Information about a student's bill is private and will not be disclosed to anyone unless the student grants us permission. Therefore, if a student wishes us to discuss finances with family members, the student must be sure to submit a Consent to Release Form. This form is available in any student services office or can be downloaded from CIA Main Menu under documents on the Student Financial and Registration Services (SFRS) page.
Financial Aid and Student Accounts
There are two types of financial aid credits on student accounts—a pending credit and an actual credit. A pending credit is money to expect but which has not yet been received by the college. An actual credit is money that has been disbursed to student accounts. Both pending and actual credits reduce the balance due on a student account. Aid will not disbursed to student accounts until after the add/drop period of the semester; as a convenience, we post a pending credit to student accounts when we bill each new semester.
If there is no expected pending financial aid credit on a student account, it is often because the student did not apply for financial aid on time. It takes time to process a financial aid application—especially in cases involving alternative educational loans—so students should be sure to meet all the deadlines. We will not remove any late charges on student accounts simply because students did not file for financial aid on time. Students can check the status of their financial aid on CIA Main Menu, the student portal.
Past Due Balances
Students with balances from prior semesters will not be allowed to register, receive a transcript, or have a degree conferred. Payments will be considered late after five days, and students will be assessed a $150 late fee and a financial hold will be placed on their registration record. Students must keep their account current or their enrollment may be terminated. Should a student cease to attend for any reason, the date of delinquency for unpaid charges will be based on the last semester attended and will be determined to be the month and year that represents the end of that semester.
What Will Happen If a Student "Bounces" a Check?
If the bank does not honor a student's check for any reason (insufficient funds, stop payment, etc.), a fee of $60 will be assessed and automatically charged to the student's account. Restitution of the check will be expected immediately.
What If Students Have Questions About Their Bill?
All billing inquiries or errors should be directed to Student Financial and Registration Services by e-mailing sfrs@culinary.edu. Students can access their account on CIA Main Menu under the View and Pay Account tab. All e-mail correspondence to SFRS must be sent from their CIA e-mail address.
When Can Students Get Their Refund?
Credit balances will be refunded within 14 days of the date the credit occurs on the student's account and are processed by Student Financial and Registration Services at the New York campus. Refund or eRefund will be distributed as follows:
- eRefunds—Those students who sign up for eRefunds will have their refunds deposited directly into their bank account
- Registered student, New York campus—Check will be available for pickup in SFRS
- Registered student, California campus—Check will be available for pickup in the Education Office
- Registered student, Texas Campus—Check will be sent via mail to permanent address
- Students who are doing a concentration at another campus will have their check mailed to their permanent address
All other refunds will be mailed to the permanent address. For faster refunds, students are encouraged to sign up for eRefunds by following the link to TouchNet on CIA Main Menu under the View and Pay Account tab. TouchNet provides a secure, convenient, and confidential way to store banking information.
Note that the law requires that any excess PLUS funds be returned to the parent. If a school determines that PLUS funds created a credit balance, the credit balance would have to be given to the parent. The CIA will refund the parent when the PLUS is the only payment on the account and the PLUS disbursement is more than the student's institutional charges. If students have any questions about the availability of their refund, they should contact SFRS.