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PayTheBursar

Calculator

Put in the bill, a rewards rate, and an optional sign-up bonus. The card column is the fee minus those rewards. It is only a saving if you pay the statement in full.

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Include a sign-up bonus only if this payment will earn it and you would not earn it another way. The rewards rate is your assumption, not the school's.

  • Credit card, after rewards

    Not verified yet

    Card fee is not verified yet, so the net cost is not verified yet.

  • e-check / ACH

    Not verified yet

    Not verified yet. We do not assume a bank transfer is free.

  • Payment plan

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    Enrollment fee is not verified yet.

This comparison assumes you pay the card statement in full. Interest on a carried balance usually costs more than any rewards. PayTheBursar does not suggest leaving tuition on a card.

529 tip

A common approach is to pay the bursar from a bank account, then reimburse yourself from a 529 in the same calendar year. Qualified tuition and required fees can count. The same dollars should not also be used for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and state plans differ. This is general information, not tax advice.

We may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure

These offers sit outside the fee comparison. They do not change which way of paying we call cheapest.

  • Student loans

    Compare private student loan rates

    A loan is a different product from a payment plan: interest, a credit check, and a repayment term that lasts years. Compare it only if the term's bill will not fit a plan.

    Credible

  • Refinance

    See if refinancing an existing student loan lowers the rate

    Refinancing replaces a loan you already have. It does not pay this term's tuition bill, and federal loans lose federal protections if you refinance them.

    Splash Financial

  • Credit card

    A rewards card, only if you pay it off

    Rewards can beat a school card fee only when you pay the statement in full. Carrying the tuition balance is usually more expensive than any points.

    Credit card partner link is not configured yet.

  • Tuition insurance

    Tuition insurance if a withdrawal is the risk you are insuring

    This is optional coverage for money you could lose if a student withdraws, not a way to reduce the fee on a normal payment.

    GradGuard