Student Accounts

All registered and enrolled RISD students must annually review, sign and submit the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement. This agreement details billing and payment information, as well as the financial obligation of the student.

Students receive the agreement as a task in Workday. You must review, sign and submit the agreement by mid August to remain registered and enrolled. If you have questions please contact sfs@risd.edu.

RISD bills students electronically by semester. Students receive notification via their RISD email address that bills have been released and that they need to view their student account in Workday for details. Students may add a parent, guardian or other user as “Friends and Family” and “Authorized Parties,” allowing them to view their billing details and pay their bill.

Financial arrangements to pay in full must be in place by the following deadlines in order to remain registered for academic coursework:

• Fall charges will be released early July, with payment due August 1.
• Spring charges will be released early December, with payment due January 15.

RISD assesses charges and applies funding and payments to the student account. You’ll find all student-specific information related to student accounts within your Workday account. Click the ”Finances” icon under the “Student Accounts” header. 

You can review charges billed by RISD, funding applied to your student account, and payments by selecting “View Account Activity.” 

Make payments to the student account by selecting “Make a Payment,” which connects users to Nelnet Campus Commerce, RISD’s payment vendor. 

You can find step-by-step instructions on the following Student Accounts actions to be taken in Workday here:

• “Assign or Remove Third Party Access”: Set up friends-and-family access to Workday to authorize a parent, guardian or other user authorization to view student account activity and make payments within Nelnet.
  • Follow the instruction in the job aid. Specifically, in “Actions,” be sure to “Manage Permissions for My Third Party” by checking boxes to enable them to: 
    • make a payment. 
    • view your financial aid package.
    • view account activity.
    • view student statement.
• Create a Nelnet account (one-time only) 
• Enroll in a payment plan in Nelnet
• Make an international payment-plan payment
• Make a one-time payment without a Nelnet log-in

RISD accepts payments from the “Make a Payment” button in Workday using the following methods:

• Checking or savings account with ACH (Automatic Clearing House for banking electronic funds transfer)
• Debit or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover); a 2.85% fee applies. To avoid service fees when paying online with a checking or savings account, payers should use routing and account numbers for ACH payments rather than debit card numbers.

All payments should be made online electronically with the exception of outside scholarship checks and 529 college savings plan payments that are not available for electronic funds transfer.

Monthly Payment Plan(s) through Nelnet Campus Commerce

Interest-free formal monthly payment plans are available in US dollars and various international currencies through Nelnet Campus Commerce for a flat rate of $68 per semester. Enrollment for fall monthly payments begins in early July with payments made on the first of the month, August through December. Enrollment for spring monthly payments begins in mid-December with payments made on the first of the month, January through May. Each term typically includes five equal monthly installment payments.

Students are responsible for reconciling their payment plan with their student account balance to ensure that payment of their student account is made in full. Outstanding balances caused by underfunded payment plans may be charged a late payment fee by RISD, in addition to any other Nelnet late fees.

• Domestic payment plans: With enrollment in the plan, monthly payments in US dollars are automatically deducted on the first of each month from banking accounts (checking or savings) or debit/credit cards (a 2.85% processing fee applies).
• International payment plans: With enrollment in the plan, international students or their authorized payers may participate in the monthly Nelnet international payment plan to pay their student account in their home currency. Payments are initiated and remitted by Convera (formerly Western Union). Nelnet sends the payer an invoice 20 days prior to the first of the month. The payer must make the monthly payment in a timely manner to meet the first-of-the-month deadline. Make monthly payments within Nelnet by connecting to Convera.

RISD has the right to deny specific payment methods, as well as payment plan enrollment, to students who have returned payments and/or adverse payment history.

If you need to make an international payment, RISD provides two options: Flywire or Convera. You can find both methods within the Nelnet Campus Commerce payment system. International payments must originate from Workday to Nelnet, then to the vendor of your choice. 

International one-time payments are initiated through Nelnet by first selecting “Make a Payment” within Workday, “Make a Payment” again once in the Nelnet system, and then “International Payment.” The payer is given the option to select Flywire or Convera as the international payment method. Once selected, the payer transitions to the selected vendor payment system.

