Third Party Billing
What is it? How does it work?
A qualified third party is a sponsor who is paying all or a portion of a student’s tuition and fees.
Once all sponsorship documentation is received, HPU will assign a payment placeholder to the student's financial account. This payment placeholder offsets the financial account until HPU can send an invoice to the sponsor. Invoice processing beings after all drop deadlines have passed for each enrolled part of term.
If the sponsor does not pay or only pays a portion of the expected amount, an adjustment will be assigned to the payment placeholder. This is usually after the term is over and may be several months later as every effort will be made to work with the sponsor to obtain payment. Any unpaid balances are the financial responsibility of the student, regardless of timing of reversal or adjustment of the payment placeholder.
Third-Party Billing is offered as a courtesy to our students. The reflection of a payment placeholder on the student account does not constitute a contract between HPU and your sponsor.
Sponsors can qualify for third-party billing if:
- They will cover all or a portion of your tuition and fees
- They will send payments directly to HPU
- They require an itemized invoice
Sponsors can't qualify for third-party billing if:
- Payments will be sent directly to you, the student
- Only proof of registration or a copy of your bill is required
- Proof of registration – provide your schedule or request Enrollment Verification.
- EBills are available in Business + Payment tile within the myHPU portal. More information about eBills is found here.
- The third party is a department within HPU
- Your department will coordinate with the HPU Financial Aid Department or HPU Business Office directly
NOTE: If HPU has never worked with your sponsor, a W-9 form may be needed before HPU can offset your student account with a payment placeholder.
If you are using military or veteran funds, you have a separate third-party billing process already in place. Connect with the appropriate HPU Departments as outlined below.
Learn more about VR&E here. Contact va@hpu.edu with any questions.
Learn more about the Post 9/11 GI Bill ® here. The steps to this process are outlined here. Contact va@hpu.edu with any questions.
Learn more about the Montgomery GI Bill here. Contact va@hpu.edu with any questions.
Learn more about Military Tuition Assistance (TA) here. Contact militaryTA@hpu.edu with any questions.
Learn more about Tuition Assistance (TA) and MyCAA/SpouseWorks Scholarship here. Contact militaryTA@hpu.edu with any questions.
If you are a federal employee or agency and have form SF-182, upload your SF-182 form here.
Step 1: Authorization
The student must seek approval from their sponsor. That sponsor could be an employer, 529 college savings plan, Tribe, state rehabilitation counselor, etc. This usually results in a document which outlines amounts and invoicing steps. This document has many names including but not limited to letter of credit, letter of intention, roster, tuition assistance form, voucher, financial guarantee, purchase order, or authorization.
Step 2: Submit Voucher to HPU
HPU requires the student to submit their voucher each term the student’s sponsor will pay. The student uploads the voucher to HPU's online form, found here.
Step 3: Voucher Validation & Payment Placeholder
The voucher is reviewed by HPU staff to ensure it matches the student’s enrollment. If everything matches, a payment placeholder is assigned to the student’s financial account. This is not a guarantee of payment but a good-faith gesture for the student pending actual payment from the third party after HPU sends the invoice (see next step).
If inconsistencies are identified between voucher and enrollment, HPU will reach out to the student or sponsor for clarification.
Step 4: Invoicing
HPU will begin sending invoices to sponsors after all drop deadlines have passed for each enrolled part of term.
Example 1: The student is enrolled in the first 8-week session, the 16-week session, and the second 8-week session. The invoice will be generated after the second 8-week session drop deadlines have passed.
Example 2: The student is enrolled in only the first 8-week session or 16-week session; the invoice will be generated after the 16-week session drop deadlines have passed.
Step 5: Payment
The sponsor pays HPU. The sponsor should pay HPU within 45 days of receiving the invoice.
Step 6: Reconciliation
Every effort will be made to work with the sponsor to obtain payment.
If the sponsor fails to pay the amount of HPU’s invoice, the student will be held financially responsible for any unpaid amount. This means the student’s payment placeholder will be reversed or reduced. This adjustment could be made several months after the term ends as HPU will make every effort to work with the sponsor to obtain payment first.
It is extremely important that students communicate with their sponsors to ensure timely and accurate payments are sent to HPU.
Student Responsibility Related to Third-Party Billing
- The student must notify HPU of a third-party sponsor. Upload your voucher here.
- Failure to notify HPU and/or provide appropriate and required information will result in the student being financially responsible for outstanding balances and any accrued late fees.
- If the sponsor fails to pay any amount for any reason, the student will remain financially responsible for those unpaid balances.
- Past due balances will result in a hold being placed on the student’s account and will prevent registration activities.
- Continued failure to pay past due balances qualifies the student to be forwarded to a collection agency. The collection agency is authorized to contact the student on behalf of HPU. Learn more about the Student Financial Responsibility and Consequences for Late or Non-Payment on the Business Office’s website.