Frequently Asked Questions about CCCPay

What is Online Payment and Billing?

Columbia College Chicago CCCPay is an electronic system for all students to view their bills, print their bills, make payments online and enroll for direct deposit of student account refunds. Through the CCCPay system, an email will be sent to each student's Columbia College email address and all Authorized Payers email addresses every time a new Student Billing Statement is ready to view.

What is the difference between my monthly online bill on CCCPay and the account information I can see on Oasis in the Course and Fee Statement?

The monthly online bill on CCCPay is a web-based presentation of your student bill. The eBill shows all of your student account activity for the prior month through the date of the statement.
Oasis Course and Fee Statement displays your complete account history for the semester selected- it is updated every night to display transactions that have occurred in the previous 24 hours.

What company has Columbia College partnered with to provide this service?

Nelnet Business Solutions provides the hosted electronic bill, payment and direct deposit refund (D2U) service. Our contract with them ensures that the processes are compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act.

Is the Nelnet website secure?

Columbia College believes that security is a very important factor in providing online billing and payment services. The technical architecture/security of the Nelnet product uses intrusion detection and firewall systems to protect the network.

Why does Columbia College use an online billing and payment system?

Columbia College uses online billing and payment for several reasons, among them time and money savings. The CCCPay system is available worldwide, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. There are no checks, envelopes or stamps needed to make a payment. Additional benefits include viewable billing and payment history as well as convenient access for authorized payers University administrative costs for bill printing and postage are also reduced.

May I still receive a paper bill?

Columbia College does not mail paper billing statements. Students and Authorized Payers can print a copy of the statement on CCCPay by selecting the PDF link when viewing the statement.

Are the Columbia College Online Bills accessible to visually impaired students?

The Columbia College electronic bill is ADA (American Disability Act) compliant and is accessible to students with disabilities.

How can I make an Online payment?

Online payment is an optional feature of CCCPay. Checking and savings account information from a bank within the United States can be entered at the CCCPay website and payments will be transferred electronically to the Columbia College . You will have the option to have the site retain your bank account information or you may enter it each time you make an Online payment.
Authorized payers will only be able to view their own payment and bank information. Each authorized payer is assigned a separate login and password for added security and privacy.

Can I pay my Online bill with a credit card?

Yes. Student Accounts may be paid by credit card on CCCPay. Credit card use on CCCPay is limited to MasterCard, Discover and American Express. All credit cards transactions are assessed an additional service charge of 2.75% of the amount charged.

I do not feel comfortable paying my bill online. What other payment methods are available?

Paying electronically is the preferred bill payment method but it is optional. You may send payments by mail or pay in person at the cashier office located on the 3th floor of the 600 S. Michigan Building. To send a check or money order through the mail to our payment processing center, please print a copy of the PDF bill, and mail it with the payment (payable to Columbia College with your Oasis ID number printed clearly on the front of the check) to:
Student Financial Services
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan Ave
Chicago , Il 60605

Do I need a certain type of computer, software or web browser to use CCCPay?

You can use the CCCPay system from any Macintosh or PC running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or newer, or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or newer. Remember to disable the pop-up blocker on your PC.

Do you accept payments from foreign bank accounts?

The CCCPay system cannot accept payments from foreign bank accounts. If you cannot pay your bill through a bank account in the United States, we recommend a wire transfer from the financial institution to Columbia College. Click on the wire transfer link for instructions.

What are the benefits of Online billing and payment?

The flexibility to view your bill electronically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any location via the internet.
The ability to pay your bill electronically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any location via the internet with a bank account in the United States.
The option to authorize third parties to view and pay the bill, such as a parent, guardian or sponsor.
Receive your tuition bills faster online with email notification.
View your current bill plus 16-month invoice history online (once 16 months have been established)
Elimination of mail service. No postage required and no risk of lost payments.
Make convenient electronic payments from a checking or savings account (banks in the United States only)-- without using paper checks or money orders.
Billing information and payments are private and secure.
Ability to access and print a PDF of the paper bill.
Immediate confirmation of an online payment.

How do students log in and view their bill?

Students will receive a monthly email notification to their Oasis email with the subject line "Columbia College Student Account Bill" with a link to the CCCPay website where their Oasis ID number and password are used for authentication. Upon login, students can view the bill, set up and store bank account information, pay the bill electronically, and print paper copies.

How can my parents/authorized payers log in and view the bill?

People other than the student may have the ability to view the bill as an Authorized Payer. Only students have the ability to set up authorized payers in the system. Students can login to the Columbia College CCCPay website via Oasis and select "Authorize Payer" on the menu bar. Follow the online instructions to create a user name and temporary password for each authorized payer. (The temporary password must be changed by the authorized payer when they login to the site for the first time.) Authorized payers will receive an automated email notification, with the login name, informing them that their student has set them up as an authorized payer. The student will provide the password to the authorized payer. Each billing cycle, both the student and authorized payers will receive an email notifying them that the monthly online bill is available. Students and Authorized payers receive a link in their email that takes them directly to the CCCPay login page.

How can my parents/authorized payer pay the bill?

Once the authorized payer is established by the student, they can make payments through CCCPay by selecting the Make Payment menu option. Checking and savings account information from a bank within the United States can be entered on the CCCPay website and payments will be transferred electronically to Columbia College the following business day. Authorized Payers will have the option to have the site retain their bank account information or they may enter it each time they make an online payment.
No one else will be able to view an Authorized Payer's confidential account information, not even the student. In the interest of security and privacy, each Authorized Payer is assigned a separate login and password to access their account and payment history.
Authorized payers can print the bill and send a check or money order through the mail to our payment processing center (payable to Columbia College with the student's Oasis ID number printed clearly on the front of the check) to:
Student Financial Services
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan 5 th Floor
Chicago , Il 60605

How are student account refunds issued to students and parents?

The Student Financial Services Office encourages students and authorized payers to enroll for Direct Deposit (D2U) for their account refunds. Students may enroll for Direct Deposit through CCCPay, Columbia College’s online billing and payment system. The enrollment process is easy and takes just a few minutes. Simply log into CCCPay, select the Direct Deposit menu option and enter your name and bank account information.
Refunds issued through Direct Deposit are deposited to the students or authorized payers bank account within 48 hours.
Parents, guardians and other third parties must be signed up as an Authorized Payers by their student on CCCPay in order to enroll for Direct Deposit.
Students and Authorized Payers who are not enrolled in D2U will be mailed a paper check within 3 to 5 business days.
D2U enrollment instructions (PDF)