Frequently Asked Questions

 

When should we receive a statement of our account?
Statements for the Monthly Payment Plan are posted on the 1st of each month starting in August. Payments under the Monthly Plan are due on the 20th of each month.

Statements for the Full Payment Plan are posted in August for the Fall semester and January for the Spring semester. Fall semester payments are due by August 20th and Spring semester payments are due by January 20th.

All statements may be accessed online through the CASHNet website. An email is sent to account holders at the beginning of each month to provide notification when new statements have been posted. For instructions on how to access the CASHNet website, please click here: CASHNet Information

What if we have a discrepancy on our account?
Please call the Office of Student Accounts if you have any questions about your account at (909) 621-8232.

What if I am on the monthly payment plan and overpay for one month, will it reduce my next payment?
Yes, and No. Should you overpay one month it will reduce the overall balance due. In doing so it will cause all remaining installments to be recalculated. Monthly installment payments are calculated in consecutive installment amounts based on the total balance due. When in doubt please contact the Office of Student Accounts if you have any questions.

What if my account does not reflect my financial aid information?
Financial aid will not be reflected on your statement until all the required documents have been received by the Financial Aid Office. To obtain further information on the status of your financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (909) 621-8356. See What if my financial aid is not showing on my monthly billing statement? in the CASHNet section for more information.

What financial requirements are there for graduation/commencement?
It is required that you are in Good Financial Standing to participate in graduation/commencement. “Good Financial Standing” means a student’s account balance to the College may not exceed $100 on the date that the last payment is due for the fall or spring semesters (e.g., April 20 for the spring semester). If a student is not in Good Financial Standing, but has otherwise completed all academic requirements and is in Good Conduct Standing, the student may participate in a Commencement ceremony that precedes the student’s graduation date if the outstanding balance is less than $1,000. You can review this policy in the CMC Policy Library.

What forms of payment do you accept?
Payments may be made in the form of electronic check (ACH), personal check, cashier's check, money order, traveler's check, or wire transfers. Please make all checks payable to “Claremont McKenna College.” Please put the student id # on all checks. See Payment Methods for additional information on where to submit your payment.

Electronic checks (ACH) are accepted through the CASHNet website. For instructions on how to access CASHNet please click here.

Where do we mail our payments if sending them through regular U.S Postal Service?
Please mail all payments, if sent through regular U.S. Postal Service, to the following address:

Claremont McKenna College
PO Box 848142
Los Angeles, CA 90084-8142

Do you have a different address for overnight delivery of a payment?
Yes, please send overnight delivered payments, including FedEx, DHL, and UPS, to the following address:

Wells Fargo Lockbox- E2001-049
Claremont McKenna College
3440 Flair Drive
El Monte, CA 91731

What if my account has a HOLD on it from the Business Office – Student Accounts?
Please contact the Office of Student Accounts at (909) 621-8232, as this hold could be due to a past due balance.

What if I was charged a fee for a Student Heath Services visit?
Student Health Services does not directly bill any insurance company. A receipt is provided that can be submitted to an insurance carrier for reimbursement. Students are responsible for payment of all clinic charges at the time of service or may make payments directly to Student Health Services within 15 days. After 15 days, the charge(s) is transferred to your Student Account(CASHNet). If you submit a claim to your insurance company to request reimbursement, you are still required to pay your charge per your statement's due date after the fee was posted.

For more information on Student Health Services please go to https://services.claremont.edu/student-health-services/ or call (909) 621-8222.

Who does the statement email come from? How can I make sure the email sent to me is not treated as spam?
The email containing information about your online statement comes from student_accounts@cmc.edu please set up student_accounts@cmc.edu as a contact.

Are there exceptions to e-billing? Can I get a paper bill?
All currently enrolled students will receive electronic bills. Printed bills can be obtained by accessing your account online, through CASHNet, and printing out the e-bill. The e-bill can be accessed and printed at any computer with Internet and printer access. The university also has several designated computers on campus for students to access their accounts and print bills.

