Student Accounts Office

The mission of the Student Account department is to serve the students who attend our university by billing fees, campus housing, and other university charges accurately and efficiently, and collecting and crediting tuition revenue. We are here to provide students with quality service and information by maintaining accurate financial records and communicating policies and information to students concerning their accounts.

Office location: SACHS Building

Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Department Phone number: 561-803-2152

Department Email: student_accounts@bc178.cc

Important dates: http://pdr.bc178.cc/offices/registrar/academic-calendar/

To clear your check list for the student accounts department, the balance on your tuition account must be zero. There are many ways to get your tuition balance to zero. The payment options area will display directions of the most used payment methods. To check your student account balance:

Instructions:

• Sign into my.bc178.cc using your student credentials.
• Click “Departments”
  • Click “Student Accounts”
  • Click “Launch Student Account Center”
  • Click “View Your Transaction Details” next to your current balance.

• Payment Tracking: Students can monitor payment progress through their student account portal to ensure they settle any balance in a timely manner.

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) accepts ACH (Automated Clearing House) and wire payments for student accounts, providing a secure, direct way to transfer funds.

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) accepts the Florida Prepaid College Plan, a savings program designed to help families prepay for future college costs at today’s rates. This option makes it easier for Florida families to plan for and manage college expenses at PBA. Here’s how it applies to PBA:

The U.S. government offers many education benefits for active service members and veterans, including programs to help fund tuition. Learn more about these funding opportunities and how to apply. PBA offers many benefits to our veteran students, such as Chapter 31, 33, 35, and many more.

• View all the student benefits available to veterans here.
• View veteran benefit options at PBA in our catalog here.
• For any questions, contact PBA’s VA Certifying Official, Al Andino, at Al_Andino@bc178.ccor (561) 803-2145. Also, if you have questions about how your VA benefits will be applied to your student account, please contact Gloria Defaus at (561) 803-2165.
• If you have additional financial aid-related questions, please contact the Student Accounts Office at student_accounts@bc178.cc or (561)-803-2152, or the Financial Aid Office at  finaid@bc178.ccor (561) 803-2126. Both are open Monday-Friday from 8AM-5PM.

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) is committed to aiding veterans and their families in utilizing educational benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The process for applying these benefits to student accounts at PBA involves several key steps:

• Certification: PBA’s Office of the Registrar certifies eligible veterans and dependents for VA educational benefits. This certification confirms the student’s enrollment status and program eligibility.
• Benefit Application: Students must apply for VA benefits through the VA’s official website or by submitting the appropriate forms to the VA. It’s advisable to complete this application well in advance of the intended enrollment date.
• Documentation Submission: After applying, students should provide PBA with necessary documentation, such as the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) received from the VA, to facilitate the certification process.
• Financial Aid Coordination: PBA’s financial aid office collaborates with the VA to ensure that tuition and fees are covered appropriately. They also aid students in understanding how VA benefits interact with other forms of financial aid.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Students are responsible for reporting any changes in enrollment status to both the VA representative Al Andino and PBA Military representative Gloria Defaus to avoid discrepancies in benefit disbursement.
• PBA also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, offering additional financial support to eligible veterans. For personalized assistance, veterans are encouraged to contact PBA’s VA Certifying Official, Al Andino, at Al_Andino@bc178.ccor (561) 803-2145.

Refunds are processed in compliance with Federal Title IV guidelines and are administered by Nelnet. Once federal funds are applied to a student account resulting in an overpayment, a refund will be issued within 14 days. All refunds will be disbursed either via direct deposit to the student’s bank account or as a physical check. If no payment method is selected, the default option will be a check mailed to the legal home address on file. Please note that physical checks may take longer to process. To expedite the receipt of funds, it is recommended that students choose the Direct Deposit option. If you do not establish direct deposit, a check will be mailed to your home of record.

Instructions to establish a direct deposit: Sign into my.bc178.cc using your student credentials and complete the following steps:

1. Click “Departments”
2. Click “Student Accounts”
3. Click “Launch Student Account Center”
4. Click “Refunds” located to the right of the balance.
5. Click “Manage Refunds” then follow the prompts. Please be sure to double check your entry of your account number and routing number.

Eligibility for Disbursement

A student’s enrollment status determines their eligibility for financial aid disbursement timing. For students who reach full-time enrollment (defined as 12 credit hours) in Term A, all eligible funds will be disbursed to their Student Account before the Term A anticipated refund date. Students enrolled at half-time (6 credit hours) in Term A will receive only student loans and half of their Pell Grant, with refunds issued only if this disbursement generates an overpayment.

