Understanding the Financial Picture

Overview

Money is one of the biggest sources of family stress during the college transition. This section walks you through how college costs work, what your student's financial aid package means, and what you need to know about FERPA before you try to get information from any Rutgers office.

Understanding the Term Bill

Your student receives a term bill each semester through the My Rutgers portal. It shows all charges for the semester, minus any financial aid that has been applied. The balance remaining after aid is what needs to be paid.

Main Charges on a Typical Term Bill

• Tuition: based on number of credits and in-state vs. out-of-state status
• Student fees: activity, athletics, health, and other university fees
• Room and board: for residential students only

Aid That Reduces the Bill

• Grants: need-based awards that do not need to be repaid (Pell Grant, NJ state grants, Rutgers institutional grants)
• Scholarships: merit or need-based awards that do not need to be repaid
• Loans: borrowed money that must be repaid with interest after your student leaves school

Payment Options

• Pay in full through the Student Accounting (One Stop) portal before the semester bill due date
• Set up a payment plan to spread the balance into monthly installments (a small enrollment fee applies)
• Apply for additional external scholarships to reduce the remaining balance
• Accept federal loans only up to the amount actually needed

Parent PLUS Loans

If your student's grant and scholarship aid does not fully cover costs and your student has maximized their federal loan eligibility, you may be eligible to take out a Parent PLUS Loan in your name.

• Parent PLUS Loans are in the parent's name and are the parent's responsibility to repay, not the student's
• Interest accrues immediately, even while your student is enrolled
• Approval requires a credit check
• You apply through studentaid.gov using your own FSA ID, not your student's

FERPA: What It Means for You

What FERPA Means in Practice

This is the part that surprises many supporters:

• Rutgers staff cannot discuss your student's grades, GPA, financial aid, billing details, or academic standing with you unless your student has given written permission
• This applies even if you are paying tuition
• If you call the Financial Aid office, they legally cannot confirm or deny details about your student's account
• If you call the bursar or One Stop, same applies
• This is not a Rutgers policy. It is federal law.

How to Access Information Legally

Your student can grant you access by adding you as an authorized user through their Rutgers account. This process effectively serves as a FERPA waiver for the topics it covers (typically billing and account access) and is entirely your student's choice to make, not yours.

The Rutgers Parents & Guardians page explains the full process: finance.rutgers.edu/students/parents-guardians.

What You CAN Do Without a Waiver

• Make payments to your student's account through the One Stop / Student Accounting portal at finservices.rutgers.edu/otb/ — note that tuition payments still require your student to add you as an authorized user, which functions as a FERPA waiver for billing access
• Attend supporter orientation and information sessions where staff speak generally about processes
• Read publicly available information on the Rutgers website
• Ask your student directly, and trust what they tell you

Financial Conversations to Have Before Fall

Before your student arrives on campus, have a clear conversation about:

• Who is responsible for which parts of the bill and by when
• What happens if there is an unexpected cost during the semester
• Whether your student has a debit card or access to emergency funds
• What the family's expectations are around work during the school year, if any
• What hardship resources exist at Rutgers if a crisis arises