Payment Plan Options

Undergraduate & GraduatePayment Options Icon

Dear Members of the 51²è¹Ý Community:

In order to assist families with tuition costs, 51²è¹Ý and Nelnet Campus Commerce have partnered on your behalf to provide a variety of payment options.  The payment plans allow you to pay your student tuition account charges in monthly installments with no interest charges. Payment plans cannot be applied to Miscellaneous account charges. Payment plans are available for Fall, Spring and Summer Terms. The plans are not available for Jan, May, and August Terms. Re-enrollment in a payment plan is required each term if you choose to participate. An open balance from a previous term cannot be added to a current payment plan.

If you enroll in a payment plan for your final term at 51²è¹Ý, your diploma will be held until the payment plan is paid-in-full. However, you will be eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony.

A down payment will be required if you enroll in a payment plan close to or after the first installment is due.


Payment plans do not automatically renew. Accordingly, for each term you wish to make monthly payments, you must enroll in a new payment plan.

Six Month Payment Plan - This term plan permits payment in 6 installments: July 5 through December 5 for fall and January 5 through June 5 for spring. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $50 per term. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is August 10 for fall and January 20 for spring.

 

Fall 6 Month Payment Plan

Payment Plan Enrollment Period

Required Down Payment

Number of Payments

Automatic Payment Processing Date

June 1 - July 2

0

6

July - Dec 5

July 3 - July 26

16%

5

Aug - Dec 5

July 27 - Aug 10

33%

4

Sept - Dec 5

 

Spring 6 Month Payment Plan

Payment Plan Enrollment Period

Required Down Payment

Number of Payments

Automatic Payment Processing Date

Nov 1 - Jan 3

0

6

Jan - June 5

Jan 4 - Jan 20

16%

5

Feb - June 5

 


Five Month Payment Plan - This term plan permits payment in 5 installments: August 20 through December 20 for fall and January 20 through May 20 for spring. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $65 per term. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is September 30 for fall and February 28 for spring. 


Fall 5 Month Payment Plan

Payment Plan Enrollment Period

Required Down Payment

Number of Payments

Automatic Payment Processing Date

June 1 - Aug 16

0

5

Aug - Dec 20

Aug 17 - Sept 11

20%

4

Sept - Dec 20

Sept 12 - Sept 30

40%

3

Oct - Dec 20

 

Spring 5 Month Payment Plan

Payment Plan Enrollment Period

Required Down Payment

Number of Payments

Automatic Payment Processing Date

Nov 1 - Jan 17

0

5

Jan - May 20

Jan 18 - Feb 8

20%

4

Feb - May 20

Feb 9 - Feb 28

40%

3

Mar - May 20

This summer plan permits payments in 3 installments: May 20, June 20, July 20. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $75. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is June 10.

Please note that the Summer payment plan may overlap with the Fall and Spring plans so arrange accordingly should you decide to enroll.

Summer 3 Month Payment Plan

Payment Plan Enrollment Period

Required Down Payment

Number of Payments

Automatic Payment Processing Date

April 1 - May 17

0

3

May 20, June 20, July 20

May 18 - June 10

33%

2

June 20, July 20

A student or an “Authorized Payer” can enroll in one payment plan per term.  Multiple payment plans per term are not permitted.  The student or Authorized Payer who creates the payment plan will become the “Plan Owner”.  Changes to the payment plan can be made by the student, Plan Owner, 51²è¹Ý and Nelnet Campus Commerce.  Please note that changes made to the "Payment Method" (bank account or credit card information) can only be made by the Plan Owner.

Follow the below instructions for enrollment information: 

Student Enrollment:

  • Log into your account
  • Select the Financials tab from the left-hand menu
  • Select 51²è¹Ýpay from the drop-down menu
  • Select Payment Plan from the 51²è¹Ýpay left-hand menu

Authorized Payer Enrollment: 




  • Automatic payment is required to enroll into a payment plan. Once payment plan is set up, manual payments should not be made to 51²è¹Ý unless payment plan does not cover 51²è¹Ý Student Account charges.
  • Payments must be made via automatic deduction (ACH) from a regular United States checking or savings account or via credit/debit card (VISA, American Express, Discover and MasterCard). ACH payments are free of charge. Credit/debit card payments will be assessed a non-refundable 2.85% service fee per transaction (charged by Nelnet Campus Commerce).
  • ACH payments are processed on the 5th or 20th of the month, depending on which payment plan you select. When the 5th or 20th falls on a weekend or holiday, ACH payments are processed the following business day.
  • Dates and plan terms may be subject to change without notice.

You can enroll in a payment plan prior to being fully enrolled by estimating the student account charges and deducting any anticipated financial aid.  Once your charges and financial aid are determined, your payment plan can be adjusted by the student, Plan Owner, 51²è¹Ý and Nelnet Campus Commerce (refer to “How to adjust a payment plan” below).

