Big E Central: Contact Us

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Service Reason

Service Details

Course Registration Holds
A course registration hold may be related to an unpaid account balance. We recommend checking your Billing screen in your Transact Billing Portal to ensure that all past due balances are met and/or that the student is enrolled in a current payment plan.

If you are currently enrolled in courses and would like to change your schedule despite this hold, you must complete the Add/Drop with a Hold Form.
If you are not currently enrolled and you are attempting to register for the first time, then you may submit an HRA Request to have your future financial aid and charges matched against your previous balance, which may allow you to register and pay your balance from your anticipated refund.

Hold Release Agreement
If you are not currently enrolled and you are attempting to register for the first time, then you may submit an HRA Request to have your future financial aid and charges matched against your previous balance, which may allow you to register and pay your balance from your anticipated refund.

You will be unable to access the Hold Release Agreement until all of the prerequisites are met on the HRA request form.

If approved, you will receive an email to acknowledge the conditions of the Hold Release Agreement.
Once signed, your hold will be released on a predetermined date.
Failing to submit past-due payment once your hold has been released will cause you to be administratively removed from your classes.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
Many forms of aid are dependent upon meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students must meet certain GPA and PACE requirements as well as earn their degrees within an certain amount of credit hours to remain eligible for Federal Financial Aid. If you fail any of the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, your options for reinstating your aid are the following:

Submit a SAP Appeal including all required documentation. If approved, you must agree to the SAP Conditions to continue receiving aid
Successfully complete enough credit hours to raise your PACE (course completion rate) to 67% and/or GPA to have your financial aid reinstated. Exceeding the maximum timeframe will always require the student to submit an appeal.

1098-T Request
The 1098-T is a tax document sometimes requested by students who had more in tuition charges than they received in scholarships and grants. Accessing your 1098-T can be found in your Transact Billing Portal, which is accessible through MyEKU. Please reference the Tax Documents menu.

Dispute a Charge
As students frequently make changes to their billable expenses, such as housing, meal plans, and course enrollments, billing statements can sometimes look overly complicated. We encourage students to use the Account Summary available through MyEKU to simplify their view. The Activity Details section of the Transact Billing Portal is also a good point of reference for the most current account details. For remaining questions, please feel free to submit them in the contact box below.

Make a Payment
To submit a payment, you'll need to access your Transact Billing Portal on MyEKU. If you have not made a direct payment before, you will need to establish your payment method(s) in the My Account menu of this billing screen. Remember that using a credit card will result in a servicer charge but connecting a Bank Account will avoid these fees.

To grant someone else access to make payments on your account, please login to the same Transact Billing Portal and visit the same My Account menu. Use the "Send a Payer Invitation" link to your intended recipient.

Past Due Balance
Having a past due balance on as a current student may result in a registration hold and late fees on your account. Current students are encouraged to enroll in a monthly payment plan to divide their balance into monthly installments throughout the semester.

Non-current students may have had a past due charge referred to collections. If you have been contacted by a collections agency, then your account must be reviewed by Student Accounting Services. They can be reached at sas.processing@eku.edu or called at 859-622-1232 (option 2).

Payment Plans
Current students are encouraged to enroll in a monthly payment plan to divide their balance into monthly installments throughout the semester. The first payment of these plans becomes due upon setting it up. You can make additional payments for beyond what your payment plan requires and your subsequent bills will be reduced.

Non-current students who intend to avoid a referral to collections may enroll in a non-current student payment plan. These plans are negotiated directly with Student Account Services and can be contacted at SAS.Processing@eku.edu.

Academic Standing/Suspension
EKU's academic standards are outlined on in the EKU Catalog. When students do not meet these standards, they may be subject to Academic Probation of Academic Suspension.

Students on first suspension are required to sit out for one full regular semester (fall/spring). If there were documented, catastrophic circumstances beyond the student’s control, University policy allows the student to submit a Petition for Immediate Readmission to the Office of the Registrar.

Add/Drop a Course
EKU students can freely add and remove/drop courses before the add/drop deadlines for their specific parts of term as listed on Colonel's Compass.

Students who wish to remove a course after the deadline may be able to "Withdraw." However, withdrawn courses are still considered as attempted credit hours and will not be fully refunded to the student.
Students who wish to add a course after the deadline must participate in the Late Enrollment process. Approval of late enrollment requests are subject to instructor and departmental approval.

A student may have holds or override requirements that prevents course registration. Please review the hold details carefully or the registration error description.

Major Change
EKU students may request to update their intended major by completing the Change of Major application. If you are not yet fully admitted, please contact admissions@eku.edu with a request to change the major you listed on your admissions application.

Course Override
Some courses may require you to receive an override approval before you are able to register. Some courses may require more than one type of override. Review the registration error you receive when attempting to register to understand what override(s) you need to receive. Once you know the override requirements, submit the Override Request for the appropriate course.