How can someone else make payment on my behalf (authorized payers)?
Students have the option to designate another party (authorized payers) to view and pay student bills. This third party will need a one-time authorization, issued by the student via the payment website. The authorized user can then access the third party vendor system directly or through the university website to view the student’s billing information and make payments.

Once the authorized payer has logged into CASHNet, the payer can change his/her login name and password, and set up and store his/her own profile and account information. Thereafter, unless authorization is canceled, the third party will be notified via his/her own email address that the student’s e-bill is available for viewing. The individual can also log into the website to view the student’s billing information and make a payment. This authorization only gives access to statements and payment options; authorized payers will not have access to any other student records.

What if my financial aid is not showing on my monthly billing statement?
This could mean one or more of the following;

  • All the student’s financial aid paperwork has not been received by the Office of Financial Aid. If this is the case please go to the CMC Student Online Financial Aid Portal (NetPartner) to review any missing documentation.
  • The student has not accepted all of their awards on NetPartner. If you have questions about NetPartner please contact the Office Financial Aid at 909.621.8356.
  • Your financial aid is still pending and has not yet been disbursed to your student account. In this case you should see your Expected Financial Assistance on the statement in the Calculation of Amount Due section.
  • You are not eligible for financial aid.

If you do not see your award and are expecting financial aid please go to the Estimated Semester Cost Worksheet, this will assist in calculating an estimation of your amount due*. For more information on financial aid please go to https://www.cmc.edu/financial-aid.

*Please note that this amount may change until your financial aid is awarded and disbursed to your student account.

Where can I find more information about CASHNet?
For more information, visit cmc.edu/studentaccts/cashnet.php.

Important note regarding Box 1 & 2:
For tax year 2017 and earlier, eligible educational institutions were allowed to choose to report payments received, or amounts billed, for qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE). Claremont McKenna College chose to report Amounts Billed in Box 2, rather than Payments Received in Box 1.

Due to a change to institutional reporting requirements under federal law, beginning with tax year 2018, we will report the amount of Qualified Tuition Related Expenses you paid during the year in Box 1 of Form 1098-T

1098-T Information


Form 1098-T is the information return that colleges and universities are required to issue for the purpose of determining a student's eligibility for the American Opportunity Tax Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit education tax credits. More information about these tax credits can be found online

 

A 1098-T form is produced annually for each student with qualifying account transactions if a valid Social Security or Tax Identification Number was provided to the College. A paper form will be mailed to each qualifying student no later than January 31, unless you opt out of receiving a paper copy. An electronic version of Form 1098-T is available on CASHNet.

Student Accounts staff are not tax preparers and cannot give advice on your tax return preparation. You may refer to IRS Publication 970 or Publication 17, Chapter 35 for more information. We recommend contacting a certified tax preparer should you have questions. You are welcome to provide a copy of your statements and/or activity detail should they need detailed information on the transactions from the reported tax year.

How will I receive my 1098T?

The law requires that we mail your 1098T by January 31 for the prior calendar year just completed. If you did not opt out, you can expect it to arrive at the address you supplied in February. You may also access an electronic copy on CASHNet.

I’m a parent. Can I have my student’s 1098-T form sent to me?

Students must make all information requests. The student is responsible for providing information to other parties in accordance with FERPA (Family Education Right to Privacy Act).

Additional Information

Below is an explanation of how Claremont McKenna College determines the value in each box of the 1098-T form.

Box 1: Payments Received for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses
Box 1 shows the total payments received by an eligible educational institution in 2022 from any source for qualified tuition and related expenses less any reimbursements or refunds made during 2022 that relate to those payments received during 2022.

Box 2: Amounts Billed for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses
As of January 2018 no information will be listed in Box 2.For all prior years it will display the amount billed during the calendar years for qualified tuition and related expenses.

Box 3: Checkbox for Change of Reporting Method
For the tax year 2018, Box 3 will be checked to signify the change Claremont McKenna College will make in our method of reporting Payments Received in Box 1 and Amounts Billed in Box 2.