Please make sure that your 51²è¹Ý Student Account is fully covered by the 51²è¹Ý payment due date to avoid past due fees of 1.5% per month on any unpaid balance. We created an undergraduate student Cost Estimate Calculator to help you determine the amount of your payment plan total.


A key to a successful payment plan is budgeting correctly. If the payment plan is budgeted incorrectly, your payment plan must be adjusted. In this instance, your payment plan will need to be decreased if the plan exceeds actual costs.  If your payment plan does not cover the actual cost, either the plan will need to be increased or a payment will need to be made to 51²è¹Ý for the remaining balance. Changes to the payment plan can be made by the student, Plan Owner, 51²è¹Ý and Nelnet Campus Commerce. If your payment plan does not cover the actual costs, you will need to either increase your payment plan or pay the remaining balance to 51²è¹Ý by the 51²è¹Ý due date.

Please follow the below instructions to adjust your payment plan: 

Students

  • Log into your account
  • Select the Financials tab from the left-hand menu
  • Select 51²è¹Ýpay from the drop-down menu
  • Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu
  • Click on the Agreement ID# for the payment plan
  • Click on Adjust Balance
  • Click on the circle to Increase your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to increase your payment plan or
  • Click on the circle to Decrease your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to decrease your payment plan
  • Type in the amount to increase or decrease the payment plan by
  • Click continue

Authorized Payers:

  • Log into
  • Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu
  • Click on the Agreement ID# for the payment plan
  • Click on Adjust Balance
  • Click on the circle to Increase your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to increase your payment plan or
  • Click on the circle to Decrease your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to decrease your payment plan
  • Type in the amount to increase or decrease the payment plan by
  • Click continue

1. When can I enroll in a payment plan?
  • April 1 – Enrollment opens for Summer plans
  • June 1 – Enrollment opens for Fall plans
  • November 1 – Enrollment opens for Spring plans

2. May I enroll in a payment plan for prior term or future term charges?

Payment plans are term specific and cannot be used to pay prior or future terms.

3. Is it possible to have more than one payment plan per term?

Only one payment plan per term, per student, is permitted.

4. What happens if my payment is rejected?

If your monthly installment is returned for any reason, Nelnet will notify the Plan Owner and student via email and will reattempt to process the monthly installment from the account provided. The reattempt will occur on or around the 5th of the month for the 5 Month and Summer plans. The reattempt will occur on or around the 20th of the month for the 6 Month plans. If the reattempted payment is returned, your payment plan will automatically terminate without any further notice to you. Upon termination, all unpaid balances will be immediately due and payable to 51²è¹Ý. Furthermore, we reserve the right to refuse your participation in future Nelnet payment plans.

If a payment returns, Nelnet Campus Commerce will assess a $30 returned payment fee.

5. What happens if my payment plan defaults?

If your payment plan terminates due to two returned payments, you are no longer eligible for future payment plan options.

6. Can I enroll in a payment plan if my balance is not yet determined?

Yes, you can enroll in a payment plan, even prior to enrolling in any classes, based on an estimated amount. Please refer to “How to Calculate the Amount of your Payment Plan Before your Student Account Balance is Determined”, above.

7. What charges can be included in the payment plan?

All Student Account charges can be included in a payment plan. Miscellaneous Account charges must be paid directly to 51²è¹Ý.

8. How do I update my bank account or credit card information used for my payment plan?

Only Plan Owners can change the Payment Method (the current bank account or credit card used for scheduled payment plan installments). Please keep this in mind when enrolling in a payment plan. If you are a student, but not the Plan Owner, you will not be permitted to update the Payment Method. If the student is the Plan Owner, only the student (not the Authorized Payer) is permitted to update the Payment Method.

Follow the below instructions to update the Payment Method:

Students who are Plan Owners:

  • Log into your my.51²è¹Ý account
  • Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu.
  • Click on the Agreement Id#
  • In the large box, next to Payment Method, click on Change Payment Method.
  • Make and save changes.

Authorized Payers who are Plan Owners

  • Log into .
  • Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu.
  • Click on the Agreement Id#.
  • In the large box, next to Payment Method, click on Change Payment Method.
  • Make and save changes.

9. Once my payment plan is set up, do I need to log in each month to make my payment?

No, your payment plan is set up with automatic payments. 

10. I have questions about my payment plan.

For assistance with your payment plan, please contact Nelnet Campus Commerce at 888-470-6014 from 7am-9pm Monday–Friday CST and 9am-2pm on Saturdays CST. You can also contact the Student Financial Services via email at Enrol_serv@smu.edu or by phone at 214-768-3417 from 9am–4pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10am–4pm on Wednesdays.