Payment Plan Options

Payment plans do not automatically renew. Accordingly, for each term you wish to make monthly payments, you must enroll in a new payment plan.

Six Month Payment Plan - This term plan permits payment in 6 installments: July 5 through December 5 for fall and January 5 through June 5 for spring. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $50 per term. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is August 10 for fall and January 20 for spring.

Five Month Payment Plan - This term plan permits payment in 5 installments: August 20 through December 20 for fall and January 20 through May 20 for spring. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $65 per term. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is September 30 for fall and February 28 for spring. 

This summer plan permits payments in 3 installments: May 20, June 20, July 20. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $75. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is June 10.

Please note that the Summer payment plan may overlap with the Fall and Spring plans so arrange accordingly should you decide to enroll.

A student or an “Authorized Payer” can enroll in one payment plan per term.  Multiple payment plans per term are not permitted.  The student or Authorized Payer who creates the payment plan will become the “Plan Owner”.  Changes to the payment plan can be made by the student, Plan Owner, SMU and Nelnet Campus Commerce.  Please note that changes made to the "Payment Method" (bank account or credit card information) can only be made by the Plan Owner.

Follow the below instructions for enrollment information: 

Student Enrollment:

• Log into your my.SMU account
• Select the Financials tab from the left-hand menu
• Select SMUpay from the drop-down menu
• Select Payment Plan from the SMUpay left-hand menu

Authorized Payer Enrollment: 

• In order to enroll in a payment plan, your student must set you up as an Authorized Payer. Click here for instructions on How to Add an Authorized Payer.
• Once you are set up as an Authorized Payer, go to http://quikpayasp.com/smu/bursar/authorized.do.
• Enter Login Name and Password
• Click on Payment Plan in the QuikPay menu

• Automatic payment is required to enroll into a payment plan. Once payment plan is set up, manual payments should not be made to SMU unless payment plan does not cover SMU Student Account charges.
• Payments must be made via automatic deduction (ACH) from a regular United States checking or savings account or via credit/debit card (VISA, American Express, Discover and MasterCard). ACH payments are free of charge. Credit/debit card payments will be assessed a non-refundable 2.85% service fee per transaction (charged by Nelnet Campus Commerce).
• ACH payments are processed on the 5^th or 20^th of the month, depending on which payment plan you select. When the 5^th or 20^th falls on a weekend or holiday, ACH payments are processed the following business day.
• Dates and plan terms may be subject to change without notice.

You can enroll in a payment plan prior to being fully enrolled by estimating the student account charges and deducting any anticipated financial aid.  Once your charges and financial aid are determined, your payment plan can be adjusted by the student, Plan Owner, SMU and Nelnet Campus Commerce (refer to “How to adjust a payment plan” below).

Please make sure that your SMU Student Account is fully covered by the SMU payment due date to avoid past due fees of 1.5% per month on any unpaid balance. We created an undergraduate student Cost Estimate Calculator to help you determine the amount of your payment plan total.

A key to a successful payment plan is budgeting correctly. If the payment plan is budgeted incorrectly, your payment plan must be adjusted. In this instance, your payment plan will need to be decreased if the plan exceeds actual costs.  If your payment plan does not cover the actual cost, either the plan will need to be increased or a payment will need to be made to SMU for the remaining balance. Changes to the payment plan can be made by the student, Plan Owner, SMU and Nelnet Campus Commerce. If your payment plan does not cover the actual costs, you will need to either increase your payment plan or pay the remaining balance to SMU by the SMU due date.

Please follow the below instructions to adjust your payment plan: 

Students: 

• Log into your my.SMU account
• Select the Financials tab from the left-hand menu
• Select SMUpay from the drop-down menu
• Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu
• Click on the Agreement ID# for the payment plan
• Click on Adjust Balance
• Click on the circle to Increase your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to increase your payment plan or
• Click on the circle to Decrease your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to decrease your payment plan
• Type in the amount to increase or decrease the payment plan by
• Click continue

Authorized Payers:

• Log into http://quikpayasp.com/smu/bursar/authorized.do
• Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu
• Click on the Agreement ID# for the payment plan
• Click on Adjust Balance
• Click on the circle to Increase your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to increase your payment plan or
• Click on the circle to Decrease your Estimated Balance by the Amount you Enter Below if you wish to decrease your payment plan
• Type in the amount to increase or decrease the payment plan by
• Click continue

• April 1 – Enrollment opens for Summer plans
• June 1 – Enrollment opens for Fall plans
• November 1 – Enrollment opens for Spring plans

2. May I enroll in a payment plan for prior term or future term charges?

Payment plans are term specific and cannot be used to pay prior or future terms.

3. Is it possible to have more than one payment plan per term?

Only one payment plan per term, per student, is permitted.

4. What happens if my payment is rejected?

If your monthly installment is returned for any reason, Nelnet will notify the Plan Owner and student via email and will reattempt to process the monthly installment from the account provided. The reattempt will occur on or around the 5th of the month for the 5 Month and Summer plans. The reattempt will occur on or around the 20th of the month for the 6 Month plans. If the reattempted payment is returned, your payment plan will automatically terminate without any further notice to you. Upon termination, all unpaid balances will be immediately due and payable to SMU. Furthermore, we reserve the right to refuse your participation in future Nelnet payment plans.

If a payment returns, Nelnet Campus Commerce will assess a $30 returned payment fee.

5. What happens if my payment plan defaults?

If your payment plan terminates due to two returned payments, you are no longer eligible for future payment plan options.

6. Can I enroll in a payment plan if my balance is not yet determined?

Yes, you can enroll in a payment plan, even prior to enrolling in any classes, based on an estimated amount. Please refer to “How to Calculate the Amount of your Payment Plan Before your Student Account Balance is Determined”, above.

7. What charges can be included in the payment plan?

All Student Account charges can be included in a payment plan. Miscellaneous Account charges must be paid directly to SMU.

8. How do I update my bank account or credit card information used for my payment plan?

Only Plan Owners can change the Payment Method (the current bank account or credit card used for scheduled payment plan installments). Please keep this in mind when enrolling in a payment plan. If you are a student, but not the Plan Owner, you will not be permitted to update the Payment Method. If the student is the Plan Owner, only the student (not the Authorized Payer) is permitted to update the Payment Method.

Follow the below instructions to update the Payment Method:

Students who are Plan Owners:

• Log into your my.SMU account
• Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu.
• Click on the Agreement Id#
• In the large box, next to Payment Method, click on Change Payment Method.
• Make and save changes.

Authorized Payers who are Plan Owners

• Log into http://quikpayasp.com/smu/bursar/authorized.do.
• Click on the Payment Plan tab in the QuikPay menu.
• Click on the Agreement Id#.
• In the large box, next to Payment Method, click on Change Payment Method.
• Make and save changes.

9. Once my payment plan is set up, do I need to log in each month to make my payment?

No, your payment plan is set up with automatic payments. 

10. I have questions about my payment plan.

For assistance with your payment plan, please contact Nelnet Campus Commerce at 888-470-6014 from 7am-9pm Monday–Friday CST and 9am-2pm on Saturdays CST. You can also contact the Student Financial Services via email at Enrol_serv@smu.edu or by phone at 214-768-3417 from 9am–4pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10am–4pm on Wednesdays.