Checks and Cash

Checks and money orders are accepted via mail or in person at the business office. Cash is only accepted in person at the business office.

• Payments by checks/money orders should be in US dollars and drawn on a US bank account. Checks for US dollars drawn on a foreign bank may be subject to bank fees
• Checks must be made payable to University of Western States and reference a school ID number
• UWS does not accept postdated checks

Mail checks to: 
University of Western States
Business Office
8000 NE Tillamook St.,
Portland, OR 97213

Returned or Non-Payable Checks/eChecks

Paper check payments and echeck payments can fail for a number of reasons. These may include insufficient funds, mistyped account information, or your bank’s individual policy regarding check payments. Before making payments on your student account, make sure that the account you are using has sufficient funds to cover your payment and double check that the information you have provided for echeck payment is correct. 

If your check or echeck is returned due to a closed account, stopped payment, incorrect account number, or insufficient funds, UWS will:

• Reverse the original payment on your account
• Post a $35 returned check fee to your account
• Place a hold on your account if the return occurs after the tuition due date

Online Payments

• ACH/e-checks (free and available only for the accounts located in the US)
• Credit cards (subject to 2.6% convenience fee, with a minimum fee of $3.95)

How to pay:

• Requires the routing number and US-based bank account number
• Login to myUWS > Finances > Balance
• Click “Pay by e-check or credit card”
• Click on “Make a payment” and follow the prompts to submit payment
• Step-by-step instruction: How to View Balance and Pay Tuition Online

529 Saving and Tuition Plan checks should be mailed to the business office. Please be sure to include the student’s name and ID on the memo line of the check. You can contact the business office with questions about 529 payments but will need to contact your plan administrator with specific questions about your plan.

The registrar’s office (School Certifying Official) serves as the intermediary between students and the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA). All students utilizing VA education benefits (Chapters 30, 33, 35, and 1606) or Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits (Chapter 31) must contact the SCO at [email protected] to submit the documentation required to utilize these benefits.

Students using veterans benefits to pay for their tuition and fees should always monitor their student account to ensure they are aware of any fees they must pay out of pocket. Late fees will be imposed on student accounts with outstanding balances sourced from fees the VA will not pay (parking passes, student’s portion of tuition if eligible for less than 100%, equipment fees, library and parking fines).

Effective August 1, 2019, schools are not allowed to penalize or prohibit a GI Bill student from attending or participating in courses while awaiting VA payment (for up to 90 days). See the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 for more information.

If your employer or organization (third party) agrees to pay all or part of your tuition charges, the university will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship as soon as possible, and before the tuition due date, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees. Charges not covered by the third party must be paid by the student. If the third party fails to pay the invoiced charges, students are responsible for all costs the third party organization does not pay.

How does it work?

• Flywire accept payments from any country – typically in your home currency. They work to secure wholesale foreign exchange rates and lower transfer fees that are lower than traditional banks.
• Once you initiate payment on uws.flywire.com, you will receive detailed instructions on how to transfer funds to UWS. Flywire will keep you informed every step in the process, including when funds reach your student account.
• You can be assured that you will never have a short-payment due to unexpected transfer fees or bank charges. For more information, view the videos about Flywire and how to make payment using Flywire.
• After you’ve made your payment, log back in to the Flywire website to review the status of your payment. UWS will be notified once Flywire has guaranteed the funds, even if it is not credited to your account yet.
• Flywire has 24/7 support available via phone, email, or skype. Please see Flywire support for contact information.

Why should international payers use Flywire?

Flywire offers wholesale foreign exchange rates – unmatched by traditional banks – which can add up to thousands of dollars in savings per each year of tuition. And, unlike large financial institutions, Flywire provides international multilingual support across multiple channels – voice, chat or email – to guide payers through the process. Payers gain peace of mind with the ability to track their payments via an online dashboard.

Is Flywire safe?

Flywire has received seals of approval from Trustee, McAfee and VeriSign and encrypt all information to ensure payer information is safe. Also, Flywire is compliant with strict AML (Anti Money Laundering), OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) and KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations.

Does Flywire have customer support?

Yes! Flywire has a dedicated customer support team that is available no matter which time zone you’re in. They are available to provide support to payers, parents, agents and anyone making a payment through Flywire. They can be reached via chat, email and phone: http://www.flywire.com/help

What countries does Flywire accept payments from?

Flywire accepts payments from every bank and every country. We are unable to accept payments from certain countries that are US government sanctioned. OFAC administers a number of US economic sanctions and embargoes that target geographic regions and governments. As a US incorporated entity with foreign branches and subsidiaries, Flywire must comply with these OFAC regulations. Get the full list of sanctioned countries here.

How long before my institution receives the money?

Bank Transfers: Kindly allow two to three business days from the date your bank releases the funds for Flywire to receive the payment. You will get a confirmation email once your payment is credited to our account. Once Flywire receives the funds, it can take an additional one to two business days for Flywire to deliver them to your institution. You will receive email notification throughout the process and can check your payment status at any time in your Flywire account.

Card and Online Payments: If you have chosen to pay with card or other online payment methods, your payment is automatically guaranteed to your institution. Flywire informs your institution and typically delivers your payment within 24 hours; however, some payments may take two to three business days to process. If you provide your institution with your payment ID, they can look up your account and see that your funds will be delivered shortly. You will receive email notification throughout the process and can check your payment status at any time in your Flywire account.

