Financial Clearance Process

Financial Clearance is the last and final step in the registration process. Financial clearance is a term used to verify that a student will be attending classes for which he/she has registered in a given semester and that all financial obligations associated with the registration have been settled. Failure to complete the financial clearance process will result in the cancellation of the student’s class schedule and/or housing assignments. 

How to Obtain Financial Clearance

1. Review your Student Account Statement on your Bearsnet portal.
2. Enter your Username and Password
3. Click Login
4. Click on the STUDENTS tab
5. Click on Financial Aid and Account Information
6. Click on My Account Info – My Account Balances
7. After verifying your charges, if you have a CREDIT balance (which will be noted as a negative number beside the BALANCE field) you will be considered financially cleared for the items you have been charged for. Please print your financial clearance and keep your records. Any changes made after you are financially cleared (i.e number of hours, housing) may result in a change in charges and may affect your financial clearance status.
8. If you do NOT have a Zero balance or CREDIT balance, you will need to establish a payment plan or pay in full to be considered financially cleared.
9. To establish your payment plan, you will need to follow the login steps above and click create a payment plan.
10. Students with balances must make their required down payment as well as electronically sign the  contract before the Student Accounts Office can review the student for financial clearance eligibility.

Student Bill Generation

Students may access their student account information by their Bearsnet account. any outstanding financial balance for the upcoming semester. Please note it is the student’s responsibility to monitor and view their account regularly online through  

Parents or students having questions pertaining to the financial aid awards posted on the statements are advised to contact the Office of Financial Aid. 

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the Student Accounts Office cannot respond to inquiries regarding student accounts without the written consent of the student.

Financial Aid and Your Billing Statement

Financial aid that has been awarded to the student appears as a credit of the initial billing statement. Financial Aid is subject to change based on changes to the student’s enrollment, eligibility and failure to complete all requirements set forth by the Financial Aid office. 

If a student does not have enough financial aid or other funding to cover all costs, the student is able to establish a payment plan. 

NOTE: Outside scholarships (scholarships not awarded by Shaw University) will not be viewable on your student’s account until the payment is received by the University. 

NOTE: Federal Work Study Awards will NOT be reflected in your billing statement. The Federal Work Study Program is a form of Financial Aid which provides students part-time employment.  If a student is set up on a payment plan and is a Federal Work Study recipient, he/she may choose to apply the monthly work study earnings to their student account balance.  The student would be responsible for applying the earnings to their accounts with the University Cashier. Work-Study earnings will not be pre-deducted as a credit to the student’s account to complete the financial clearance process.