Financial Responsibility Agreement
I understand that when I register for any class at California Institute of Integral Studies or receive any service from California Institute of Integral Studies I accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees and other associated costs assessed as a result of my registration and/or receipt of services. I further understand and agree that my registration and acceptance of these terms constitutes a promissory note agreement (i.e., a financial obligation in the form of an educational loan as defined by the U.S. Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(8)) in which California Institute of Integral Studies is providing me educational services, deferring some or all of my payment obligation for those services, and I promise to pay for all assessed tuition, fees and other associated costs by the published or assigned due date.)
I understand and agree that if I drop or withdraw from some or all of the classes for which I register, I will be responsible for paying all or a portion of tuition and fees in accordance with the published tuition refund policy. I have read the terms and conditions of the published tuition refund policy and understand those terms are incorporated herein by reference. I further understand that my failure to attend class or receive a bill does not absolve me of my financial responsibility as described above.
Financial Hold:
I understand and agree that if I fail to pay my student account bill or any monies due and owing California Institute of Integral Studies by the scheduled due date, California Institute of Integral Studies will place a financial hold on my student account, preventing me from registering for future classes, or receiving my diploma.
Late Payment Charge:
I understand and agree that if I fail to pay my student account bill or any monies due and owing California Institute of Integral Studies by the scheduled due date, California Institute of Integral Studies will assess late fees at the rate of $120.00 per month on the past due portion of my student account until my past due account is paid in full.
Pre-Collection Fees:
I understand that California Institute of Integral Studies will attempt to notify me by mail regarding my delinquent account before referring the account to a collection agency. I further understand that California Institute of Integral Studies may charge pre-collection fees for each attempt to notify me by mail.
Collection Agency Fees:
I understand and accept that if I fail to pay my student account bill or any monies due and owing California Institute of Integral Studies by the scheduled due date, and fail to make acceptable payment arrangements to bring my account current, California Institute of Integral Studies may refer my delinquent account to a collection agency. I further understand that I am responsible for paying the collection agency fees together with all costs and expenses, including attorney's fees and legal expenses necessary for the collection of my delinquent account. Finally, I understand that my delinquent account may be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus.
Method of Communication:
I understand and agree that California Institute of Integral Studies uses e-mail as an official method of communication with me, and that therefore I am responsible for reading the e-mails I receive from California Institute of Integral Studies on a timely basis.
Contact:
I authorize California Institute of Integral Studies (and its agents and contractors to contact me at my current and any future cellular phone number(s), email address(es) or wireless device(s) regarding my delinquent student account(s)/loan(s), any other debt I owe to California Institute of Integral Studies, or to receive general information from California Institute of Integral Studies. I authorize California Institute of Integral Studies and its agents and contractors to use automated telephone dialing equipment, artificial or pre-recorded voice or text messages, and personal calls and emails, in their efforts to contact me.
Updating Contact Information:
I understand and agree that I am responsible for keeping California Institute of Integral Studies records up to date with my current physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. Upon leaving California Institute of Integral Studies for any reason, it is my responsibility to provide California Institute of Integral Studies with updated contact information for purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts that remain due and owing to California Institute of Integral Studies.
Federal Aid:
I understand that my Financial Aid Award is contingent upon my continued enrollment and attendance in each class upon which my financial aid eligibility was calculated. If I drop any class before completion, I understand that my financial aid eligibility may decrease and some or all of the financial aid awarded to me may be revoked.
If some or all of my financial aid is revoked because I dropped or failed to attend class, I agree to repay all revoked aid that was disbursed to my account and resulted in a credit balance that was refunded to me.
I understand that any federal Title IV financial aid that I receive, except for Federal Work Study wages, will first be applied to any outstanding balance on my account for tuition, fees, room and board. Title IV financial aid includes aid from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loan, PLUS Loan, Perkins Loan, and TEACH Grant programs.
Billing:
I understand that California Institute of Integral Studies uses electronic billing Student Payment Center as its official billing method, and therefore I am responsible for viewing and paying my student account by the scheduled due date. I further understand that failure to review Student Payment Center does not constitute a valid reason for not paying my bill on time. I understand that administrative, clerical or technical billing errors do not absolve me of my financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition, fees and other associated financial obligations assessed as a result of my registration at California Institute of Integral Studies.
Returned Payments/Failed Payment Agreements:
If a payment made to my student account is returned by the bank for any reason, I agree to repay the original amount of the payment plus a returned payment fee of $30.00. I understand that multiple returned payments and/or failure to comply with the terms of any payment plan or agreement I sign with California Institute of Integral Studies will result in my account being referred to a collection agency, late fees, and registration holds.
Withdrawal:
If I decide to completely withdraw from California Institute of Integral Studies, I will follow the withdrawal from university instructions which I understand and agree are incorporated herein by reference.
IRS Form 1098-T:
I agree to provide my Social Security number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN) to California Institute of Integral Studies upon request as required by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations for Form 1098-T reporting purposes. If I fail to provide my SSN or TIN to California Institute of Integral Studies, I agree to pay any and all IRS fines assessed as a result of my missing SSN/TIN.
Student Age:
I understand and agree that if I am younger than the applicable age of majority when I execute this agreement that the educational services provided by California Institute of Integral Studies are a necessity, and I am contractually obligated pursuant to the "doctrine of necessaries."
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (herein referred to simply as agreement) informs students of the financial responsibilities associated with enrolling for classes at California Institute of Integral Studies “CIIS”. and explains the potential consequences if a student fails to meet those obligations.
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Our goal is to help our students understand the cost of their education and the financial policies associated with their enrollment at California Institute of Integral Studies. This agreement, in conjunction with our website, letters and other documentation, helps define the University’s expectations for payment, and allows us to clearly inform students of our policies related to billing, late payment penalties, contact methods, etc.
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- Log into your CIIS Self-Service Portal
- Click on the 3 lines displayed in the left upper corner to expand the table of contents.
- Click on User Options
- Select Required Agreements to access the Financial Responsibility Agreement
- Upon successfully completed the Financial Responsibility Agreement you will be able to register for courses.
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Students will be asked to complete the Agreement only once per Undergraduate or Graduate career at CIIS.
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Completion of the agreement will lift the related hold immediately and you will be to proceed with enrollment.
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The FRA agreement serves as notification of potential consequences of non-payment, and to provide vital account information. If a student chooses not to complete the Agreement, they will not be permitted to register for classes until the issue is resolved. Students with concerns about this policy are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts@ciis.edu or 415-575-6132.
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If you wish to review or print the financial agreement at any time, you can navigate to the Student Accounts tab and click on Completed Agreements. For all other inquiries send an email to Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts@ciis.edu.
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You have the right to manually sign the Financial Responsibility Agreement by contacting the Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts@ciis.edu or 415-575-6132. Please note that if you choose to sign a paper Agreement you may experience delays because of U.S. mail delivery and manual processing.
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Yes. It is common practice among higher education institutions across the United States, and it is consistent with the national movement to increase financial literacy among college students.
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No. While payment made by a third party is acceptable, it is the enrolled student who is ultimate responsible for agreeing to the terms and conditionals of the Financial Responsibility Agreement.
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The Financial Responsibility Agreement is required once per Undergraduate or Graduate career at CIIS starting with registration for Fall 2021 and onward.
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Because certain eligibility is required and must be maintained in order to have the cost of attending CIIS covered by other means, students who have their cost of attendance paid by sponsorship, scholarships, federal loans or other third parties are ultimately financially responsible for these costs. As such, all students must accept the terms of the Financial Responsibility Agreement once for their academic career at the institution.
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Yes, you do.
