FAQ
For any business who accepts credit cards there are costs involved. Visa regulations govern the way convenience fees may be charged as well as ways a business may recover their expenses for the acceptance of credit cards.
At the University, we are concerned about rising tuition and the effective use of state resources. We do not believe it to be good business practice to pass these credit card charges on to all students or taxpayers (who subsidize UW education). However, for people who prefer to use credit cards, we offer the credit card payment option and there is a fee to use this payment option. As of Fall Quarter, (2008) 7% of our payments were made using credit cards, while the other 93% have chosen to pay by mail or web check.
As you'll see on the [tuition payment](http://finance.uw.edu/sfs/tuition/payment) web page, we offer many free options that may be used for payment of tuition and fees aside from the web check. These options include US mail, the outside drop box (open 24 hours) or in-person at Schmitz Hall, 129. Also, if students wish to extend the payment period, they may take a short term loan out for a $30 fee with no interest charged and 90 days to repay it.