The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) helps Williams students and families understand their bills and expenses and make payments simply and efficiently. Our responsibilities include accurate and timely student account electronic billing and analysis, prompt refunds on over-payments, and efficient processing of installment payment plans, financial aid disbursements, study away payments, and any other electronic fees, payments, or credits. We also manage student loans for graduated students and are happy to answer questions about those resources.
Billing and Payments
College is a major investment for every student and every student’s family. Whether or not you receive financial aid, here are tools to manage expenditures in ways that respond to your particular circumstances throughout your undergraduate education.
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2024-2025 Comprehensive Fees
Tuition $68,240 Housing $8,750 Meals $8,510 Activities & Residential House Fees $320 Study Away Fee (as applicable) $1,500 Williams 2024-2025 Comprehensive Fee Letter
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The Williams Fall Term bill is issued each year in early-July and is due by August 15, 2024. The Spring Term bill is issued each year in December and is due by January 15, 2025. Additional billing statements are sent on a monthly basis with any miscellaneous charges (i.e., EPH Points, lost ID, room openings, library fines, parking violation fines, textbook charges, course packet charges, etc.) or credits (i.e., payments, textbook grants, course packet grants, etc.) that are posted to the student’s account during the course of the term.
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Williams makes student account information and billing statements available online to students and authorized users to make one-time payments, and to set up installment payment plans and make monthly payments using a third-party partnership with a vendor called Flywire but is referred to on campus as EphPay.
To log in to EphPay click here.
Incoming first-year students, transfer students, and readmitted students are sent an email in June asking them to register themselves for EphPay. To register for EphPay, you will need your new Williams ID number, which is available in your Williams Student Records account. Follow these instructions to access your account for the first time. Once logged in, select the Profile tile on the landing page to find your ID.
Please follow the below steps to create your account in the EphPay E-Billing System:
- Go to EphPay login in page (this may have the URL "williams.myflywire.com/login"
- Select “Create New Account.”
- At the prompt, select “Yes,” you are a current or former student.
- Enter your Williams email address and create a secure password.
- Select “Create.”
- A confirmation email will be sent to you. Follow the instructions in the email to access your account
- Note: Drop the “W” from your Williams ID when prompted to enter it.
Once you are enrolled in EphPay, simply log in and click on the Activity Detail tab to see your current and past billing statements. The statement at the top of the list is the most current one. Click on the statement to view the details. You can make a one-time payment towards your balance or an installment plan payment (if you are enrolled in the installment payment plan for the applicable term) right from EphPay.
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Overpayments or special payments (such as the Personal Expenses Grant) are refunded to students each semester. College policy requires we electronically pay these one-time payments to students using direct deposit to their bank account instead of mailing a bank check. Students set up their direct deposit bank account once in Williams Student Records, unless they decide to change this bank account. (This set-up is in addition to the banking details you will provide in Workday for any compensation earned through student employment at Williams.)
To enter your bank account for refunds or direct payments related to your EphPay account, log into your Williams Student Records account. Select the Stu Financial Services tile on the homepage, then Enroll in Direct Deposit.
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You, the student, can invite unlimited authorized users to register for EphPay allowing them access to your student account information. Each authorized user will receive an email when the monthly billing statement is ready for viewing and payment.
We encourage you to invite anyone who typically helps you pay your term bills.
To invite an authorized user, log in to EphPay and select "Set Up Now" from the Quick Links > Set Up Authorized Users menu on the "Account Summary" tab. Follow the prompts and an activation email will be sent to the authorized user.
Please know that you and your authorized users must provide your Williams ID number to our office whenever you wish to discuss your account!-
If your payment was made through EphPay via an ACH, credit card, or installment plan payment, you can log into EphPay account and click on the Account Activity tab where you will see the payment transaction posted in real-time. Alternatively, you can call Student Financial Services at 413-597-4181, or email us at [email protected].
Payment Options
There are a variety of options available to help you and your family manage semester payments and the SFS office is available to discuss these with you. For additional information, please refer to our Financial Aid Guide 2024-2025.
