It is the responsibility of the student to turn in both a written authorization from their sponsor to the Cashiers Office and consent to the release of billing information to sponsors in TouchNet prior to the first billing due date of the semester. To avoid billing complications, the authorization must be specific on the amount and types of fees that are covered. It must also contain contact information and a billing address for the sponsor. With this documentation, the Cashiers Office will apply a credit to the student account based on the authorization. The Cashiers Office will then bill the sponsor for their credit and ask the sponsor to submit payment.

We require official written authorization from the sponsor which includes:

• Sponsor’s name, student’s full name, and the student’s ID number
• The period their sponsorship covers (one semester or multiple)
• Specification of fees to be covered or specifically not covered under the agreement or a maximum dollar amount if appropriate
• Specific authorization for the University of Missouri-Columbia to bill them on your behalf
• The name and address of the sponsoring agency where the bills should be sent along with a phone number for us to call if we have any questions

Any sponsor that does not submit payment in a timely fashion will have their credit removed from the student account. The student will then be held responsible for any outstanding balance that results in the removal of the sponsor billing credit.

Please submit electronic versions of authorizations to UmThirdPartySharedServices@umsystem.edu. Please note that students need to BOTH consent to the release of billing information to sponsors in TouchNet AND submit an authorization form to our office before credit can be applied to a student account. All authorizations should be submitted in a PDF format. Jpeg or other image formats are not accepted.

Paper authorization should be directed to:

University of Missouri

325 Jesse Hall

Columbia, MO 65211

Attn: Sponsored Billing

Once we receive the complete billing authorization, we will post a credit for the authorized amount. If the credit covers your fees in full, you will not be billed for the charges after that point. We will then bill your sponsor directly on your behalf AFTER the refund period ends.

If the sponsor does not pay in a timely manner, the credit is removed from your account and we will begin billing you for the fees owed again. You will also be responsible for any finance charges that have accrued. We do not take credit cards as a payment method from your sponsor.

What is third party billing?

Third Party billing is a payment agreement between the student, university, and the student sponsor. The sponsor is an outside source that takes responsibility for all or partial payment of fees, books, etc. A third party sponsor is not an individual, i.e. parent, grandparents, etc., but a company or agency, such as the military, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc. 

When should my voucher or authorization be submitted to the Cashiers Office?

If the Cashiers Office does not receive the voucher or authorization before the first billing due date, the student will be responsible for making the minimum payment to avoid additional fees.

What happens if my sponsor does not pay the amount billed to them?

If a sponsor does not submit payment within a timely manner, then credit will be removed from the student account and billed back directly to the student.

If I have a sponsor paying in my behalf, do I need to enroll in the semester payment plan?

It is up to the student to determine what best fits their needs. However, students and families with a third-party sponsor paying on their behalf and utilizing personal payments for any remainder are still required to pay in full OR pick the payment plan by the first due date each semester.