Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This site is as dynamic as the OneBill Initiative! Check back often for new questions and answers
About OneBill
- How is student and family feedback being taken into consideration?
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This initiative wouldn't be possible without the Bruin community! We value user feedback and have formed a Student and Family Advisory Council to ensure all voices are heard. Interested in learning more? Check out the OneBill Team page!
- What benefits will come from OneBill?
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OneBill stems from a longstanding need to simplify the UCLA financial experience – head over to the OneBill Benefits page for a complete breakdown of the initiative's widespread effects.
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What is the difference between OneBill and BruinBill?
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The OneBill Initiative is the name of the project to consolidate student billing accounts.BruinBill is the campus billing platform. There will be no major changes to the BruinBill platform or the way you access your BruinBill as a result of the initiative.
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Is there a way to opt out of the OneBill Initiative?
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This OneBill Initiative will be in effect for all students beginning November 8, 2022 and there is no opt-out option at this time.
- How can I learn more about OneBill?
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Payment Deadlines
- I'm concerned that my graduate student funding won't be processed in time for my monthly housing payment deadline, what can I do?
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Housing payment deadlines have changed in order to align with tuition payment deadlines. The December payment on the monthly Housing plan, for example, will not be due until December 20 (instead of December 1). This additional time may allow funding for tuition funding to be processed by your department prior to fee deadlines.You may also consider enrolling in BruinPay Plan prior to the beginning of the term. This optional plan divides fees posted at the time of sign up, (including Housing charges) into monthly installments. The BruinPay Plan web page provides an overview of eligibility requirements and enrollment instructions.If you anticipate difficulties in meeting the payment deadline, please contact the Student Accounts Office.
- What will happen if I have unpaid housing charges?
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For unpaid housing debt due prior to July 1, 2022:
Your balance was transferred to an installment account on BruinBill.
You’ll have an opportunity to work with Student Accounts on setting up a payment arrangement in alignment with the City of LA COVID-19 Renter protections.
Financial aid disbursements will not automatically apply to this debt.
For unpaid housing debt due after July 1, 2022:
Pre-existing enrollment holds due to unpaid housing fees are still in effect. To lift the hold permanently, your BruinBill Regular Term Bill account must be brought to good standing.
For Winter quarter Housing charges due by December 20, the University will be assessing new holds the evening of Friday, January 6.
Financial aid disbursements will automatically apply to this debt if there is funding remaining after paying current term tuition and housing fees.
If you are a graduate student concerned about a delay in the disbursement of your department funding that may cause you to miss a housing payment deadline, please contact the Student Accounts office to discuss your options.
Please note: The University will not conduct financial eviction processes while the City of LA Renter’s Protection ordinance is in effect or assess delinquent fees associated with unpaid housing fees. Once the ordinance is lifted, updated information for unpaid housing fees will be available. Please review the Housing Delinquency Cycle web page for more information.
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What will occur if I have unpaid winter quarter tuition charges?
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If you have a negative balance on BruinBill (full financial aid), there is no penalty for waiting until the 12/30 financial aid disbursement to settle your fees.
On January 6, 2022, a Late Registration Fee will be assessed to accounts with unpaid tuition fees and classes will be dropped. Please review the Registrar’s Term Calendar for more information about class drop dates.
If you are a graduate student concerned about a delay in the disbursement of your department funding that may cause you to miss a tuition payment deadline, please contact the Student Accounts office to discuss your options.
- I anticipate I will be unable to meet a BruinBill deadline, what can I do?
- Please review the Student Accounts financial support FAQ, which outlines University resources for students experiencing financial difficulties.
- What if I can’t make a BruinBill Payment due to anticipated Financial Aid?
- If you have sufficient anticipated aid to cover your current and past due charges, submitting a payment through the BruinBill is unavailable until financial aid disburses.
You have the ability to submit a payment in person at the main cashier's office or can wait for your upcoming disbursement to pay the outstanding balance.
OneBill Changes
- What will happen to my current Auto Pay enrollment?
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Auto Pay for the Housing Bill (or housing-specific charges) will no longer be available and students will be unenrolled.
Students enrolled in BAR Auto Pay (for the BruinBill tuition account) will also be automatically unenrolled as OneBill is implemented.
More information can be found on the Auto Pay Changes Article.
- Can I sign up for Auto Pay after OneBill is implemented?
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Regular Term Bill Auto Pay will be available once the OneBill Initiative is live.
This simplified auto-payment option will take into account the entire Regular Term Bill balance (tuition, housing and other campus fees) and perform an automatic payment deduction once per month. More information can be found on the Student Accounts Auto Pay web page. - I split my housing costs with another third-party tenant, will they be able to pay for housing only on Regular Term Bill?
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Neither you, or anyone who pays the BruinBill with third-party view, will be able to designate personal payments to apply towards housing charges only.We suggest making arrangements with the tenant outside of the BruinBill to manage the splitting of your housing payment obligation.
- Will there be tax reporting changes?
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No, IRS reporting requirements for the 1098-T remain unchanged. Financial Aid awards, scholarships, fellowships, grants and stipends will continue to be reported under Box 5 as amounts earned via scholarships/grants. Under IRS reporting guidelines, amounts paid toward Housing charges do not qualify for reporting under Box 1 (amounts paid toward qualified education and related expenses). For more information on 1098-T reporting, please visit our 1098-T webpage.
Application of Payments on BruinBill
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How will my University funding be applied to Regular Term Bill?
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If there is a balance on Regular Term Bill (for tuition, housing, or other fees) funding will apply to the unpaid charges first, before generating a refund. In general, funding will apply to tuition fees first, then housing and other mandatory fees.Please note, this is the general application of funding on BruinBill and may differ slightly dependent on the award type and what fees the funding is able to apply to.
To learn more, please review the Application of Payments on BruinBill web page. - I have a third party sponsor, how can I ensure their funding is applied towards designated fees only?
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There will be no effects to your sponsorship coverage. Sponsorship credit memos are configured to apply toward eligible charges based on the terms of your coverage and your sponsor will be invoiced only for the amounts specified in your sponsor authorization letter.
- Why can’t I opt out of the automated BruinBill payment process for my financial aid?
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Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 outlines general rules that apply to federal student financial aid. In the calculation for cost of attendance, allowable charges include tuition, mandatory fees, and university room and board. Allowable charges will automatically be paid when financial aid is disbursed to your account.
Prior to the OneBill Initiative, automated payments with federal aid excluded housing fees because of the separation of tuition and housing charges on different BruinBill accounts. The intention of these funds to pay allowable charges, however, has not changed.
We understand standardizing our disbursement practices may require some students to adjust the way they manage their budgets and apologize for any inconvenience caused.
The Application of Payments on BruinBill web page has more information on how you can expect your funding to apply to BruinBill. - Can I designate what fees a personal payment is applied to?
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There is no way to specify which fees personal payments are applied toward.If there is a balance on Regular Term Bill (for tuition, housing, or other fees) personal payments will generally apply to the oldest unpaid charge first. You can view the post date for each individual transaction on BruinBill to determine the order of your charges.