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Williams accepts electronic payments, including credit cards, domestic wire transfers (e.g., ACH), and international wire transfers. Payments from a student or family must be made through EphPay - we cannot accept direct payments to our bank, in our office, or by phone. Electronic payments from a college savings plan (such as 529 plan or state prepaid plan) can be made directly to Williams College or to your MyFlywire/EphPay account. Email [email protected] if your college savings plan requires our office to certify your enrollment or billing information.
Credit card payments can be accepted from MasterCard, VISA, Discover, and American Express. There is a 2.85% fee per transaction for domestic cards and a 3.95% fee per transaction for international cards. All credit card transactions incur a $3 minimum fee.
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Williams accepts certified and cashier's checks and money orders from US banking institutions. We cannot accept checks from international banks. Make your check or money order payable to Williams College and send directly to our office:
Student Financial Services
Williams College
995 Main St.
Williamstown, MA 01267
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If you’d like to spread your payments out, the Williams College Installment Payment Plan is an optional plan available to all students and authorized users. The plan has the following important features:
- Once the fall statement is issued, students and authorized users will be able to set up a payment plan. Four- and five-month plans will be available for each academic semester. You will be able to sign up for both semesters or one semester at a time depending upon your preference and payment method.
- Your plan budget is set automatically to your current balance due (i.e., the sum of all transactions since you first entered Williams) – unless you sign up for a plan before the term bill is released. In that case, you will be asked to estimate your plan budget and EphPay will automatically rebalance it to equal the balance due when your term bill is released. To estimate your plan budget, you can use one-half of the published comprehensive fee found here.
- Plans are rebalanced on an ongoing basis, too! This helps you keep your account current with ease and little effort on your part. The plan rebalances 10 days and 1 day ahead of the monthly installment due date, as well as upon login by you, your authorized users, or an SFS staff member. Every time your plan rebalances, the plan owner will receive an email alert to help your family stay on top of EphPay activity and give you time to deposit enough funds in your bank account to meet the next installment due date.
Critical Concepts to Understand
- Students may add authorized users at any time. An authorized user is anyone that students want to have access to make payments directly to their bill. Most often, authorized users are parents, guardians, and others who are financially responsible for the student.
- Student account balances will be available to view in real-time via EphPay.**Please note that if you log into your account before July 8th, you may see incomplete information as we prepare your charges and credits.**
- Annually, as part of the semester billing process, students will be asked to sign a Financial Responsibility Agreement which acknowledges and outlines the student’s payment responsibility for the educational services being provided.
- Participants will authorize payments to be automatically debited from their specified financial account on the 25th of each month for the number of months in the plan selected (except for participants in an international plan, who will need to manually initiate a wire transfer before the 25th of each month, with their first installment due upon enrollment). There is no option to initiate payments on an unscheduled basis or on a different day of the month.
- 529 plans and/or other third party payments can be used in combination with a payment plan to pay the balance due. Contact SFS if you need assistance.
- The Payment Plan fee of $40 per semester will be charged on the date that you sign up for the plan.
- Terms and conditions of the payment plan will be disclosed and must be accepted as part of the payment plan enrollment process.
More information and enrollment details can be found in your EphPay account. Payments are due on the 25th day of the month.
Plan Option
Payment Period
First Payment Due
Last Payment Due
5-month
Fall 2024
July 25, 2024
November 25, 2024
4-month
Fall 2024
August 25, 2024
November 25, 2024
5-month
Spring 2025
December 25, 2024
April 25, 2025
4-month
Spring 2025
January 25, 2025
April 25, 2025
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Williams students are not asked to take out loans as part of our financial aid program. All students have the opportunity to borrow as a financing option, but loans will never be packaged in your financial aid award from Williams. A provisional credit for your accepted loan (Federal Direct Loan or Williams Loan) or approved loan (private loan) will be reflected in your student account for the applicable semester. If required application materials are incomplete and unreviewed by the date anticipated, the provisional credit will expire and be removed from your student account, thereby creating a balance due. Certification and awarding of loans begin in mid July each year.
Federal Direct Loan for Undergraduate Students
A Federal Direct Loan is a federal student loan made directly by the U.S. Department of Education.
To be eligible for a federal student loan, you must meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
To apply for a federal student loan, you must:
- complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form;
- complete entrance counseling*, a tool to ensure you understand your obligation to repay the loan;
- sign a Master Promissory Note**, agreeing to the terms of the loan; and
- Request your loan in Williams Student Records by selecting the Stu Financial Services Forms tile, then FA Award Update form.
