For students who have registered for classes, bills begin to be generated for the autumn semester in mid-July, for the spring semester in mid-November and for the summer semester in mid-April. The bill is usually due two weeks prior to the start of a term.

ALL STUDENTS must complete the bill payment process by the corresponding deadlines to avoid late fees, retain their classes and to receive financial aid.

Completing the bill payment process means that a student has paid the outstanding balance that appears on the Registration Bill in CyberBear. If there is a zero or negative balance (meaning a refund may be available once the aid pays) the student still must select the "Pay Registration Bill" option on the page.

After a student completes the payment process, the pending aid is removed from the bill. Until the aid arrives, a student's account will show a remaining balance due. It is the student's responsibility to make sure they complete all aid requirements for the actual funds to pay.

If a student has excess funds after the Registration Bill is paid, a refund should be available the Friday before classes start. The refund can then be used to purchase textbooks. 

Students who will not be receiving a refund of excess aid or whose aid will not be available prior to the start of classes will need to come prepared to purchase their books using other means. UM does not give students the option to charge books to their student account or use pending financial aid in the bookstore to purchase textbooks or supplies. However, if your financial aid/scholarships are delayed, you can request funds be made available to ensure you can purchase your books if all other disbursement requirements have been met. 

In limited situations, programs (e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation or athletic scholarships) pay for a student's books directly. In such situations, the student should contact the UM Bookstore to make sure that a record of the voucher has been received.  

If aid is not appearing on the bill it could be for one of the following reasons:

1. FAFSA Status: The financial aid office may not have received the student's FAFSA, or it might be invalid. 
2. Unsatisfied Requirements: There could be unsatisfied requirements that need to be addressed before aid can be applied. 
3. Review Process: The final review process for financial aid may not have been completed yet. 
4. Enrollment Status: The student might not be enrolled in the required number of credits, with wait-listed courses not counting towards enrollment. 
5. Billing Updates: The bill might not have been updated to reflect changes in registration, as financial aid credits are adjusted overnight. 
6. Credit Limit Exceeded: The student may be ineligible for aid due to exceeding the maximum credits allowed. 
7. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): The student might be ineligible for aid due to not making satisfactory academic progress. 
8. Award Notification: The student, department, or agency might not have notified the financial aid office about an award. 
9. Department of Education Approval: The financial aid office might be awaiting approval from the Department of Education before disbursing aid.