COVID-19 Updates

Contact and Resources

Cal Student Central

Questions

If you have questions about your student billing account, please contact Cal Student Central.

Phone

510 664 9181

Address

120 Sproul Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720

Hours

Monday through Friday
9:00 am to Noon, 1 pm to 4:00 pm

Email

Open a case through Cal Student Central

Third Party Contracts

Email

tpcsupport@berkeley.edu

Entitlements

Heartland ECSI download forms

Student Loan Relief for Campus Based Loans

Student Account Payments

Onsite Check Payment Processing

Billing and Payment Services conducts onsite cashiering of payments weekly on Thursdays. This includes student check payments mailed or placed in the drop box at University Hall. This change is effective as of March 17, 2020.

During peak time payments will be processed 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This includes student check payments mailed or placed in the drop box at University Hall.

If you would like to make a payment on your student account, please submit the payment online through CalCentral.

UC Berkeley offers alternative payment options to students and delegates through CalCentral, and we encourage students to submit payments electronically. You can make payments online via ACH, credit card, and IFT for our international students. Payments submitted through CalCentral will continue to post to student accounts as normal.

​If you have any questions, please contact Cal Student Central by opening a case or calling 510 664 9181. The Cal Student Central phone line is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to noon and from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Student Account Billing

Temporary suspension of late fees

We also understand that some of our students may be experiencing hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these challenges and to alleviate students of these potential pressures, UC Berkeley will temporarily suspend the assessment of late fees on student accounts. Effective as of March 16, 2020, late fees will not post to student accounts. We will revisit the late fee assessment as appropriate.

Billing and Collections

The university will continue to send billing statements and past due notifications to ensure students and delegates understand their account balance and status. The university has resumed placement of delinquent student accounts with an outside collection agency for students who are no longer enrolled in the university. Students who left the university and have already been placed with a collection agency are encouraged to continue working with that agency.

Tax offsets

The California Franchise Tax Board has suspended the intercept of any state tax refunds through July 31, 2021. Students who are no longer enrolled in the university, have a past due balance, and have not made payment in the past 30 days may be submitted to the CA FTB in the future. Once intercepts resume, funds will be applied toward the unpaid charges on the student account.

​If you have any questions regarding charges on your student account and payment due dates, please contact Cal Student Central by opening a case or calling 510 664 9181. The Cal Student Central phone line is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to noon and from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Third Party Contracts

There is no change or delay with the processing of authorization letters for Third Party Contracts. Please continue to follow the standard submission guidelines available on the Third Party Contract (TPC) page.

If you have any questions regarding Third Party Contracts, please contact tpcsupport@berkeley.edu.

Student Account Refunds

Refund checks are not available for pickup at Cal Student Central. All refund checks will be mailed to the local address on the student account. If you are not able to receive refunds at the local address you provided to the university, please update your address in CalCentral. Please note that due to the Shelter in Place order, refund checks will be printed once a week on Wednesdays.

Students who have enrolled in Direct Deposit will see refunds processed daily. Students who have not enrolled in Direct Deposit are encouraged to enroll right away to avoid any delays in receiving funds.

To enroll, log in to CalCentral and select the 'My Finances' tab. Refer to the 'Financial Resources' section to the right. Select 'Manage Account' to be taken to the Direct Deposit management page.

COVID-19 Student Loan Relief for Campus Based Loans

ReliefInstitutional (includes Dream Loans)PerkinsHRSA
Interest Accrual Suspend interest accrual on all institutional loans from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2022. Suspend interest accrual on all Perkins loans from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2021. Suspend interest accrual on HPSL, PCL, LDS, NSL, and NFLP from March 13, 2020 through January 31, 2022.
Late Fees Late fee assessment stopped from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2022. Late fees already assessed remain on the account. Late fee assessment stopped from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2021. Late fees already assessed remain on the account. Late fee assessment stopped from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2022. Late fees already assessed remain on the account.
Administrative Forbearance

Administrative Forbearance from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2022.

Borrowers who are current with payments must request administrative forbearance.

Borrowers who become or are more than 31 days delinquent or in default will have the administrative forbearance applied automatically.

Administrative Forbearance from April 15, 2020 through January 31, 2021.

Borrowers who are current with payments must request administrative forbearance.

Borrowers who become or are more than 31 days delinquent will have the administrative forbearance applied automatically.

Administrative Forbearance from March 13, 2020 through January 31, 2022.

All Borrowers must request administrative forbearance.

Borrowers who become or are more than 31 days delinquent will have the administrative forbearance applied automatically. Administrative forbearance applies to defaulted loans (please refer to HRSA FAQs).
Hardship Deferment and/or Forbearance (Borrower must request) Any Deferment or Forbearance available under the Loan Program Guidelines.

Economic Hardship Deferment: Defers both principal and interest and has a post-deferment grace period of 6 months.

Unemployment Deferment: Defers both principal and interest and has a post-deferment grace period of 6 months.

Forbearance: Temporarily postpones payments; interest continues to accrue and is due once regular payments resume.

All options listed above are limited to 36 months of eligibility.

Forbearance: If a borrower suffers a drastic change in his or her financial situation which makes it impossible to repay the HPSL according to schedule. Events that can have such an effect on an individual's financial circumstances include prolonged illness, unemployment, or a natural disaster (e.g., flood, fire).

Requires borrower request, documentation, and minimum payment

Loans already in deferment/forbearance stop accruing interest starting March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2021. Any outstanding accrued interest prior to March 13, 2020 is capitalized (please refer to HRSA FAQs).
Consolidation N/A

Borrowers who consolidate will be eligible for the CARES Act relief benefits.

When the borrower consolidates, the statutory rate will be reported and used as part of the weighted average interest rate of the consolidation loan. However once the loan is booked, the TIVA will automatically put the borrower in a forbearance and 0% interest rate until September 30, 2021.

Please note: Borrowers who plan to utilize the Federal Perkins cancellation benefits should not consolidate their loan.

Borrowers who consolidate will be eligible for the CARES Act relief benefits.

When the borrower consolidates, the statutory rate will be reported and used as part of the weighted average interest rate of the consolidation loan. However once the loan is booked, the TIVA will automatically put the borrower in a forbearance and 0% interest rate until January 31, 2022.
Tax Offsets

Effective February 22, 2021, the Franchise Tax Board temporarily suspended tax offset collection through July 31, 2021. Any intercepted funds that occurred prior to February 22, 2021 will be processed through the normal manner.

Effective February 22, 2021, the Franchise Tax Board temporarily suspended tax offset collection through July 31, 2021. Any intercepted funds that occurred prior to February 22, 2021 will be processed through the normal manner.

Effective February 22, 2021, the Franchise Tax Board temporarily suspended tax offset collection through July 31, 2021. Any intercepted funds that occurred prior to February 22, 2021 will be processed through the normal manner.