Federal Direct Plus Loan for Parents
A Federal Direct PLUS Loan is a federal loan that parents of dependent undergraduate students can borrow to pay for college or career school.
To be eligible for a federal PLUS loan, you must:
- be the biological or adoptive parent (or in some cases, the stepparent) of a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school;
- not have an adverse credit history (unless you meet certain additional requirements); and
- meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
To apply for a federal PLUS loan, you must:
- complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form for the student on whose behalf you are borrowing;
- apply for the PLUS loan on the federal student aid website; and
- sign a Master Promissory Note**, agreeing to the terms of the loan.
Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students
A Federal Direct PLUS Loan is a federal loan that graduate students can borrow to pay for college.
To be eligible for a federal PLUS loan, you must meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
To apply for a federal PLUS loan, you must:
- complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form;
- apply for the PLUS loan on the federal student aid website;
- complete entrance counseling*, a tool to ensure you understand your obligation to repay the loan; and
- sign a Master Promissory Note**, agreeing to the terms of the loan.
* Entrance counseling for undergraduate and graduate students is required if you have not previously received a Direct Subsidized Loan, a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, or a Direct PLUS Loan while attending Williams College.
** A Master Promissory Note for undergraduate students, graduate students, and parents of undergraduate students is required if you have not previously received a Direct Subsidized Loan, a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, or a Direct PLUS Loan while attending Williams College or while the student on whose behalf you are borrowing is attending Williams College.
Private Educational Loan Programs
Private educational loan programs vary by lender. Contact specific lenders to find out about terms and conditions that may apply. Compare the details of different loan products to ensure you choose the best loan for you, paying particular attention to interest rate options, repayment options, and incentives and benefits. If you are approved for a loan, the lender will notify Williams College, who will certify your eligibility for the loan. This includes sharing sensitive information about the student, such as legal name, Social Security Number, date of birth, citizenship status, grade level, enrollment status, anticipated graduation, cost of attendance, expected family contribution, and financial aid award.
Williams Partners with the third party vendor Elm Select that offers Lender comparisons for student and their families to shop.
Student Private Loan Comparisons
Parents Private Loan Comparisons
International Private Loan Comparisons
Private Loan Certification
If your family intends to borrow a private education loan, you may need to complete the Private Loan Self-Certification Form. Send completed forms directly to your lender.
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All financial aid from Williams comes in the form of grants from the college, along with federal and state support. These grants do not need to be repaid. Prospective students should click here to learn more about the application process, while returning student can click here.
Please note that an intention to apply for financial aid does not exempt you from payment deadlines. If your financial aid application is incomplete or under review due to a late submission, you are ultimately responsible for the payment of the balance in your student account.
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If you receive outside scholarships (from community organizations, national competitions, etc.), they can be used to purchase a new computer. After that, any leftover amount will be applied to reduce your Williams grants.
Per federal regulations, you are obligated to report any scholarship that was not awarded through Student Financial Services, as well as any employer tuition benefits. Report your scholarships and/or employer tuition benefits in Williams Student Records. From the landing page, select the “Student Financial Services Forms” tile, then “Report Scholarship/Benefits.”
If Williams is required to bill the scholarship agency or employer in order to receive payment, please follow the instructions in the online form.
Reported scholarships and employer tuition benefits will appear as provisional credits in your student account. In most cases, the reported amount will be divided evenly between semesters, with one-half of the scholarship or benefit applied to the fall semester balance and the other half applied to the spring semester balance. If the scholarship organization or employer remits one payment for the entire amount, half of the payment will still be applied in the fall and the other half in the spring.
If payment is not received within a reasonable period of time, the anticipated credit will be removed from the account creating a balance due. It your responsibility to ensure that the scholarship or employer tuition benefit is received by Student Financial Services. Failure to do so may result in a late fee and/or holds.
SFS Policies and Procedures
From textbooks to tax forms, our policies and procedures provide useful information and help ensure transparency every step of the way.
