Third Party Contract (TPC)

Third Party Contract Agreement Form

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Overview

A third-party organization may sponsor a student’s enrollment by committing to paying a student's mandatory tuition and registration fees. Most organizations will grant the sponsorships through an application process. Once the student recipients are identified, the organization will send the funds to the school along with award processing instructions.

If the organization requires that they be invoiced directly before issuing payment, the student may request that the campus accept a Third Party Contract. The Billing and Payment Services Office (BPS) coordinates Third Party Contracts (TPC).

BPS does not assist students with identifying a sponsor. Students seeking financial assistance should contact Cal Student Central for guidance on researching options for educational funding.

Eligibility

A Third Party Contract may be granted if the sponsoring agency:

  • Will sponsor all or most of the student’s mandatory tuition and fees
  • Requires an invoice to be issued in their name before disbursing payment
  • Will send payment directly to UC Berkeley

A student’s account is not eligible for a Third Party Contract if:

  • The sponsor’s payments will be sent directly to the student
  • Only proof of enrollment or a copy of the student’s bill is required
  • The sponsorship is for living, travel or miscellaneous academic expenses (i.e., books, supplies)
  • The third party is a UC Berkeley department, a family member or a personal/family-owned business

GSI/GSR Fee Remissions

Please note that if your Third Party Contract covers the Student Health Insurance Fee, Berkeley Campus Fee, Graduate Resident Tuition, and the Student Services Fee in full, you are not eligible for GSI/GSR Fee Remissions. If your authorization letter states that the sponsorship is to be treated as a loan, then you remain eligible for GSI/GSR Fee Remission, however, your TPC will be reduced by the GSI/GSR Fee Remissions applied to your Cal Central Account.

Enrollment

How to Enroll

To initiate the Third Party Contract (TPC) process:

  • Students must sign the Third Party Contract Agreement form
  • The sponsoring agency provides an authorization letter to the student and/or directly to Billing and Payment Services
  • The letter must indicate the fees that will be paid in support of the student and for which terms and/or academic year(s) the support will apply
  • Based on the level of support outlined in the letter (i.e. dollar limits, semester restrictions, fee types, etc.), Billing and Payment Services processes a conditional credit to pay registration and/or tuition fees on the student’s account

Authorization Letters

Authorization letters must be on the organization’s letterhead and include the following information in order to be processed:

  • Student’s full first and last name
  • 8-digit or 10-digit student ID number
  • Dollar amount of sponsorship per semester
  • Duration:
    • Which academic years or semesters will the sponsor pay?
  • Restrictions:
  • Organization’s name, billing address, and email address for invoice submission
  • Contact information for an authorized sponsor representative (name, phone number, email, and fax)
  • Signature of authorized sponsor representative

Please be as specific as possible when submitting the authorization letter as they will be interpreted with the literal references written on them.

For example, if the authorization letter states that a student is sponsored for "the entire academic year," we will administer an award for every semester in the academic year including the summer term.

If there are multiple students receiving sponsorship from the agency, a list may be submitted on a single authorization letter provided the terms of the agreement are the same for all students. If the terms are different for any student, then a separate authorization letter must be provided for that individual.

Once the authorization letter has been received and processed by Billing and Payment Services, a conditional credit will be placed on the student’s account. A conditional credit on the student’s account does not signify that payment by the sponsor was received.

Authorization letters for 529 Plans will be processed after the add/drop period.

Acceptance of the Third Party Contract agreement is at the discretion of UC Berkeley.

Qualifying Fees

Mandatory tuition and fees that may be included in a TPC are:

  • Berkeley Campus Fee
  • Class Pass Transit Fee
  • Document Management Fee
  • Health Insurance Program Fee
  • Student Services Fee
  • Nonresident Supplemental Tuition
  • Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition Fee
  • Tuition

Contract Submission Deadlines

Third Party Contract (TPC) authorization letters are due prior to or within the current term. Any letter submitted after the term has ended will not be retroactively granted. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for term dates.

Invoicing and Payments

Invoicing

After the final add/drop deadline, UC Berkeley will invoice the sponsoring agency. For more information, please visit the enrollment section of the Office of the Registrar website. Invoices will be submitted to the sponsoring organization via email.

Payments

Payment by the sponsoring agency is due immediately upon receipt of the invoice. Sponsoring agencies may mail check payments or pay via wire transfers:

Check

  • Payments by check must be issued in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank
  • Make checks payable to UC Regents
  • Include the Student ID number on the memo line of the check plus the invoice number found on the invoice provided to agency

Mail Checks To

University of California, Berkeley
Billing and Payment Services
2610 Channing Way Rm 228 MC#1111
Berkeley, CA 94720

Overnight or Express Delivery

For overnight or express delivery checks please mail to the following address:

University of California, Berkeley
Billing and Payment Services
2610 Channing Way Rm 228 MC#1111
Berkeley, CA 94720

International Payments via Flywire

UC Berkeley has partnered with Flywire to provide our international sponsors with a secure payment method that simplifies the payment process. With Flywire, you can pay online from banks and countries around the world, usually in your home currency and payment method.

Sponsoring Agency’s Failure to Pay in Full/Submission of a Partial Payment

Once the payment is received by UC Berkeley, it will be applied to the sponsoring agency’s account. Should a sponsoring agency fail to remit payment in full, charges will revert to the student’s account for the balance not paid.

The university reserves the right to revoke partnerships with sponsoring agencies that are delinquent in paying their invoices.

Student Confidentiality and Responsibility

It is the policy of the university to protect our students’ right to confidentiality per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). By participating in the Third Party Contract Program, you grant authorization to the university to release to your sponsoring agency information pertaining to assessed tuition and registration fees, financial aid, and enrollment.

The FERPA release authorization is in effect for the semesters covered by the Third Party Contract.

Students have certain responsibilities when participating in the Third Party Contract Program. Student responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • As part of the enrollment process, students must sign the Third Party Contract Agreement form
  • Providing sponsoring agency with required transcripts, class enrollments, and grades
  • Providing a valid authorization letter from their sponsor prior to the tuition due date
  • Renewing their period of sponsorship and providing updated authorization when needed
  • Paying any balance not covered by their sponsoring agency
  • Paying related penalties that result from a sponsoring agency’s non-payment
  • Clearing financial holds that may withhold grades or prohibit enrollment activity, obtaining diploma or transcripts
  • Informing the university of any changes in sponsorship coverage or agency contact information

Contact

To submit authorization letters or for sponsorship inquiries:

Email

Mailing address

University of California, Berkeley
Billing and Payment Services
ATTN: TPC Support
2610 Channing Way Rm 228 MC#1111
Berkeley, CA 94720

All other non-sponsored related questions may be directed to Cal Student Central at 510 664 9181.