Collections

About University Collections

University Collections, a division of the Office of the University Bursar, is Ohio State’s debt recovery team. They monitor and collect on past due student accounts and balances due to university departments for goods provided or services rendered. They also maintain and collect on certain types of student loans.

Pay Online - Past Due Tuition and Fees


Pay tuition and fees that are more than one term past due using one of the following methods.

Important: these online web payment portals are intended for past due tuition and fees. If you need to pay current term tuition and fees, please visit the Pay Tuition and Fees page on this site.

If you need to make a payment toward your Perkins, Health Professions, or University Loan, visit Perkins, Health Professions, and University Loans.

PAY ONLINE THROUGH MY BUCKEYE LINK

Current & Recent Former Students

Electronic check payments (ACH) made through My Buckeye Link are free. If you choose to pay with a credit or debit card through My Buckeye Link, a non-refundable 2.85% convenience fee is assessed at checkout.
Pay online through ecSI

If You Received Your Bill from ECSI
(Account and PIN Number Required)

Payments made through ECSI may be assessed a processing fee, depending on the method and frequency you choose. Learn more about ECSI's processing fees (link is external).

What is ECSI?

University Collections contracts with Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI) to generate monthly billing statements for past due tuition and fees for former students who can no longer access their My Buckeye Link account. The amount of time you can access your My Buckeye Link account varies.

If you have not received a bill from ECSI but wish to pay a balance for a prior term, we recommend attempting to pay online through My Buckeye Link first. If you are unable to access My Buckeye Link, contact the University Collections team for help.

Other Payment Options - Past Due Tuition and Fees


Please consider paying online when feasible, as it is fast, convenient, and safe. If you are unable to remit payment this way, you may utilize one of the following options. For our safety and your peace of mind, we cannot accept cash payments (either in-person or by mail).

Mail a Payment to Ohio State

Please make all checks payable to The Ohio State University and include the student or former student's name and OSU ID number in the Memo line. Failure to include this information with your payment may result in processing delays.

Submit your personal check payment for past due tuition and fees to:

The Ohio State University - Collections
PO Box 183248
Columbus, OH 43218-3248

Please allow 1-2 weeks from the time you send your payment for it to post to your account. All mailed payments are processed within 24 hours of receipt at the Office of the University Bursar.

Resources

Make a Payment to the Ohio Attorney General's Office

If you would like to pay online toward an account placed with the Ohio Attorney General (OAG), please visit their website.

If you require other payment arrangements, please contact the Attorney General's Office at 888-301-8885.

University Collections is unable to process payments received toward accounts placed with the OAG.

Establish a Repayment Plan for an Account in Collections


If you are unable to pay your past due balance in full at one time, please contact University Collections to explore payment arrangement options that may best suit your current financial situation.

Contact University Collections

P: 614-292-1056, option 2
E: collections@osu.edu

Office Hours:
M-R 8:00am - 4:00pm
F: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Failure to resolve your past due balance by paying in full or establishing and maintaining a repayment plan will result in continued collection activity. University Collections is required, by state law, to place delinquent accounts with the Ohio Attorney General for further collection activity.

Collections Impacts


If you owe money to Ohio State, an administrative hold will be added to your My Buckeye Link account. Holds restrict certain services, including but not limited to course registration; receipt of grades, transcripts, or diplomas; denial of library or recreational services; and football ticket pickup. If you attempt to graduate while an administrative hold is on your account, you will not receive a diploma until your hold has been cleared.

Your account ages based on the due date of each charge on your statement of account.

Visit Late Fees and Financial Holds to learn more about holds and procedures for clearing them. Your balance must be paid in full in order to have a financial hold removed.

About Finance Charges

Each month your account is in Collections (61+ days past due) you will be assessed a finance charge, 1% of the principal balance. This appears as a Finance Charge line item on your statement of account.

About the Ohio Attorney General's Office

Ohio State is required to turn over any debt we are unable to collect to the Ohio Attorney General (OAG) for additional collections attempts, in accordance with Ohio Revised Code. In addition to standard collections strategies, the Ohio Attorney General may utilize state tax refund offsets, bank account attachments, and litigation to recover funds.

Customers who establish a repayment plan with University Collections will not have their debt transferred to the OAG, provided they continue meeting the terms of their payment agreement.

Once an account has been transferred to the OAG, any payments must be made directly to them. University Collections is unable to process payments received toward accounts placed with the OAG.