As a student at Carnegie Mellon, you are responsible and obligated to Carnegie Mellon for the timely payment of Carnegie Mellon tuition, fees and other charges incurred by you or on your behalf while at Carnegie Mellon (collectively, your “student financial obligation”), regardless of your expected reliance on third-party resources such as financial aid, family gifts, employer reimbursement, government assistance or other similar resources.  However, you are not responsible or obligated for such tuition, fees and/or other charges to the extent (and only to the extent) that Carnegie Mellon has expressly agreed, in a writing signed by an authorized representative of Carnegie Mellon, with the relevant third party resource that the third party resource, rather than you, is responsible or obligated to Carnegie Mellon (and, in such case, the portion for which you are not responsible or obligated will not be treated as your student financial obligation).        

If you fail to timely pay any portion of your student financial obligation in full by the date it is due, that portion of your student financial obligation will be considered past due and will accrue interest at the highest rate permitted by applicable law, or one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month, whichever is lower, to be assessed monthly on the past due portion as of the first day of the month in which such portion was originally due until paid in full.  The amount of your student financial obligation and due date(s), including any applicable interest, may be obtained by reviewing your most recent student account invoice, available through SIO.

In addition, Carnegie Mellon will place a financial hold on your student account that will prevent you from (1) registering for classes in the future; (2) receiving your diploma; and/or (3) requesting academic transcripts.

Carnegie Mellon may pursue any rights or remedies that are available to it at law or in equity in order to collect the portion of your student financial obligation which is past due.  If you fail to timely pay any portion of your student financial obligation in full by the date it is due, as part of exercising its rights, Carnegie Mellon may, at its option, place the portion of your student financial obligation which is past due in the hands of an attorney or other third party (such as a collection agency) for collection and, in such case, you will also be obligated to pay, in addition to your unpaid student financial obligation and interest, all reasonable costs and expenses of collection, including, without limitation, reasonable court costs and attorneys’ fees and/or collection agency fees and charges.  Carnegie Mellon may also disclose to credit bureau organizations that you have defaulted on your student financial obligation to Carnegie Mellon. 

You authorize Carnegie Mellon and its agents, representatives, attorneys and contractors (including collection agencies) to contact you through your mobile phone, home phone and email, including by way of text and automated message calls, for purposes of collecting any portion of your student financial obligation which is past due.

Your agreement to the terms of your student financial obligation to Carnegie Mellon will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Carnegie Mellon may enforce any rights it may have under these terms or any law in any State or Federal Court located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  If Carnegie Mellon chooses, it may enforce its rights in any other court that is appropriate under applicable law.  You agree that you will not commence any legal action against or sue Carnegie Mellon for any reason arising out of or relating to these terms or any matter covered hereby (including your student financial obligation or its collection) in any court other than such courts located in Allegheny County.  You waive any objection you might have to the bringing of any legal action or suit in any such court located in Allegheny County on the basis that it is not the right or convenient place.

Carnegie Mellon may in its discretion amend or change these terms at any time and from time to time.  You will be bound by any such amendments or changes for any portion of your student financial obligation to Carnegie Mellon incurred on or after such amendments or changes, so you should periodically review these terms for any such amendments or changes.