Box 4: Adjustments Made for Prior Year
Box 4 shows any adjustment made by an eligible educational institution for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year Form 1098-T. This amount may reduce any allowable education credit that you claimed for the prior year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund). See “recapture” in the index to Pub. 970 to report a reduction in your education credit or tuition and fees deduction.

Box 5: Scholarships or Grants
Box 5 shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by the eligible educational institution. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year (including those not reported by the institution) may reduce the amount of the education credit you claim for the year.
TIP: You may be able to increase the combined value of an education credit and certain educational assistance (including Pell Grants) if the student includes some or all of the educational assistance in income in the year it is received. For details, see Pub. 970.

Box 6: Adjustments to Scholarships or Grants for a Prior Year
Box 6 shows adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year. This amount may affect the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or education credit that you claimed for the prior year. You may have to file an amended income tax return (Form 1040-X) for the prior year.

Box 7: Checkbox for Amounts for an Academic Period Beginning in January through March 2017
Box 7 shows whether the amount in box 1 includes amounts for an academic period beginning January–March 2023. See Pub. 970 for how to report these amounts.

Box 8: Check if at Least Half-Time Student
Box 8 shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at the reporting institution.

Box 9: Check if a Graduate Student
Box 9 shows whether you are considered to be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree, graduate-level certificate, or other recognized graduate-level educational credential.

Box 10: Ins. contract reimb./refund
Box 10 shows the total amount of reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses made by an insurer. The amount of reimbursements or refunds for the calendar year may reduce the amount of any education credit you can claim for the year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund).

Why didn't I get a 1098-T form?
  • We do not automatically prepare a 1098-T under these circumstances:
  • You are not a U.S. citizen
  • You withdrew from all your classes
  • You were not enrolled at least halftime for any academic term during the calendar year
  • You did not pass your classes
  • We may not have your social security number

Claremont McKenna College must get your correct tax identification number to file Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, with the IRS and to provide a statement to you. This will be your Social Security number (SSN) or, if you are not eligible to obtain an SSN, your individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Form 1098-T contains information about qualified tuition and related expenses to help determine whether you, or the person who can claim you as a dependent, may take either the tuition and fees deduction or claim an education credit to reduce Federal income tax. For more information, see IRS Pub, 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education. Under federal law, you are required to provide the requested information. You may speak with Student Accounts to see if a 1098T is appropriate for your situation.

You can submit your SSN or ITIN on your Tuition Agreement Form or show a valid Social Security number to the Office of the Registrar. To have this reflected on the 1098-T form this will need to be done by January 20th. If received after this time it will not be reflected on the form issued on January 31st and will be updated on next year's 1098-T form.

1. Log in at the Student Portal

2. Click on Tuition Agreement form under the My Account Info sections.

3. Enter in SSN or ITIN.

4. Sign and submit form. This will then update our system.

Penalties

If you fail to provide your correct SSN or ITIN to Claremont McKenna College, the IRS may impose a penalty of $100 unless your failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect. If Claremont McKenna College discloses or uses your SSN in violation of Federal law, Claremont McKenna College may be subject to civil and criminal penalties.

Privacy Act Notice

Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code requires you to give your correct SSN or ITIN to persons who must file information returns with the IRS to report certain information. The IRS uses the numbers for identification purposes and to help verify the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS may also provide this information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation and to cities and states to carry out their tax laws.

What numbers are reported on the 1098-T? What educational expenses are considered qualified tuition and related expenses?

Qualified tuition and related expenses are:

  • Tuition, fees, and course materials required for a student to be enrolled at or attend an eligible educational institution.

Generally, they do NOT include:

  • Books
  • Room and board
  • Student Activities
  • Athletics (unless the course is part of the degree program)
  • Insurance
  • Medical expenses (including student health fees)
  • Equipment
  • Parking fees or vehicle fines
  • Other similar personal, living, or family expenses