fees.

In cases of non-attendance:

• Federal financial aid will not cover the cost of the course, and the student becomes financially responsible for all tuition and fees associated with the non-attended course(s).
• The student may be required to repay any portion of financial aid that was disbursed but deemed unearned due to non-attendance.
• A balance due may be added to the student’s account, and a hold may be placed until the balance is paid in full.
• Failure to resolve the balance may prevent the student from registering for future courses or accessing other College services.

It is the student’s responsibility to attend classes and monitor their CEI email for any communication regarding attendance, balance due, or financial aid changes.

Drop for Nonpayment

Students who have not paid all their tuition and fees or have not completed a Payment Plan Agreement by the due date, will be dropped from all courses. A $50 re-registration fee will be required before registering again. There is no guarantee the same courses will be available.

Delinquent Accounts

If a student’s account becomes delinquent, their registration may be canceled and their student file placed on hold. If the student owes a balance to the College (e.g., insufficient fund checks, library fines, coverall fees, lab fees, etc.), they will not be eligible to receive certificates, degrees, affidavits, or enrollment verifications. Students with an outstanding balance will not be allowed to register for future courses until the balance is paid in full.

Account Holds: Accounts with outstanding balances after the tenth day of classes may have holds placed, restricting registration and access to other College services.

Collections: Outstanding debt owed to the College that remains unpaid after 90 days may be assigned to a collection agency for recovery. If that occurs, the collection agency may assess additional collection fees and costs, which may include a fee calculated as a percentage not to exceed 33% of the outstanding debt.

CEI will make reasonable efforts to notify students of their delinquent account status via CEI email or a mailed notice prior to referring the debt to collections. It is the student’s responsibility to regularly monitor their CEI email and account status.

Returned or Non-sufficient (NSF) Payments

In the event a check or ACH payment is returned from the bank due to non-sufficient funds, the student will be notified and assessed a charge of $20. The charge will be entered against the student’s account, a hold placed on all records, until payment is resolved with guaranteed funds such as: a money order, cashier check, certified check, traveler’s check, or cash. If the debt is not paid in a timely manner the student account will be considered delinquent.

Tuition and Fee Refunds for All Courses

Refund of tuition and fees is based upon the date of notification of withdrawal.

Tuition and fee refunds will be made as follows, using the first official day of the semester or session as the starting date:

Miscellaneous fees are non-refundable after the term starts with the exception of canceled courses.

These fees are set by the respective division.

8-Week Classes (Block A, Block B, and Summer) are not module courses.

A $10 administration fee will be charged to process a total withdrawal. Students are responsible for all tuition and fees associated with withdrawn courses. Students are responsible for withdrawing from classes they do not intend to complete. Students who do not withdraw before the 100% refund deadline, are still liable for all charges whether they attended the class or not.

Financial aid recipients may be required to repay some or all financial aid upon withdrawal, depending on the type of aid received, the documented last day of attendance, and applicable rules and regulations governing financial aid. Refunds will first be used to offset any financial aid owed.

The refund policy is not changed for late registrants. CEI reserves the right to deduct from the refund any outstanding bills to the extent allowed by federal regulations.

Workforce Training and Continuing Education (WTCE) refunds are program specific.  Please refer to WTCE for the refund procedure for each class.

For tuition and miscellaneous fees see Tuition/General Fees and Miscellaneous Fees . 

Refund Process

Students may choose to receive refunds either by check or by direct deposit (eRefunds) into the bank of their choice.  If the student does not sign up for eRefunds, the refund will be issued as a check and mailed to the address on file at CEI.

Direct Deposit

Refund by eRefund (direct deposit) to the student’s bank account is the most convenient way to receive student account refunds. To set up direct deposit, a bank routing and account number must be used.

To enroll in eRefund follow these steps: 

• Log in to CEI Student Self-Service Student Finance tab.
• Click “Make a Payment” and continue to Payment Center.
• In the Payment Center click the “Electronic Refunds” option.
• Complete the verification process and provide your bank account information.
• If the bank account information entered is not valid, a paper check will be mailed to the address on file.

After CEI generates an eRefund to the financial institution, it may take 3-5 business days for the refund to appear in the student’s bank account.

Paper Check

For students not enrolled in eRefund a paper check will be mailed to the address on file. Students electing to receive paper checks should ensure that their current mailing address is up to date.

Additional Information:

• If a student has eRefund set up and would prefer to receive a check, they should delete their eRefund account.
• If a student made a payment with a credit card and is eligible for a refund, CEI will first attempt to refund the original payment method. If unsuccessful, the refund process mentioned above will be followed.
• If a student has switched bank accounts or banks, they should update their bank account information in the Payment Center.
• If a paper check is returned to CEI due to an incorrect or outdated address, it will be held temporarily. If not claimed by the student, the undeliverable check will be voided and processed as unclaimed funds.

Lost, Missing, or Destroyed Checks

Students who were issued a refund check and have never received the check, lost the check, or destroyed the check by mistake may request a replacement check. Replacement checks can only be issued after 10 business days from the date of the original check. Students requiring a replacement check may request one at the Cashier Window in Building 3. Students must present a valid form of ID when requesting a replacement check. A $25 charge will be applied for replacement checks.

Unclaimed Funds

If a student does not claim a refund that has been issued, the disbursement will be voided and the funds returned in accordance with federal regulations and state unclaimed property laws. CEI will make a good faith effort to contact the student via CEI email or a mailed notice before remitting unclaimed property.

If a check is returned to CEI due to an incorrect or outdated mailing address, it will be held for 21 calendar days after notification is sent to the student. Students will be notified via their CEI email. If the check is not claimed within the holding period, it will be voided and processed as unclaimed property in accordance with applicable regulations.

If a refund check is issued but not cashed within 120 days, the check will be considered unclaimed. CEI will make reasonable efforts to notify the student. If no response is received, the check will be voided and the funds will be returned to the appropriate agency or escheated to the State of Idaho, in accordance with applicable laws.

Unclaimed Title IV Refunds

For Title IV (federal financial aid) refunds, students are required to cash or deposit refund checks within 120 days of issuance. If a check is not cashed, CEI is required to return those funds to the U.S. Department of Education within 240 days of the original issue date. Unclaimed federal funds will be credited back to the appropriate financial aid program.

It is the student’s responsibility to:

• Keep their mailing address current in CEI’s system.
• Monitor their CEI email for notifications.
• Cash refund checks promptly.
• Respond to any communication regarding returned or unclaimed funds.