After a second enrollment verification is completed for Term B, any remaining Pell Grant and FRAG funds (for full-time students) will be applied to the student’s account, with refunds issued if a credit balance remains.

Funds from aid that do not require full-time enrollment (e.g., loans for students registered for at least 6 credit hours) will be received by PBA approximately 3–4 weeks after the Add/Drop period concludes. Aid requiring full-time enrollment, such as full Pell, FRAG, and FSAG, will be disbursed after the start of the second sub-term, following attendance verification.

For first sub-term classes, loans and the initial portion of the Pell Grant will be disbursed during the initial disbursement period. For the second sub-term, remaining Pell funds and any aid contingent upon full-time enrollment will be disbursed after attendance verification. Students with a credit balance may transfer funds to their ID card for campus use, but refund checks for these credits will be available only after the second sub-term begins. Consequently, students eligible for refunds from both loans and the initial Pell disbursement may receive two separate refund checks, one in each sub-term.

The 1098-T form is an official tax document issued by eligible educational institutions, including colleges and universities, to students who paid qualifying tuition and related educational expenses during the tax year. It is intended to help students, or their families determine eligibility for education-related tax benefits, such as the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

This form is informational only. It serves to alert students that they may be eligible for federal income tax education deductions or credits. While it is a good starting point, the 1098-T, as designed and regulated by the IRS, does not contain all the information needed to claim a tax deduction or credit. There is no IRS requirement that you must claim the tuition and fees deduction or an education credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify.

It is important to note that the 1098-T form does not show the amount of tax credit or deduction for which a student is eligible; it provides the data needed to calculate those benefits. Please keep in mind, not all educational expenses qualify (room and board, for example, do not qualify), and students or families should consult a tax advisor for specifics.

The 1098-T form is used by eligible educational institutions to report information about their students to the IRS as required by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Eligible educational institutions are required to submit the student’s name, address, taxpayer identification number (TIN), enrollment and academic status. Beginning in tax year 2003, educational institutions must also report amounts to the IRS pertaining to qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as scholarships and/or grants, taxable or not.

To View and Print 1098-T Statement Online

1098-T forms will be available online no later than January 31st. If you have not elected to receive statements electronically, the form will be mailed to the legal/home/permanent address on file on January 31st. Opting in to receive tax statements electronically is the fastest way to access your 1098-T. Choose to opt-in or out HERE.

Instructions to Access your 1098-T:

1. 1. Log into my.bc178.cc with your student credentials.
   2. Click “Departments”
   3. Click “Student Accounts”
   4. Click “Launch Student Account Center”
   5. Click “1098T Tax Form”

Here’s a breakdown of the form’s key details:

• Box 1 reports the total qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the year. This includes tuition, fees, and other qualifying educational expenses.
• Box 5 shows any scholarships or grants received, which may reduce the amount of educational expenses eligible for tax credits.
• Other boxes may include information on adjustments to prior years, whether the student was at least half-time enrolled, and if the student was a graduate student.

‘Go Paperless’

Palm Beach Atlantic University is required by the IRS to furnish all students with a 1098-T tax form for each calendar year.  Students may choose to receive their 1098-T statements online through MyPBA. Please read the following notice and then click the link below to either consent or decline to receive all future 1098-T forms only in electronic format.

By selecting the “Yes” button on the next page, you state your intent to receive your 1098-T form electronically for each year that you attend this university. Furthermore, you agree to return to this site to print, email, or save your 1098-T. You will receive an email each year notifying you when your 1098-T is available. Your 1098-T form will be available online from date of notification for the duration of the year, until the following year’s tax form is published.

With this consent for an online electronic 1098-T, please understand that a paper copy of your 1098-T will NOT be mailed. If you choose not to consent, a paper copy of your 1098-T will be sent to you via US Mail. You may request a paper copy of your 1098-T statement, even if you have agreed to electronic statements or not, at any time by contacting the Student Accounts office.

Your paperless 1098-T choice can be changed at any time on this page. To withdraw previously submitted consent, change your preferences by logging into MyPBA and clicking on “1098-T statement” from the Home tab. Then select the “Change your preference” link to give or withdraw consent.

To access your electronic 1098-T statement, you must have the following technological requirements:

1. Access to a computer with Internet access to sign onto MyPBA
2. A PDF reader to view and print the file (download from http://get.adobe.com/reader/)
3. A printer (if you choose to physically print the file)

Click Here to opt-in or change your preferences for electronic 1098-T forms.

Not every student will receive a 1098-T. Per IRS regulations, PBA is not required to provide a 1098-T to students:

• who only enrolled in courses for which no academic credit was offered.
• who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents unless the student submits a written request.
• whose qualified tuition and related expenses are paid entirely with scholarship and/or grants.