Registration Errors
Students may sometimes encounter difficulties registering for courses. This may happen because of a conflict with University policy or because of a technical limitation.
Please ensure that you are currently eligible to register for courses. This means that you have an open registration window and have received your RAC number from your academic advisor.

Once your eligibility is confirmed, please review the list of definable errors, which will usually require a course override(s) to correct. If your error is due to a hold, then please review your account balance with the University. Finally, your error may be with your academic standing. Please review your EKU email to ensure that you are eligible for classes.
For technical errors, please review the video tutorial for course registration. We recommend attempting to register from a Windows computer (not a mobile phone or Macbook). You may also attempt to clear your internet cache

Federal Direct Loans
Student loans may be offered to a student based on a completed FAFSA. Annual loan eligibility is determined by a student's classification (eg. Freshmen, Junior, Graduate). If desired, these loans must be accepted in the students financial aid dashboard and students must complete the entrance counseling and master promissory note requirements on StudentAid.gov.

Federal Direct Loans do not require a co-signer or a credit check. They may be offered as unsubsidized (which are subject to interest accrual while enrolled) or a portion of the total loan eligibility may be offered as subsidized (which avoids interest accrual while enrolled).
Other loan options may be available to students and their families. Student borrows may need to pursue private education loans or PLUS loan options.

Itemized Statement
An EKU student may require an itemized statement for a variety of reasons.

The most details account information can be found in the Account Summary.
A student's billing statement will also contain information relating to charges, which is updated as a new statement is issued on approximately the 7th of every month.
Some students may be required to submit a letter to an employer that details the specific charges associated with tuition. A tuition reimbursement letter can be accessed through MyEKU.

Verification
Financial Aid Verification is a process required by some FAFSA submissions. If a FAFSA presents conflicting information, had income and asset information manually submitted rather than using the IRS data connection, or was part of a random quality assurance selection, then additional documentation may be required before it can process.

Look for emails concerning a Verification requirement sent to your official EKU email address. More information can also be found on the Big E Central portal.

Private Education Loan
Many private lenders offer Private Education Loans to supplement federal eligibility. Private loans are credit-based loans applied for by the student through individual lenders (any bank of your choice). Many students, particularly undergraduate students, will likely need to find willing, creditworthy individual(s) to cosign their private loan applications to increase the likelihood of being approved and getting the best terms.

NOTE: Borrowers are free to choose any lender even if they are not on this list. Neither Eastern Kentucky University nor Big E Central benefits from a borrower’s choice of lender.

Scholarships
EKU offers and facilitates many different scholarship processes, including those offered based on a student's admission, such as Merit Scholarships and Out of State Tuition Discounts. Other scholarships may be received from state agencies, such as KEES Money from KHEAA. Students may also submit scholarships from third-parties, which usually come as checks or specified payments to specific students.

Foundation Scholarships
In addition to these other sources, EKU also has a single annual application that admitted students may use to compete for additional scholarship dollars. Complete the Foundation Scholarship application.

The Foundation Scholarship application becomes available for the upcoming aid year in November and accepts applications through May. The scholarships will usually be awarded over the following summer and become effective on the student account in the Fall.

Tuition Discounts
Corporate Education Partners
EKU has agreements with various employers throughout the Commonwealth and country that may reduce the overall cost of tuition. CEP discounts are identified during the application process. A list of eligible employers is available on our CEP website and questions can be sent to Benton.Shirey@eku.edu.

Active Duty Military
Students serving as an Active Duty member of the US Military may receive an active duty discount. This status is received on by a completed FAFSA and additional documentation must be provided.

Tuition Waiver
EKU offers a variety of Tuition Waivers that may apply to EKU employees and their dependents in addition to students who meet special circumstances outlined by the Commonwealth of Kentucky (such as Foster/Adoption waivers). A full list with links to the various applications is available on the Tuition Waiver website. A completed FAFSA is required for all tuition waivers at EKU.

Work Study
In addition to grants and loans, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) also calculates a students Federal Work Study (FWS) eligibility. Students who qualify are not offered funds that directly apply to the balance account. Instead, a student accepts this aid and then submits job applications for Federal Work Study funded positions through the EKU Online Job Site. Once hired, the student receives these funds in the form of a paycheck. Payment amounts depend on the established payrate and hours worked per week. Please see How to Apply for Student Jobs for details.

Refund Amount
Big E Central does not estimate student's refund eligibility. Financial aid refund amounts are determined by the amount of accepted/applied aid compared to the total billed charges. Refund details can be reviewed in the Transact Billing Portal under Activity Details. Refunds may issue in multiple disbursements and is subject to the disbursement of the individual sources of aid.

