Payment Information

Payment Due Dates

Tuition and fees are due before the first day of each semester to be considered paid on time. Students wishing to pay their tuition by credit card and use their financial aid for living expenses must pay via SMURF (the Samuel Merritt University Records and Finance website) 14 days before the start of the semester. Students who have been approved for financial aid and do not see their “Anticipated Aid” on SMURF should consult the Campus Service Center at 510.879.9200. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain their address and phone number on SMURF.

Payment Options 

Payments can by made online through SMURF, by payment plan, by check either in person or by mail, or through third-party billing. Please note that all checks should be made payable to Samuel Merritt University. 

Payment Plan Information

• Payment plans are available for students who are paying out of pocket or who do not have enough financial aid to cover their balance. If your financial aid funds covers 100% of tuition, no payment plan is needed.
• Samuel Merritt’s payment plan option gives students the opportunity to pay in monthly installments by evenly splitting up tuition balance for the duration of the semester. If the length of the semester is four months, the payment plan can be set up for a maximum of four months; the last payment must be paid by the last day of the semester. If a payment plan is current, students are allowed to register for the next semester without the balance being paid in full.
• A new payment plan must be set up each semester, as payment plans do not carry forward. Students are able to set up their payment plan through their SMURF account after they enroll each semester.

• Payment plans must be setup within the first 30 days of each semester.
• Certified financial aid is deducted from your balance when your payment plan is set up.
• Non-certified financial aid at the time of payment plan setup is not automatically deducted from your payment plan balance.
• Once the payment plan is set up, the student will receive a Payment Plan Contract by email, containing the payment schedule and amount.
• Monthly billing statements are not mailed to payment plan participants. The student is responsible for making sure payments are made on time.
• A late fee of $25 is assessed if payment is received more than five days past the due date.
• Payment plan payments can be made by checks or via credit card by logging into SMURF. Only Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
• Automatic pay option is not available at this time.
• Balance may be paid in full early, without penalty, at any time.
• SMURF is available 24/7 to check your total balance.

Mail or deliver checks to: 

Samuel Merritt University
Attn: Cashier's Office
3100 Telegraph Ave, Suite 1110
Oakland, CA 94609

Third-Party Billing

Third-party billing or outside agency billing refers to an outside entity that may assist in paying part or all of your tuition and fees. If you have third-party billing, submit all paperwork to the Student Accounts department. If you have additional questions about the process, please contact studentaccounts@samuelmerritt.edu or 510.879.9236.

Nonpayment of Tuition and Fees 

To receive clearance from the Business Office, the student must meet one of the following criteria: (1) have paid all amounts owed, (2) enrolled in an approved payment plan, or (3) present proof that the outstanding balance owed will be covered by financial aid and/or third-party billing. 

Students who have an unpaid balance with SMU may not register for subsequent terms. A Business Office Hold will be placed on the student’s account, and a 1% monthly late fee will accrue until payment is made in full. Students with poor payment history (returned checks, nonpayment of payment plans) are required to pay in full at the time of registration for all charges posted to their account. If a student is enrolled in a payment plan and misses two consecutive monthly payments, SMU reserves the right to cancel the payment plan and place the student on a Business Office Hold.

Diplomas will not be issued to current or former students with a past due tuition balance and/or past due balances on Federal Perkins, Federal Nursing, and/or Federal HPSL loans. SMU will assign delinquent accounts to collection agencies and report to the credit bureaus. SMU further reserves the right to recover all costs involved with the collection due to the nonpayment of the outstanding balance. Reasonable collection costs of up to 25% on the first agency referral and 30% on the second agency referral resulting from failure to pay may be incurred and will be the responsibility of the student. In addition to withholding diplomas from students who have outstanding financial obligations to the University, attorney’s fees and other collection costs incurred by the University will be the responsibility of the student.