Payment plans

SMU offers payment plans for fall and spring terms to help manage tuition costs. These plans allow you to pay your tuition charges in monthly, interest-free installments. Payment plans are not available for January, May, Summer, or August terms. 

No. Payment plans only apply to student tuition account charges and cannot be used for Miscellaneous account charges or past due balances.

Yes. Re-enrollment is required each term to continue with a payment plan. You cannot add an open balance from a previous term to a current payment plan.

If you enroll in a payment plan for your final term, your diploma will be held until the payment plan is fully paid. However, you may still participate in the graduation ceremony.

If you enroll close to or after the first installment is due, a down payment is required.

No. Payment plans are term-specific and cannot be used to pay prior or future terms.

No. Only one payment plan per term, per student, is permitted.

June 1 for fall plans.

Nov. 17 for spring plans.

Five Month Payment Plan: This term plan permits payment in 5 installments, July 20 through November 20. The non-refundable enrollment fee is $70 per term. The deadline to enroll in this payment plan is August 24.

Fall 5 Month Payment Plan
Payment Plan Enrollment Period	Required Down Payment	Number of Payments	Automatic Payment Processing Date
July 1 - July 20	0	5	July 20 - Nov 20
July 21 - Aug 20	20%	4	Aug 20 - Nov 20
Aug 21 - Aug 24	40%	3	Sept 20 - Nov 20

Spring 5 Month Payment Plan
Payment Plan Enrollment Period	Required Down Payment	Number of Payments	Automatic Payment Processing Date
11/17/25 - 12/20/25	0	5	December 20 - April 20
12/21/25 - 1/20/26	20%	4	January 20 - April 20
1/21/26 - 1/23/26	40%	3	February 20 - April 20

1. Students or authorized users can log in to .
2. Click the Payment Plan tab or the Enroll in Plan button at the bottom.
3. Select the offered payment plan to begin.
4. Select your payment method:
   • Debit and credit card payments include a service fee.
   • E-check payments have no service fee.

Budget Phase (prior to January 27, 2026)

• A blank budget sheet will be available for you to calculate your plan amount.
• Use the Tuition and Fee Rates page as a resource for cost.

Actual Phase (starts January 27, 2026)

• Plans will automatically update to match actual account charges on the Student Account. This process is called rebalancing.
• Plan adjustments may increase or decrease based on:
  • Financial aid
  • Credit hour changes
  • Added charges to the Student Account.

Once the budget sheet is complete, SMUpay will calculate your payment plan.

Enrolling After the First Installment Date

• A down payment will be required.
• If the budget phase has ended, SMUpay calculates the plan based on current account charges on the Student Account.
• Any adjustments to aid or charges will prompt a plan re-calculation automatically.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at studentaccounts@smu.edu.

You must first add a parent as an authorized user through by following these instructions. Once set up as authorized users, the instructions for parents are the same as students:

1. Students or authorized users can log in to .
2. Click the Payment Plan tab or the Enroll in Plan button at the bottom.
3. Select the offered payment plan to begin.
4. Select your payment method:
   • Debit and credit card payments include a service fee.
   • E-check payments have no service fee.

Budget Phase (prior to January 27, 2026)

• A blank budget sheet will be available for you to calculate your plan amount.
• Use the Tuition and Fee Rates page as a resource for cost.

Actual Phase (starts January 27, 2026)

• Plans will automatically update to match actual account charges on the Student Account. This process is called rebalancing.
• Plan adjustments may increase or decrease based on:
  • Financial aid
  • Credit hour changes
  • Added charges to the Student Account.

Once the budget sheet is complete, SMUpay will calculate your payment plan.

Enrolling After the First Installment Date

• A down payment will be required.
• If the budget phase has ended, SMUpay calculates the plan based on current account charges on the Student Account.
• Any adjustments to aid or charges will prompt a plan re-calculation automatically.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at studentaccounts@smu.edu.

If a payment plan needs to be adjusted or canceled, please contact studentaccounts@smu.edu and provide the related SMU ID number, and the term you are inquiring about.

Log in to SMUpay and click Make a Payment or navigate to the Payment Plan tab and select Make a Payment.

You’ll be prompted to choose whether to pay the next installment or make a general payment toward the plan.

No. Payments are automatically drafted from your saved payment method. To make changes, notify us 48-72 hours before the due date.
Note: If you're using an international payment method, you'll need to log in each month to make your payment.

These are the steps if an automatic payment is rejected:

• The system will attempt the payment again in 5 days.
• If the second attempt fails, the plan will be canceled, and the full balance will be due immediately.
• A $30 returned payment fee, charged by Flywire, will apply.

To reinstate a canceled plan, contact Student Accounts at 214-768-5555 or studentaccounts@smu.edu.

ACH payments are processed on the 20th of each month.

Click Payment Plan, then Manage Plan, and select Manage Auto Pay to update your bank account or card details.

Rebalancing is the automatic adjustment of a payment plan from estimated charges to actual charges. Your monthly payments may increase, or decrease based on current enrollment or status of financial aid.

Contact Contact the Mane Desk at 214-768-5555 or email manedesk@smu.edu.