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The fall comprehensive fee (i.e., tuition, activity fee, residential fee, room, and board) is charged each year in early July and typically is due within 30 days. The spring comprehensive fee and winter tuition are charged each year in early December and typically are due within 30 days.
Additional balance alerts are sent on a monthly basis when miscellaneous charges result in a balance due to the college. We do not regularly communicate credit balances. Prior balances are rolled into the following semester’s total balance, regardless if they represent past-due charges or overpayments.
Miscellaneous Charges
Miscellaneous charges largely represent fees assessed by other departments or offices on campus. Examples include, but are not limited to, EPH Points, lost ID, room openings, library fines, parking registration, parking violation fines, textbooks, course packets, and storage. If you would like to discuss or appeal these fees/fines, the assessing department or office can assist you. Student Financial Services does not have access to billing details.Provisional Credits
A provisional credit is an allowance for an anticipated payment against your account balance. Provisional credits will be posted to your student account under the following circumstances:- Anticipated disbursements for federal, state, and institutional grants included on your financial aid award.
- Anticipated disbursements for loans which have been approved by your lender.
- Outside scholarships that you have reported to Student Financial Services but have not been received and paid to your student account.
- The remaining semester contract amount for your Installment Payment Plan.
All of your provisional credits are factored in your balance due and should not be deducted again when you submit your payment.
If actual payments for the above provisional credits are not received by the date anticipated, the provisional credit will expire and be removed from your student account, thereby creating a balance due.
Withdrawn or Graduated Students
If you separate from the college, either due to withdrawal or graduation, you are responsible for the prompt payment of any outstanding balance owed to the college. If payment is not made, your account may be sent to a collection agency. You will then be responsible for your full account balance plus collection costs.
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Accounts with outstanding balances are subject to late fees, holds, and administrative withdrawals. An outstanding balance refers to a balance due that has not been paid or paid in full within 30 days of notice, or by the otherwise specified due date.
Holds and Administrative Withdrawals
If your outstanding balance is left unpaid by the start of the semester, and you have not made satisfactory arrangements with Student Financial Services, you may not be permitted to enroll in classes or remain in residence at the college. Effectively, you would be placed on administrative leave.If payment arrangements after the start of the semester are approved by Student Financial Services and these expected payments are not made on time, or if you accrue an outstanding balance during the semester, you may be denied access to the course registration system, your academic transcript, your diploma (for graduating students), the housing lottery, and the parking registration lottery. Ultimately, you may not be allowed to enroll for the next semester.
Returned Payments
A $30.00 returned payment fee will be assessed for each returned payment paid to the EphPay account. A cashier's check or money order may be required as payment for a returned payment.Late Fee
Accounts that are not paid in full within 30 days of notice or by the otherwise specified due date may be assessed a $250.00 late fee. This includes accounts which have a balance due to a late loan or financial aid application or the failure of the student or co-borrower to sign promissory notes on a timely basis.
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If your student account shows a credit balance, a refund may be requested for all or part of the available credit balance. Please note that your student account must be paid in full and an actual credit balance exist. Refunds will only be issued up to the amount of your credit balance. If you anticipate a refund due to a meal plan change, you must change your meal plan before submitting a request for a refund.
Refund requests are only accepted electronically using Williams Student Records Self Service. You can access the request form by going to: Williams Student Records – Stu Financial Services Forms – Student Refund Request.
Refunds will be processed within approximately 7-10 days after you have submitted your request and an actual credit exists on your student account. Because refunds via check or direct deposit are processed by the Accounts Payable department on Wednesdays, the deadline for refund requests is 4:00pm on Mondays.
Policy Note: Payments made to a student's EphPay account are intended to pay for current or future charges (the latter being held in a deferred revenue account). The EphPay account is not permitted to be used as a pass-through account (also known as a payable-through or pass-by account). If a pass-through payment is identified, it will be voided or held in a deferred revenue account to pay future charges.
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Federal regulations require that all educational institutions disclose their refund policy to all prospective students. In accordance with that regulation, below is the Williams College Refund Policy for the 2024-2025 academic year. Dates have been updated as of May 31, 2024 and are subject to change.