Convera benefits and features include: 

• secure, user-friendly payments
• 140+ currencies
• 213 supported student geographies
• 10 languages
• the following payment methods: UnionPay, Alipay, ChinaPay, SOFORT, POLIpayments, iDeal, NetBanking, Trustly, Visa and Mastercard
• competitive exchange rates held for 72 hours
• contacts for payer support and resources
  • studentsupport@convera.com
  • 1 877 218-8829

Flywire benefits and features include:

• trusted, safe and convenient payment method
• 140+ currencies 
• 240+ countries/territories served
• 14 global offices
• flexible, local payment methods
• payer support, resources and contact
  • help.flywire.comlywire.com/help
  • support@flywire.com

For questions regarding international payments, please call Nelnet Campus Commerce at 800 609-8056.

To enable all of our domestic and international students to pay tuition and fees safely and securely, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) maintains an Authorized Payment Service Partners List, listing all of the service providers that RISD has partnered with to facilitate payments for students. Please note that payments to RISD via unauthorized payment service providers are not an accepted method of payment. All domestic and international students are directed to pay through bank transfer or Authorized Payment Service Partners.

The Authorized Payment Service Partners include Flywire and Convera only. Please contact us at sfs@risd.edu with any questions.

Students with an outstanding balance will be charged a late payment fee. To avoid late payment fees, students must ensure that all financial obligations to the college are met by the charge due dates. Late payment fees are accessed once per term as follows:

• $200 late payment fee for balances less than $2,000
• $500 late payment fee for balances greater than or equal to $2,000

Students with outstanding balances of $500 or more may be blocked from the following:

• Registration for future terms
• Room selection for on-campus housing

Students with an outstanding balance at the conclusion of any semester may be placed on administrative leave. Once students have satisfied their outstanding balance, they may submit an application for reinstatement.

Students with outstanding balances of $5,000 or more, who are scheduled to graduate in the same semester, will not be permitted to participate in commencement activities should the balance remain unpaid.

RISD will also not release diplomas certifying graduation for any student who has an outstanding balance of any amount.

Students who plan to travel on school-sponsored trips must be in good financial standing with either their student account paid in full or their formal payment plan(s) paid according to the payment schedule. Students with an account balance are ineligible for travel and may forfeit any funds already used to book travel arrangements.

Missed or returned payments that lead to a defaulted balance may be assigned to a collection agency. Students may be responsible for collection and/or legal expenses.

Financial aid is awarded for the entire academic year and split toward fall/spring charges. Aid*, excluding work study, is disbursed to the student account 10 days before the start of classes as long as: 

• all required documents have been received.
• all tasks in Workday have been completed.
• if required, federal verification of your financial aid file has been completed by Student Financial Services.

Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, Direct Graduate PLUS and Direct Parent PLUS loans require a completed Master Promissory Note. In addition, student Direct Loans require completion of entrance counseling. Borrowers complete these online Direct Loan requirements via Federal Student Aid.

*Federal Pell Grant recipients who are approved for a reduced course load by the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of add/drop will receive payment of their Pell Grant for the semester to their student account shortly after the end of the add/drop period.

Students who are eligible for state education grants will receive those funds to their student accounts as pending, following Student Financial Services’ receipt of an official state roster of eligible students. RISD will certify with the state those grants after the add/drop period closes. Once RISD receives the state grants, we will disburse funds to the student account.

Students must report any and all outside scholarships to RISD within the Workday system. You can do so by clicking on the “Finances” icon in the main menu, navigating to the “Outside Funding Reporting Form” tab and then clicking on “Create Request.” From there you will enter details on your outside scholarship for the academic year so that Student Financial Services can account for these outside funds and integrate them into the financial aid notice.

Note that funding from other sources, such as loans and college savings (529) plan payments, should not be reported as outside scholarships. International students who have sponsorships should report those separately to RISD using the guidance below in “International Sponsorships.”

International students who receive a sponsorship from an embassy, company, agency or other organization must report these sponsorships to RISD within the Workday system. To do so, click on the “Finances” icon from the main menu, navigate to the “International Sponsorship Reporting Form” tab, and then click on “Create Request.” From there, enter sponsorship details for the academic year so that Student Financial Services can account for these funds and integrate them into the financial aid notice. Upload financial agreements with your request so that RISD can review it and, if necessary, invoice your sponsor in order to ensure the flow of payments to your student account.

Students who need private education loans to manage college costs should consider applying for loans for the academic year. This way the loan is divided in two, with half of loan proceeds applied to the student account for each semester, fall and spring.

Research our historical lender list for options and apply directly to the lender of your choice. Loan options are not limited to those on the list.

