Tuition and Fees Frequently Asked Questions

Tuition is due in full the first Friday of the first week of the semester. If course registration occurs on or after the first Friday of the semester, tuition is due immediately. Our semesters usually begin in January, May, and September.  

All course refund schedules are shown in S.I.S. Please go to the Registration tab and click on "Details" to view the drop deadlines and refund schedule for each class. Once your drop goes through, it will be credited to your student account. If you need the money refunded to you, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request a refund check, as they are not sent automatically.

In general, the add/drop period ends after the first two weeks of the semester and tuition refunds begin at 100% at the end of week 1 and decrease by 10% each week. No refund is granted lower than 50%. Courses that are shorter than the full semester follow a calendar that is proportionate to the semester timeline.

If you had to drop your class due to extenuating circumstances and would like to request a larger refund, you may submit a financial petition through S.I.S.

If payment is not received by the due date, your account is considered delinquent. A late fee will be charged on all balances four days after the payment due date and at the end of each subsequent month. In addition, your registration may also be canceled for non-payment.

A student may not register for classes, secure grade reports or transcripts, or attend classes in any subsequent semester if they have not completed payment for courses already taken. If a student’s registration is canceled, the student may not re-enroll until their account is cleared and the appropriate payment has been made for new enrollment.

Tuition is due the first Friday of the semester, regardless of whether or not you are waiting on a grant, scholarship, or loan. Grant and scholarship disbursements are made directly to student accounts, starting on the Monday before the semester begins. You may wait for your grant or scholarship to be disbursed to pay your tuition as long as it is before the tuition due date.

It can take up to 8 weeks to receive financial aid, so prepare now to pay in full by credit card, or enroll in the Western payment plan if your financial aid or third party check does not arrive by the first week of the semester. Failure to pay on time will result in late fees on your student account.

Payments should be submitted online through S.I.S. You can pay with a credit card or from your bank account. The cashier cannot accept payments over the phone. If you need to pay by check, please mail it to: Western Seminary, Attn: Cashier, 5511 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215.

Recognizing that some students may not be able to immediately pay the full amount of tuition and fees when due, Western offers students a semester-based, monthly payment plan. Students may enroll in a plan directly in S.I.S. There is a $20 per-term plan enrollment fee that will automatically be charged once the plan is processed. Payment plans are not available for audit students as audit tuition is due at the time of registration

Western Seminary has partnered with PayMyTuition for students who do not have a U.S. based credit card or bank account. With this service, you can make your tuition payments from any bank, in any country, in any currency at better than bank exchange rates. Please note that because this is a 3rd party payment, you will need to pay tuition a week in advance so that it clears your account in time for the tuition deadline. Please see our International Payments page for more information, as well as instructions in 17 languages.

Western assists students with billing each semester from several government agencies such as the VA, various branches of the military, AmeriCorps, and state rehabilitation programs. Please provide a copy of your approved tuition assistance form or award letter from the agency along with contact and billing information to the Business Office email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. VA billing goes through our Financial Aid Office and should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Anytime there is activity on your student account such as financial aid disbursement, a payment posting, or tuition charges being applied, you will receive an email letting you know of the changes and your new account balance. Please make sure to regularly check your Western Seminary student email account. 

You can see an overview of the activity on your student account at anytime by logging into SIS, then clicking on "Business Office" and "My Account History."

Please contact the Business Office with any questions. You can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 503-517-1888.