Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, Pennsylvania · Public
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 42,284high
- In-state tuition
- $21,098high
- Cost of attendance
- $41,003high
Lowest known school fee
e-check / ACH
$0 extra
On a $21,098 reference bill (in-state tuition published by College Scorecard). Fee-free electronic check or bank transfer.
Last checked Oct 18, 2026 by PayTheBursar. A blank is not a zero. Confirm with the bursar before you pay.
Ways to pay
Extra cost above the tuition charge on the reference bill. Rewards are personal, so they are in the calculator rather than this ranking.
| Method | Extra cost | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | $421.96 | 2% of the paymenthigh Source · Dec 13, 2022 |
| e-check / ACHLowest | $0 | Fee-free electronic check or bank transfer.medium There is no fee to pay by eCheck. Source · Oct 18, 2026 |
| Debit card | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| In person | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Payment plan | $45 | Semester plan enrollment fee. This spreads the bill; it is not a loan, and it does not include a card fee on each installment.high Source · Dec 13, 2022 |
| International payment | Not verified yet | Flywirehigh Penn State has contracted with Flywire to securely process online credit card payments. Source · Oct 18, 2026 |
Fee details
- Card fee percent
- 2%high
Source · Dec 13, 2022
- Card flat fee
- Not verified yet
- Debit card fee percent
- Not verified yet
- Debit card flat fee
- Not verified yet
- Fee-free debit
- Not verified yet
- Payment plan provider
- Transacthigh
Source · Dec 13, 2022
- Plan length
- Semesterhigh
Source · Dec 13, 2022
- Installment count
- Not verified yet
- Plan enrollment fee
- $45high
Source · Dec 13, 2022
- Late fee
- Not verified yet — CFPB found a late fee charged as a percentage and did not publish the rate.
Source · Dec 13, 2022
- Returned payment fee
- $25high
All returned checking and savings payments are subject to a $25 returned item fee.
Source · Oct 18, 2026
- Payment portal
- Flywirehigh
Penn State has contracted with Flywire to securely process online eCheck payments.
Source · Oct 18, 2026
- International payment
- Flywirehigh
Penn State has contracted with Flywire to securely process online credit card payments.
Source · Oct 18, 2026
- Fee-free e-check
- Yesmedium
There is no fee to pay by eCheck.
Source · Oct 18, 2026
- Fee-free in person
- Not verified yet
- Transcript withholding
- Yes, in the CFPB reviewhigh
Due dates
- Fall
- Not verified yet
- Spring
- Not verified yet
Calculator
Prefilled with this school's verified fees. Change the bill, the rewards rate, or a one-time bonus.
Credit card, after rewards
$0
Lowest known net cost
Fee $421.96 minus rewards $421.96.
e-check / ACH
$0
Verified fee-free electronic check.
Payment plan
$45
Enrollment fee only. This is not interest, and it assumes installments are not also charged a card fee.
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.
Published card fee used here: 2%.
Sources
- CFPB tuition payment plan data, award year 2022-2023 · Dec 13, 2022
- Page reviewed by CFPB · Dec 13, 2022
- CFPB disclosure source · Dec 13, 2022
- Page checked by PayTheBursar · Oct 18, 2026
- Page checked by PayTheBursar · Oct 18, 2026
Sponsored
These offers sit outside the fee comparison. They do not change which way of paying we call cheapest, and they do not change the fee data.
Student loans
Compare private student loans
Use grants and federal aid first.
A private loan is a different product from a payment plan: it is borrowed money, it usually needs a credit check, and you repay it over years. Look at it only if grants, federal aid, and a payment plan will not cover this term.
Refinance
Refinance an existing student loan
Use grants and federal aid first.
Refinancing replaces a loan you already have. It does not pay this term's tuition bill. Federal loans can lose federal protections if you refinance them into a private loan.
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.
Report a correction
If the bursar page disagrees with a figure here, send the correction and a link. We change a number only after reading the source.