To ensure that loan proceeds are applied to your student account in a timely manner, we recommend that you apply for loans and fulfill requirements at least two weeks in advance of the payment deadline.

RISD automatically issues refunds for any student whose disbursed payments and credits exceed RISD direct charges for the semester. If and once all funds paid to the student account result in a credit balance, refunds are generally available within the first week of classes for the semester. Therefore, it is important for students expecting a refund at the start of the semester to appropriately plan for and budget expenses until refunds are issued.

Any credit balance generated from a Parent PLUS loan will be remitted to the parent borrower. Refund checks are mailed directly to the parent unless requested otherwise.

Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in direct deposit to prevent lost/stolen checks. Enrollment for any expected student refund is done by completing the “Set Up Payment Elections” for student refund within the “Finances” icon in Workday.

RISD policy requires all enrolled students on campus to be covered by a comprehensive health insurance program. The college meets this requirement by providing United Health Care coverage, administered by University Health Plans. Students are automatically billed and will be enrolled in the student health insurance plan if a valid waiver is not completed by the required deadline. Once a submitted waiver is reviewed and approved, the health insurance charge will be removed from the student account.

All international students will be enrolled in the plan automatically, with the exception of international students whose health insurance company’s primary home office is based in the US and the policy provides comparable coverage to the college’s student health insurance plan. International students who do not fall under those conditions must purchase the college’s plan.

All other students enrolled in a comparable health insurance program may elect to waive the college plan by submitting an online waiver on or before the bill due date. Those that fail to submit the online waiver will automatically be enrolled in the coverage. The waiver must be completed each academic year.

If health insurance coverage is lost due to a qualifying event and enrollment is now necessary, please contact University Health Plans at 800 437-6448. For questions regarding the insurance coverage, or to complete the online waiver, please visit universityhealthplans.com.

Given the current cost of education, we are concerned for students who suffer illnesses or accidents requiring them to leave RISD before the end of a semester. In many instances it means not only the loss of time invested in studies, but also the loss of the semester’s costs.

Optional tuition insurance can protect up to 100% of a family’s education investment should a student withdraw for a covered medical reason as advised by a licensed medical professional for the covered term. GradGuard Tuition Insurance can protect your investment by providing reimbursement when a student can’t complete an academic term due to an unforeseen, covered accident, injury, chronic illness, or mental health condition. This coverage strengthens and broadens the scope of our existing refund policy by ensuring reimbursement for tuition, housing and other payments if a student withdraws due to any covered medical reason at any time during the semester. 

Learn more at GradGuard, where you can obtain a quote and enroll in a plan. You can also connect with GradGuard within Workday. Go to the Finances tab, select Resources and then Tuition Insurance. The deadline to enroll is the day before classes begin each semester.

Students who fully withdraw from RISD with an outstanding balance on their student account will have 180 calendar days to satisfy this balance. Accounts not paid in full or satisfied through an agreed-upon payment plan will be sent to an outside collections agency. Students may be responsible for collection and/or legal expenses.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE/WITHDRAWAL POLICY AND PROCESS

Full-time students who withdraw or take a leave from RISD after the fall or spring semester begins are charged a portion of tuition, room and board as follows:

* Off-campus dining values begin on September 1 for fall 2024 and January 17 for spring 2025; students may be assessed additional housing and/or meal plan charges after move-out. Keep in mind that the amount you are charged for housing and dining is based on the date you move out and depart from campus—not the date that you submit the leave of absence/withdrawal request.

** Room and board charges for the first week begin on move-in day and run through the first week of classes.

Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence from RISD after their summer program begins are charged a portion of tuition as follows:

Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence from RISD after their summer program begins are charged a portion of room and board as follows:

* Additional charges and adjustments may be assessed after SFS receives official notification from the Registrar’s Office. We base charge adjustments for room and board on move-out date, not withdrawal date.

Resident Assistants (RAs) and Advocates for Inclusion (AIRs) at RISD receive a room and board waiver for their work as RAs and AIRs. RA and AIR benefits are not considered taxable income. This is because benefits are provided to RA and AIR for the convenience of RISD, because meals are furnished on RISD campus, and because RAs and AIRs are required to live in an assigned room in the residence hall as a condition of their employment.

Please note waivers are considered need-based financial aid and may impact your eligibility for RISD and/or federal financial aid. Contact SFS for more information.