UCSD to Accept Credit Card Payments for Tuition and Fees

Starting Winter Quarter 2018, UC San Diego will accept credit card payments for tuition and fees.

“The University of California San Diego is pleased to announce an expanded payment option for students to pay their tuition and fees,” the announcement email reads. “Beginning Winter Quarter of 2018, credit cards will become a new online payment method, in addition to the current eCheck system.”

All credit card transactions will have a 2.75 percent “convenience fee” that is paid to a third-party credit card processing vendor. Previously established payment options, like eCheck, cash, check, money order, and Western Union, will not be affected.

Refilwe Gqajela, Associated Students Vice President of External Affairs, believes that the University should be focusing on other issues like food insecurity, housing insecurity, and the timing of disbursements, instead of developments like this.

“I’m not angry at students having an opportunity for students to stay at the University using whatever means that they have. There were points this summer where all I had to deal with food and housing insecurity was my credit card,” Gqajela said. “There are students who have asked for this, but students have been asking for a lot of things. It’s not the opportunity of it, it’s the fact that other asks were not dealt with.”

Gqajela says that disbursements are often not given out until the week classes start, often after students have assignments and readings due, and takes issue with the lack of progress on addressing these issues.

“I would like to read that the University is ‘proud to present’ the opportunity that actually allows mobility to students,” she said. “You just gave students access to debt.”

Gabe Schneider is the News Editor at The Triton.