Student Accounts

Billing information and other student account correspondence will only be emailed to the students’ SUA email account and/or mailed to their mailing/home address. In order for billing and other student related information to reach students, it is important that the university have the most current address information. Address changes may be made at the Office of the Registrar or by accessing the PeopleSoft Student System online.

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, billing information will only be discussed with or mailed to the student. Students who would like to provide account information to a third party must complete a form at the Registrar’s Office with the release authorization (FERPA). This will also allow us to discuss the student’s financial account information with the person named on the form. Please contact the Office of the Registrar at (949) 480-4132 or email  registrar@soka.edu for further information.

Tuition, room and board, and health insurance fees at Soka University of America (SUA) will be charged on a session basis. The cost for each session is half of the annual cost. SUA charges for tuition, room and board, and health insurance fees only. Students will not be billed for books, personal expenses, or transportation costs, which are your personal responsibility. Students will have online access to view their account and are fully responsible for all outstanding balance on the account. For further information regarding tuition payment, please refer to Cost of Attendance.

All SUA students are required to be covered by a health insurance plan. All international students are required to purchase Soka health insurance. Domestic students may elect to provide their own insurance, in which case they must fill out a health insurance waiver and show Student Affairs proof of comparable insurance coverage by a given date. Any students without a waiver must purchase the Soka health insurance plan. Health insurance fees will be charged on a session basis, first in Fall session and second in Spring session, at half of the annual cost per session. For detailed questions regarding the health insurance plan, please contact Student Affairs at (949) 480-4130.

Financial aid disbursement normally occurs during the first week of instruction. All financial aid processed will be posted and applied to room and board, tuition, and health fees first. Any remaining credit will be provided to students in the form of a refund. If the Financial Aid award is not sufficient to cover tuition and fees in full, the student is responsible for any outstanding balance by the fee payment deadline. A late payment fee may be assessed to all past due accounts.

Refund checks are electronically transferred into your bank account or picked up at the Office of Student Accounts. It may take up to 14 days from the date of disbursement for funds to appear in your bank account.

To sign up for direct deposit, please contact the Office of Accounts Payable or Student Accounts.

For questions regarding your financial aid award, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (949) 480-4342 or email financialaid@soka.edu.

Students or parents who paid qualified tuition and college expenses will need an IRS 1098-T form to claim certain education tax credits.

Students have access to view their 1098-T form by logging into their Learn account.

If you qualify to receive a 1098-T form, you will see the eligible years. If you do not see anything, you do not have any 1098-T available for your account.

NOTE: You will not qualify to receive a 1098-T form under these conditions:

• You are an international student
• Your tuition is paid by scholarship, grants, or other free form of money.

You have the option to sign up for a direct deposit. You must complete two steps to successfully enroll in direct deposit.

Log into your Soka Learn account.

1. Add bank information
2. Accept agreement and authorize to complete direct deposit enrollment

NOTE: Direct deposit is applicable for refunds relating to Student Accounts (it doesn’t apply to reimbursement and payroll refunds)

Click here for full instructions and further details.

Emergency Loan Application 

Online Payment Instructions (Detailed)

Online Payment Instructions (Quick guide)

A 14% Federal income tax, based on any scholarship or grant award over eligible charges, will be deducted from the spring disbursement for international students. This deduction is made by the student account’s office before a disbursement is made. For further information regarding tax liabilities, please contact the Controller’s Office at (949) 480-4319.

A hold will be placed on a student’s account for any charges past due including tuition, miscellaneous fees, or student loan. A hold will prevent the student from registering and receiving various services from SUA. Account balance and hold information is available through the PeopleSoft (Learn) Student System and/or through the loan servicer. Please contact the Office of Student Accounts for resolution of past due balances and the removal of all financial holds. Contact the indicated office for release of non-financial holds.

In the event a payment is rejected by credit card processor, or a check is returned unpaid to SUA for any reason, a returned check fee of $20.00 will be charged. The fee will be assessed to the student account if a check is returned to us unpaid by the bank due to insufficient funds, stop payment, closed account, etc. A hold will be placed on the student account until the amount of the returned check and fee is paid using either cash, certified check, money order, or cashier’s check to cover the check and the administrative fee.

If SUA receives three (3) or more returned checks on any one account, another personal check will not be accepted for a minimum of two (2) years.

In the event a check issued by SUA needs to be reissued for any reason, a replacement check fee of $20.00 will be charged.

In the event of overpayments, all checks must be cleared and paid prior to issuing a refund check. Please allow two weeks for the check to be issued. Refund payments are issued to the student unless written authorization is received to the contrary.

If a refund must be sent via wire transfer to a foreign bank, SUA will charge a $40 wire transfer fee. Please note we will send funds only in $USD and it is the recipient’s responsibility to cover bank charges incurred from the recipient’s bank.

Nonpayment of tuition may result in student’s involuntary withdrawal from the university and/or being dropped from all courses. All session charges must be paid in full prior to the end of the academic session. The Office of Student Accounts will review any accounts with unpaid tuition for consideration of nonpayment withdrawal and enrollment cancellation.

In the event of withdrawal for nonpayment of tuition, a student will be dropped from all courses, from campus housing, and from food services. A hold will be placed on a student’s account until the financial obligation is met.

When a student withdraws from the university, full or partial refunds will be made on tuition and room and board fees according to this refund schedule for each session.

Students who withdraw from the University must complete a withdrawal form available at the Office of the Registrar or the Dean of Students. Before your withdrawal can be processed, all signatures specified on the withdrawal form must be obtained from the indicated departments. The Office of the Registrar will process the withdrawal based on the appropriate withdrawal date. This date is used in the calculation of tuition and any possible refund. If a refund is due, it will be processed according to the following refund schedule per session.

1st Week: 100%
2nd Week: 90%
3rd Week: 85%
4th Week: 80%
5th Week: 75%
6th Week: 70%
7th Week: 50%
8th Week: 0%