Processing tuition payments from Research Foundation of CUNY

The RF receives requests to process tuition payments and tuition reimbursements for students attending CUNY Colleges and non-CUNY Colleges.   To comply with CUNY and the IRS guidelines, the RF cannot issue tuition reimbursements to individuals.   Principal Investigators can provide support to defray students’ tuition costs by submitting copies of their tuition statements to the RF for payment, provided the cost is approved by the sponsor and the college.   The RF will issue payment to the Bursar Office of the college the student is enrolled in for classes.  

Principal Investigators (PIs) must coordinate with a student’s Financial Aid Office and Bursar Office to ensure the total amount of support a student receives from all sources (Tap, Pell, Loans, other grants, fellowships, and awards) does not exceed the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA).   The COA is a calculation that the Financial Aid Office makes for each student.  

Follow the steps below:

Step 1:  Contact the Financial Aid Office of the college the student is registered for classes in to determine if the tentative amount of support from your RF administered account(s) will exceed the student’s Cost of Attendance.  If yes, determine the amount of support the student can receive without exceeding the COA.

Step 2: Once you determine the maximum of support you can provide to the student, inform the Financial Aid Office of your intent.   You will have to provide justification/documentation to the Financial Aid Office about the purpose of the payment, the source of the payment, and the criteria used to determine the student’s selection for the support. 

Step 3:  After the Financial Aid Office approves the request, contact the Bursar’s Office and request to reclassify the student’s tuition statement to reflect the amount of support from your RFCUNY administered account(s) as Third-Party Contract (TPC).   The revised tuition statement will reflect the amount of support under the credit section of the statement as “Transfer to 3^rd Party Contract.”  It will not reference Research Foundation of CUNY. 

Step 4:  Access the Payment Request System on Research Foundation of CUNY’s website.  Create and submit a Payment Request made payable the Bursar Office with a copy of the revised tuition statement attached for processing and payment, along with the related justification and approval from the Financial Aid Office.  

Step 5:  The RF will process the payment.   Once the Bursar’s Office receives the payment, it will be applied to the student’s account.

If a Principal Investigator wants to provide support after a student pays the tuition bill, we can accommodate this request.  Payment must be issued to Bursar’s Office of the college the student attends.   Follow Steps 1 – 5 referenced above.   In the event the Bursar’s Office cannot reclassify the student’s tuition statement, please submit the tuition statement for payment via the Payment Request System.  Please leave a note in the Comments section indicating the Bursar’s Office cannot reclassify the statement.   

1. If the student did not receive aid, and there is a credit balance on the student’s account after the application of the payment, the student will receive that amount from the college.
2. If the student received aid, and there is a credit balance on the student’s account after the application of the payment, the Financial Aid Office will determine which entity (the student, loan originator, Federal government, NYS/NYC government, or private entity) will receive the payment based on the sources of aid the student received.  

CUNY Financial Aid Contacts:   https://www.cuny.edu/financial-aid/information-resources/financial-aid-offices/

CUNY Bursar Contacts:  https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/budget-and-finance/services/treasury-services/student-financials/bursar-contacts/

If a student is enrolled at a non-CUNY college, we require a copy of the student’s tuition statement.   Submit the tuition statement, the related business justification and CUNY’s authorization to the RF via the Payment Request System for processing and payment.  The RF will issue payment to the institution.

If a student is enrolled at a non-CUNY college and paid their tuition, we require a copy of the student’s tuition statement and proof of payment.  Submit the tuition statement, proof of payment, the related business justification and CUNY’s authorization to the RF via the Payment Request System for processing and payment.  The RF will issue payment to the institution for distribution to the student.