Paying Your Bill

Important information about billing statement access, payment options, and payment due dates.

Payment Dates for 2024-25AmountPayment Due By
Admission Enrollment Deposit$300May 1
Single Fee – Fall semester$42,685August 1
Single Fee – Winter semester$42,685December 1
First Year Fee$425August 1
Off-Campus Study Fee (per semester)$2,988August 1/December 1
Bates Student Health Insurance (full year)$2,447October 1
Bates Student Health Insurance (winter only)$1,515February 1

Off-Campus Housing Rebate

Seniors who have received prior permission from the Office of Residence Life and Health Education to live off campus for the semester or academic year are eligible to receive a rebate (applied as a credit to the student account) of housing and/or meal costs, as follows:

  • Rebate for housing – $2,630 per semester ($5,260 per year)
  • Rebate for meals – $2,630 per semester ($5,260 per year)

Bates College Payment Portal

All student account and billing information is accessed through the Bates Payment Portal. The portal, which is powered by Flywire, enables students and families to:

  • Access monthly statements
  • See real-time balances
  • Create customized payment plans
  • Set up automatic payment from a U.S. checking or savings account
  • Make payments in international currencies in user’s native language

Bates students should use their Bates credentials to log in to the payment portal. Parents who are not currently authorized to view student account information can be granted access to the portal by their student.

How to Access Your Billing Statement

Students and individuals authorized by the student are notified by email when electronic billing statements are ready to be viewed through the Bates Payment Portal. Semester billing notification is sent on or around July 15 for the fall semester and November 15 for the winter semester; notification is also sent on a monthly basis to individuals with unpaid balances. Students are strongly encouraged to make sure their parents or other sponsors have access to the bill by providing access through the Bates Payment Portal. If a student doesn’t authorize a parent to have access to the bill, the student receives all billing notifications and assumes responsibility for payment.

Questions concerning the bill or payment to Bates should be directed to sfs@bates.edu.

Paying By Check

Students and parents can pay by check or use a checking or statement savings account to pay online. Bates does not accept credit cards for payment of the student account. Payments made by check should be sent to Student Financial Services, 44 Mountain Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240.

Online payments can be made through the Bates Payment Portal.

529 Plan Payment Information

How do I send payment from my 529 plan to Bates?

Payment from a 529 plan can be made to Bates by check or by electronic transfer (if offered by the plan). Check payments should include the student’s name and Bates ID number and be made payable to Student Financial Services, 44 Mountain Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240.

Electronic payments can be made from the following plans:

StatePlan Name
ArkansasGIFT Arkansas 529 Plan
ArkansasiShares 529 Plan
CaliforniaScholarShare 529
ColoradoCollegeInvest Direct
ColoradoScholars Choice® College Savings
District of ColumbiaDC College Savings Plan
GeorgiaPath2College 529 Plan
HawaiiHI529 – Hawaii’s College Savings Program
IdahoIDeal Idaho College Savings Program
IndianaCollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan
IndianaCollegeChoice Advisor 529 Savings Plan
IowaCollege Savings Iowa
KansasLearning Quest Education Savings
KansasLearning Quest Advisor
KansasSchwab 529 College Savings Plan
KansasSchwab Learning Quest 529 Plan
KentuckyKY Saves 529
MichiganMichigan Education Savings Program
MichiganMichigan 529 Advisor Plan
MinnesotaMinnesota College Savings Plan
MissouriMissouri Saving for Tuition
MontanaAchieve Montana
NevadaSSGA Upromise 529
NevadaThe Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan
NevadaUSAA College Savings Plan
NevadaWealthfront’s College Savings Program
New MexicoScholar’s Edge
New MexicoThe Education Plan
North DakotaNorth Dakota: College SAVE
OhioCollegeAdvantage Direct 529 Savings Plan
OklahomaOklahoma College Savings Plan
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Direct 529
Rhode IslandCollegeBound Saver
Rhode IslandCollegeBound 529
TennesseeTNStars College Savings 529 Program
West VirginiaSMART529 WV Direct
West VirginiaSMART529 WV Direct
West VirginiaThe Hartford SMART529
West VirginiaSMART529 Select
WisconsinEdvest College Savings Plan
Contact your plan to set up electronic payment.

Can I make a one-time payment, or set up a monthly payment plan, from my 529 plan through the Bates Payment Portal?

Most 529 plans do not accept ACH withdrawals from third parties. Before setting up a payment plan or one-time payment, be sure to check with your 529 plan regarding their policies.

Can study abroad costs be paid for with 529 funds?

As most study abroad program costs are billed directly by the abroad program, it is important to check with your 529 plan to determine what costs can be covered by the plan.

Monthly Payment Plan

Bates offers flexible semester plans to enable students to pay their semester bill in five-, four-, or three-month installments. There is a $55 nonrefundable fee per semester to enroll in a payment plan.

Monthly payment plans can be established through the Bates Payment Portal.

GradGuard Tuition Protection Plan

Students and families may wish to consider enrolling in the GradGuard Tuition Protection Plan, which can help overcome financial losses if a student must withdraw from school for a covered medical event after classes begin. Having this plan expands the scope of Bates’ current refund policy by offering reimbursement for tuition, room and board, and other eligible education-related expenses (up to policy limits).

Payment Policies

All student charges must be paid by the published due date each semester, and a late payment fee of 1% of the outstanding balance is assessed each month for accounts with balances greater than $500.

Financial aid that has been awarded and anticipated proceeds from student and parent loans that have been certified by Bates are deducted from the balance due before any late fees are assessed. Students are encouraged to check their financial aid status on the Garnet Gateway to make certain that all financial aid requirements have been received.

Students who have not submitted required financial aid documentation by applicable deadlines and have therefore not received a financial aid award are not exempt from late fee charges, nor are they permitted to delay payment.

Outside scholarships are applied to student accounts when they are received; anticipated payments are not deducted from the balance due before late fees are applied.

Scholarship checks from private organizations should be mailed directly to Student Financial Services. Please do not mail scholarship checks with other payments. Scholarships are divided evenly (unless noted otherwise by the donor) between semesters.