Refund Status
Establishing an electronic refund bank account connection may allow you to receive your funds sooner. If you have one established, you will receive a notice when it is issued from the University. Once that notice has been received, the availability of your funds will be subject to your personal bank's processing time. Please check here if your eRefund has been set up.

If you do not have an eRefund method set up, your refund check will be printed and mailed to your address on file once you receive your refund notice. It may take a few weeks longer for the refund check to be sent via mail. EKU is unable to expedite this process. Please note that any refund sent via check that goes uncashed for 45 days may be canceled and federal funds are to be returned to the Department of Education so we highly encourage you to set up an eRefund connection.

Other Concern
Big E Central supports students as they navigate issues relating to financial aid, billing, and registration. Many different parts of a student's college experience may relate to these areas, but please be aware that some concerns may only be supported by a partner office.

Academic Advising

Big E Central cannot provide RAC numbers or make course recommendations. Each student has an assigned advisor to support their scheduling emails. Find your advisor information listed in your Degreeworks.

Admissions: Email: admissions@eku.edu | Phone: 859.622.2106

Admissions specializes in prospective student information. They can also assist with the application processing and program information.

Student Success: Email: successcenter@eku.edu | Phone: 859.622.7861

EKU has many tutoring centers and areas for academic support. The Student Success Center is a great place to start!

Student Life: Email: studentlife@eku.edu | Phone: 859.622.3855

Do you have questions about campus events? Concerts? Getting involved? Contact Student Life for information about these areas.

EKU Housing: Email: housing@eku.edu | Phone: 859.622.1515

Questions about housing requirements and charges are usually handled by the Housing and Residence Life offices.

FAFSA Help
The FAFSA (Free Applications for Federal Student Aid) is available on StudentAid.gov. To complete a FAFSA, the student and the student's "contributor" (i.e. usually a parent/guardian) must provide personal and financial information. Each participant must create log-in credentials known as an FSA ID, and it may require several days to authenticate. StudentAid.gov also provides thorough resources and guidance on how to complete the FAFSA. Until EKU receives a FAFSA transmission, Big E Central will be limited in our ability to help. Technical support for FAFSA will be available by contacting 1-800-433-3243.

Students who indicate an unusual circumstance on the FAFSA may be contacted by EKU to provide additional documentation. More information and the corresponding upload forms can be found in the Big E Central portal.

Transcript
Sending an EKU Transcript
Students can order an official transcript through the National Student Clearinghouse. Official transcripts are typically required if you are transferring to another school and sometimes required by potential employers. Please note final grades are not reflected on a transcript until after a degree conferral date which is typically the last day of the last month for each semester. Current students may also access an unofficial transcript anytime through MyEKU.

Submitting a Transcript from another Institution
Students may need to provide EKU with an official transcript from another institution to satisfy specific admissions or financial aid requirement. Official transcripts are also required to add dual credit coursework to a student's academic history. Many colleges and universities participate in the National Student Clearinghouse. However, if your institution does not appear as an option, please contact their Registrar or Student Records department directly.

Web-4-Parent
Per Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) only authorized users can be provided student specific information. Students can give authorized access by completing the Web-4-Parent Proxy Access. Please follow the steps on the link provided above to complete this access. Please make sure you have a passphrase on the account as this is what we ask for when the proxy contacts us.

Parents/Guardians are also encouraged to use the EKU Parent Portal to learn more about parent and family resources. Parents/guardians can also request proxy access by completing this form.

*If a Parent/Guardian loses the proxy access password, the student must remove the proxy access and add it back.

Admissions
The EKU Admissions office supports prospective students and applicants, and it works closely with students through their orientation. They are your primary resource as you seek to learn more about what it means to become an EKU student.

Submitting a message with this selection will send your response to the Admissions Office for assistance. This office can also be contacted by phone at 859.622.2106.

Note: Prospective online students should contact the Online Enrollment Team at onlinedegrees@eku.edu or 859.622.4455.

Housing/Residence Life
EKU has a dedicated housing unit, which can answer many questions for current and incoming students. They can be reached at housing@eku.edu and 859.622.1515. Their website can also answer many questions about housing options, cost, and Living Learning Communities. The Housing Portal also contains important information about housing exemptions and other resources.

Submitting a message with this selection will send your response to the Admissions Office for assistance. You may also contact 859-622-2106 for phone support.

Meal Plan
EKU meal plans are managed by the Card Services office. Details about dining options, flex dollars, and more can be found on their website. This office also manages the charges related to dining expenses and should serve as a good resource for students.

Submitting a message with this selection will send your response to the Card Services Office for assistance. This office can also be contacted by phone at 859.622.2179.

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Your EKU student email address is the most secure way to authenticate your identity. If you do not have a student email address, then Big E Central may be limited in the information it can provide.

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