Which currency exchange rate will be applied to my payment?

Flywire’s competitive exchange rates are often lower than banks’ rates. It’s important to compare your personal bank’s rate, rather than the ones found online, to Flywire’s. The exchange rates posted on many websites are “mid-market rates,” which are not always available to the average consumer. Because exchange rates are in constant flux, please make sure to compare rates within the same timeframe, ideally one to two hours.

A payer found a better rate, could this happen?

Sometimes, the payer will compare mid-market rates to the rate Flywire is providing. This can be seen on sites like Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, etc. However, if the payer goes to the bank, those rates do not include the bank fees of 3-5%. So most likely, Flywire is really offering the best rate. In case you do find a better rate, Flywire offers the “Best Rate Guarantee” feature. If the payer can get a better exchange rate at their bank within two hours of booking a payment with Flywire, they just need to provide Flywire’s support team a proof of the quote. It will be matched and Flywire will give the payer an extra $25. More details here: www.flywire.com/priceguarantee.

Do you accept credit cards/debit cards?

At this time, we’re able to accept debit and credit card payments for certain institutions. If the credit card option is available for your payment, Visa or MasterCard will be automatically displayed as payments options when you make a payment request on our website.

Why is my credit card payment not going through?

It is common for banks to block international card payments as a security measure. If your payment is being rejected, please reach out to your bank and notify them of the large international online payment you’re trying to make to Flywire. They can then remove any and all restrictions, and you should be able to try again.

Additionally, please make sure that the following information is correct when making a card payment:

• The brand of your card matches the brand of the card payment method chosen.
• The currency of your card matches the currency of the card payment method chosen.

How do I change my payment method?

Payment method cannot be changed. Please cancel the payment and create a new payment with the correct payment method entered.

Flywire doesn’t support a payer’s currency, why should a payer still use Flywire?

Even when payers can’t send funds in their home currency, they can still take advantage of many benefits:

• The payer will save on intermediary bank fees. Flywire covers those fees for the payer to guarantee the full amount will arrive.
• The institution will receive the funds and credit the payer account much quicker since we capture all of the payer details.
• Payers can track their payment via the dashboard or contact around the clock if they have any questions about the status of the payment. This is great for time zone issues. 

How do I cancel my payment?

To cancel your payment, follow these steps:

• Log in to your account
• Click “Your Payments” then the section called “How is your payment going”
• Click on the blue tab called “Cancel Payment”
• If you want, you can now book a new payment. Please make sure that you have not already sent Flywire your payment, or you will have to contact your bank to have them stop and cancel the payment. Some payments cannot be canceled directly through the website, so if you cannot locate the cancellation button, you will need to contact customer support.

How to request a refund with Flywire:

If you made your payment through Flywire, then the refund should also be made through Flywire. If you wish to request a refund of an amount sent to Flywire, you will have to wait until your institution approves and authorizes the refund. Once the payment has been delivered, kindly contact your institution to request the refund. All funds sent to Flywire are considered property of the institution that they are sent to and will always be delivered to them. They will use their discretion to refund the money to the originating account through Flywire. The duration of the refund process depends on the currency and country that we are refunding back. We will always inform you once your refund has been issued. For compliance purposes, all refunds are to be returned to the original bank account from where the payment came from, and no refunds for cash deposits will be processed.

A payer already made a payment through Flywire; can they use the same bank instructions from the previous transactions? 

No. It is very important every payer books through Flywire for every payment. In order to lock the exchange rate and ensure that the payment is tracked, a payer must book a payment through Flywire’s online portal every time. This also allows Flywire to cover any intermediary bank fees since they know the exact amount that will be arriving. Not booking can delay payments.

I forgot my Flywire account password. What do I do?

To reset your password, please use this link and follow the instructions provided. Make sure your new password contains at least six characters.

Can I use my personal email to sign up for the direct deposit?

No, you must use only your UWS email to complete the authorization for direct deposit form and for communication with the business office.

According to the Policy 3604 Electronic Mail (Email) Use, students and employees are required to use their university assigned email account when engaging in business or academic activities with UWS.

How do I submit an authorization for direct deposit?

• Complete the electronic form and it will be automatically delivered to the business office, or
• Fill out the paper form in the business office

Authorizations for direct deposit sent from the personal emails are not accepted due to the security reasons. 

How would I know that my direct deposit became effective?

As soon as your bank information is verified through UWS bank (pre-noted) and entered into the system, you will receive an email notification to your UWS email.

Prior to setting up the direct deposit (receiving email notification) funds are disbursed by paper checks.

What happens if I don’t sign up for direct deposit?

Default disbursement method is a paper check that is mailed out to your address on file. Please make sure you address is up to date when you expect the financial aid funds. To change your address, students should go to myUWS and employees should contact the business office.

What is the deadline to sign up for direct deposit?

While there is no actual deadline, we encourage UWS students to complete the sign up process not later than two weeks prior to term start.

Should I use the same form if I am a student worker?

Access student worker authorization for direct deposit here. You don’t need to complete this form if you want to use the same bank account for the payroll as you use for your student residual financial aid. Please contact the business office to confirm your choice.