To better serve and protect our students and third-party payers, we require all payments to be submitted through approved secure channels.
Beginning July 1, 2027, all paper checks received for student accounts will be processed at an offsite location and may incur an additional processing fee charged to the student’s account.
Check fraud has become one of the fastest-growing financial crimes in the United States. When a paper check is intercepted, whether from a mailbox, postal sorting facility, or in transit, criminals can alter the payee's name, the amount, or extract your banking credentials to manufacture counterfeit checks. The consequences can be severe and often go undiscovered until significant damage has occurred.
The following are the most common threats posed by mailing paper checks to the University:
Check Washing: People engaging in fraud use household chemicals to erase the ink on the payee's name and dollar amount, then rewrite the check to themselves for a much larger sum.
Account Takeover: Your routing number and account number are printed on every check's MICR line. This information alone is sufficient to initiate unauthorized ACH debits from your bank account.
Mail Theft: USPS mail theft has increased significantly in recent years. Checks are among the most sought-after items because they contain all the information needed for fraud.
Delayed Detection: It can take weeks for fraudulent activity to be discovered. During this time, your tuition balance may remain unpaid, placing your student's future enrollment at risk.
To protect our students from financial fraud, The University of Chicago does not accept or release bank wire transfer information. All transactions must be processed securely through our verified online payment portals listed below. We will never email you wire instructions requesting payment.
The University of Chicago offers two secure payment methods: one for domestic payments within the U.S. and one for international families paying from abroad. ACH (Automated Clearing House) transfers move funds directly through the U.S. Federal Reserve's regulated network. International payments are processed through our partner platform, allowing families to pay in their home currency without exposing their account details to any third party. Both are faster than a mailed check and provide a receipt of confirmation for your records.
✔ No transaction fee for ACH payments
✔ Funds posted immediately
✔ Regulated by NACHA and federal banking law
✔ 256-bit TLS encryption on every transaction
✔ Recommended for all U.S.-based payers
✔ Pay in 140+ currencies at guaranteed rates
✔ No wire fees or intermediary bank exposure
✔ Compliant with SWIFT and international AML standards
✔ Bank-grade encryption across all transfers
✔ Detailed receipt issued in both currencies
✔ Dedicated international support line available
The University of Chicago also offers additional fully encrypted electronic payment methods for third party payers sending funds on behalf of the student. Common third parties include sponsoring agencies or governments, external scholarship organizations, employer benefits, or 529 Savings Plans.
✔ Used for all Scholarship and 529 Disbursements
✔ No transaction fee for ACH payments
✔ Automated funds posting
✔ Overseen by NACHA and federal banking law
✔ Recommended for all U.S.-based payers
✔ Access to all electronic invoice information
✔ Regulated by NACHA and Federal Banking law
✔ Bank-grade encryption across all transfers
✔ Detailed receipt issued
✔ eFunds posted immediately
When you enter your bank account information into any of the UChicago payment portals, that information travels through an encrypted connection directly to our payment processor's secure vault. The University receives only a confirmation token, never your actual account.
The three pillars of our privacy commitment:
Bank-Level Tokenization: Your account details are instantly replaced with an anonymous token. Neither UChicago staff nor University systems ever store your real account number.
PCI DSS Compliance: Our payment processor is independently audited to the highest Payment Card Industry standard used by major U.S. banks.
No Data Sharing: Your banking information is never sold, shared, or made accessible to any University department, employee, or third party under any circumstance.
We are committed to partnering with you to keep your banking information safe and secure during your UChicago payment experience. Please contact us with any additional questions or concerns.