Information for International Students
Please click on the option below that best fits your situation for more details:
International Students
Payment Options
Illinois State University charges tuition and fees on a per-credit-hour basis. Because of this, bills are inclusive of a single semester, not the academic year. Each semester, students have the option of paying in full or signing up for a payment plan.
You can view your tuition rate through our Undergraduate and Graduate tuition tables.
Payment in Full
If you choose to pay in full for the semester, you must pay the total balance by the first installment due date.
Payment Plan
All students with a current semester balance are automatically enrolled in a payment plan at the beginning of the semester. The payment plan consists of five installments for Fall (Aug-Dec) and Spring (Jan-May) and two installments for Summer (June-July).
You will be charged a payment plan convenience fee if there is a current semester balance by the third installment due date for Fall/Spring or after the first installment for Summer semester. This fee is charged once per semester and is only assessed to accounts that are not paid in full as noted above. The payment plan convenience fee is $35 for Fall/Spring semesters and $30 for Summer semester.
Any new current semester changes to your account will affect your future payment plan amounts. The system will automatically recalculate your future installments to reflect the changes and will send you and any Authorized Users an email with the updated installment amounts.
* If you are studying abroad at an institution outside of the U.S., please be aware that Study Abroad charges are not eligible for the payment plan and are due in full by the date stated on the bill.
Payment Methods
International students can pay their student bill using the following payment methods:
Flywire
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Electronic wire transfers can be completed at www.flywire.com/pay/ilstu .
- The bank account used for the transfer must be in your home country currency.
- There is a $50 minimum amount to utilize flywire.
- Payments generally post within 2 business days.
With Flywire you can:
- Track your payments from start to finish
- Make payments in more than 140 currencies, online and from banks worldwide
- Other available payment methods include international credit and debit cards, and other international payment options that vary by country
- Save on bank fees and exchange rates
- Enjoy peace of mind with dedicated multilingual customer support
- Ensure accurate and timely posting of your payment to your student account
- To learn more about Flywire, go to www.flywire.com
Check or Money Order
If you have a U.S. bank account, you can:
- Pay via Electronic check online through your my.ilstu.edu portal.
- Make a payment via check/money order in person at the Cashiers Office located within the Student Accounts Building.
- Mail a check/money order made out to “Illinois State University” to:
Illinois State UniversityCashiers OfficeCampus Box 1210Normal IL 61790-1210Please include your EMPLID located on your bill.
- Drop the check/money order in the drop box located outside the Student Accounts Building. Your payment will be processed the next business day. Please include your EMPLID located on your bill.
Credit Card
- Pay online through your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal
- A 2.85% fee will be charged for each credit card payment made via Paypath.
- Variety of cards are accepted including: VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club International, UCB, Union Pay, BC Card and Dina Card (these may change, see an up-to-date list in your student portal when making a payment).
- System alerts may come through pop-ups, so it is recommended you allow pop-ups for the site when utilizing it to make a payment.
- If you need assistance with making an online credit card payment, you can visit the Student Accounts or Cashiers Office where a staff member can assist you at one of the available computer stations.
- Payments made by credit card should be reflected immediately on your student account.
Cash
- Payment should be made in person at the Cashiers Office located within the Student Accounts Building.
Refunds
- We strongly encourage you to sign up for eRefunds through your student account.
- A refund check will be issued if you did not sign up for eRefunds. You can cash or deposit the refund check(s) at your local bank.
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A refund check can be cashed at any Commerce Bank branch with a picture ID (A fee may be charged by the bank). You can also check with the Cashiers Office on cashing options.
Questions
Please feel free to contact the Student Accounts Office or International Student and Scholar Services if you have further questions.
Students in an Academic English or Pathway Program
The INTO Illinois State University (INTO ISU) Center offers the Academic English, International Year One, and Graduate Pathway programs for international students to improve their English language comprehension while preparing them to be successful, degree seeking students at the University.
- All Academic English (AE) and Pathway Program tuition and fees are to be paid four weeks before arrival through INTOpay (see your offer letter for details).
- Incidental charges accrued on ISU’s campus are paid directly to Student Accounts.
- Invoices will be sent monthly via email for incidentals. Be sure to bring the invoice with you when you make payment in person.
- Payments can be made:
- In person at the Cashiers Office via cash, money order or check (must be from a U.S. bank account, please see above for further details).
- Online via flywire. For more information on Flywire go to www.flywire.com .
- See examples of incidental charges below:
- Health Services fees
- Uniform fees
- Optional meal plans
- Deposits
- Fees for new Redbird Cards
- Any questions relating to Student Health Service charges must be dealt with in person at Student Health Services, located in the Student Services Building, Room 203. Due to privacy regulations (HIPAA) and Illinois law, we are unable to see any detailed charges relating to your account.
- If you are a Pathway or Academic English student and receive an email containing ISU tuition and fee information, please contact the INTO ISU Center at second floor of Fell Hall.
- Please contact the INTO ISU Center if you have further questions.
Exchange Students
If you are an exchange student studying at Illinois State University based upon an exchange agreement between ISU and your home institution, you will have some unique billing-related issues.
Beginning Your Program
- Your tuition waiver will not be reflected on your initial student bill.
- Tuition will not be removed from your bill until after the 3rd week of classes, but you will not be charged any late fees associated with this delay.
- You can view your itemized bill in your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal. Prior to the tuition being removed from your account, you can either submit a payment for the other items listed on your bill that are not included in tuition or wait until the waiver has been posted to your account in order to have the most accurate reflection of your billing charges for the semester.
- Any payments made prior to the tuition waiver posting will automatically be applied to tuition first, but you will still receive the full amount of your tuition waiver.
- Once the tuition waiver is posted to your account, you should submit payment for the remaining balance. If you submitted a payment prior, it will be applied to the remaining balance. If you have overpaid, you will receive a refund check.
Ending Your Program
- Your final transcript will not be issued until you have a zero account balance on your student bill.
- You will continue to have access to your my.IlllinoisState.edu portal for several months following the end of your program to view your bill.
- In certain cases, charges may be applied after the semester has ended.
- If you have trouble accessing your portal account, try resetting your password or contact supportcenter@ilstu.edu.