r/UofArizona 10d ago

Questions Mistake on Tuition Charge?

I recently paid my tuition with my credit card and I was charged a 4.5% fee by Nelnet (the platform UA uses to process payments.) The 4.5% fee is for international cards... but I have a U.S.-issued card.

Has this happened to anyone else? Why did this happen?

I'll contact Nelnet when their customer service opens again on Monday. This is so frustrating... Feels scammy.

Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

u/bsullivan44 8d ago

I had the same problem - BOTH debit and credit cards (from US banks) were being hit w that 4.5% fee…which is bonkers. Can MAYBE understand if it was credit but was shocked it was the same for debit. So had to do an e-check to avoid the fee altogether…which took a few days to clear.

u/Pplthrowaway123 10d ago

4.5% fee is normal. It is their processing fee.

u/MustardCat 10d ago

OP is saying it should have been 2.5% based on UofA's website

https://bursar.arizona.edu/payment/options

u/Ok_Astronomer_3758 10d ago

You’ll get this charge unless you pay by echeck :/

u/wiegie 10d ago

Yeah, paying tuition with credit card = fee.

u/Wigglebot23 10d ago

Read the post

u/Apart_Nose_1971 10d ago

I understand that, but I'm saying they charged me the wrong fee.

u/Admirable_Crew_7615 7d ago

It’s possible that the UA website is outdated and the fee went up. I’d check Nelnet to see what their payment processing fees are.

u/MustardCat 10d ago

You paid over $200 in a convenience charge to use a credit card? Why?

u/OakTeach 10d ago

Not OP, but money's tight. Every couple of semesters I find a new card with a signing bonus or a good cash back offer and a long 0% APR window. The extra charge sucks but college is so expensive.

And yes, I always pay them off in full before the APR window closes.

u/MustardCat 10d ago

Sure, if you're able to get an interest free loan with the CC then that's fine.

If you're paying the fee plus not being able to pay it off each month, then it's a different story

u/OakTeach 10d ago

Just answering the probable "why"