Fall Semester, 2024
Date of Withdrawal
Amount Refunded Spring Semester, 2025
Date of Withdrawal
Prior to start of classes Sep. 5 100% tuition, room, board Prior to start of classes Feb. 5 Week 1: Sep. 5 - 11 90% tuition, board only* Feb 5 – 12 Week 2: Sep. 12 – 18 80% tuition, board only Feb. 13 – 19 Week 3: Sep. 19 – 25 70% tuition, board only Feb. 20 – 26 Week 4: Sep. 26 – Oct. 2 60% tuition, board only Feb. 27 – Mar. 5 Week 5: Oct. 3 – 9 50% tuition, board only Mar. 6 - 12 Week 6: Oct. 10 – 16 40% tuition, board only Mar. 13 – 19 Week 7: Oct. 17 – 23 30% tuition, board only Mar. 20 – 26 Week 8: Oct. 24 – 30 20% tuition, board only Mar. 27 – Apr. 2 No refund after October 30, 2024 No refund after April 2, 2025 * Housing and miscellaneous fees are not pro-rated after the start of classes. Coverage under the College’s student health insurance plan will continue for the length of the plan (August 15, 2024 – August 14, 2025).
For students receiving Title IV federal funds, repayment of federal funds on a pro-rata basis will be determined up to the 60% point of the semester per federal regulation. Please note that withdrawal late in the semester could result in a balance owed to the college for federal aid that must be returned to the program.
Repayment is first made to federal programs in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, Subsidized Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant. Any remaining credit balance reimburses other sources in the following order: Williams grants, other scholarships, other parent loan programs and family. Specific examples are available on request.
GRAD GUARD™ TUITION REFUND INSURANCE
The college offers an optional insurance program to supplement the Williams College Refund Policy in cases of medical withdrawals. The GradGuard insurance program is available to help refund your tuition, room/board charges, and fees, up to the annual policy limits, if the student is unable to complete the semester due to a covered medical reason. GradGuard Tuition Refund Insurance, underwritten by Allianz Global Assistance, reimburses up to 100% of tuition and other related expenses up to the policy limits if a student is unable to complete the semester due to a covered medical event, such as an accident, injury, illness, or mental health issue. Withdrawals based on a mental health issue are subject to a required hospital admittance (no required stay). The plan also includes coverage for the death of a student or tuition payer.
We encourage families to review the information on this optional insurance program carefully to determine if you would benefit from this added protection. Please visit GradGuard for additional information, complete terms and conditions of each benefit, and to enroll. The deadline to enroll for fall term coverage is the first day of fall term classes, which is September 5, 2024. The deadline to enroll for spring term coverage is the first day of spring term classes, which is February 5, 2025.
What is the refund policy for a student receiving Tuition Assistance (TA) funds who must stop attending due to a military service obligation? Unearned TA funds will be returned to the government using the same formula as Title IV (federal) funds. For withdrawal on or before the first day of classes, 100% of the TA funds will be returned. Up to the 60% point in time, the percentage of TA funds earned is equal to the percentage of the period of enrollment for which it was awarded that was completed as of the day of withdrawal. In calculating the percentage, the calendar days completed is divided by the total number of calendar days in the period. If the student must withdraw after the 60% point then the percentage earned is 100%.
If you have additional questions or concerns about how the Yellow Ribbon program benefits may impact your financial aid eligibility, please contact Ann Lundhild at ael2@williams.edu or 413-597-4181.
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All questions regarding waiving or enrolling into the Student Health Insurance plan should be referred to Student Health and Wellness Services.
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Please visit Dining Services Meal Plans, Options, and forms.
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Students who receive a financial aid course book grant should visit the Book Grant Information page for additional information on purchasing textbooks.
The process outlined below is for students who do not receive a financial aid course book grant.
Any required course books purchased at The Williams Bookstore are eligible to be charged to your account. No purchases other than course books required for the classes you’re enrolled in can be charged to your student account. Bring your Williams ID with you when you go to the bookstore. If you misplace your Williams ID, you will be able to use this system the day after you get a replacement from Campus Safety & Security. You cannot use this process without your ID.
Returns/Refunds– If you drop/add a course after you have purchased your books, you should return the books from the dropped course as soon as possible and acquire the books for the added course. If you charged the original books to your student account, you will need your Williams ID and your original receipt to receive credit for them.
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