After enrolling, payments for courses can be made online through your record in the Student Center:
See the Due Date & Payment Instructions Guide.
Important Information:
Make checks/money orders payable to SFSU-CEL. Include student name, SF State ID, current address, and phone number on the face of the check.
Extended Learning cannot accept payments by checks that exceed total course fees. A check returned for any cause (insufficient funds, closed account, or stop payment) results in a financial obligation equal to the amount of the check plus a $20 dishonored check fee. See financial obligations.
Payment by check or money order must be included if registering by mail. Please take into consideration delivery and processing time if mailing a payment. Our office is not responsible for any delayed or misdirected mail by the U. S. Postal Service.
Mailing Address:
SF State Extended Learning
Attention: CEL Enrollment Services
835 Market Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, California 94103
Payment by check for online and phone registration can be made in person at SF State's Bursar's Office on the main campus, or at the registration desk located at SF State Downtown Campus.
A returned check or credit card statement can be used as proof of payment. For a receipt, please access your Account Activity under the Financial Section in your student record using SF State Gateway or call the SF State Bursar's Office at (415) 338-1281 for further information on receipts.
Find Due Date and Payment Instructions Guide
The class registration system of San Francisco State University College of Extended Learning is a charge-based system. This means:
When you enroll online at SF State Gateway, both your fees owed and due date will display in the Finances section of your Student Center within 24 hours of registering. To see your class fees charges and payment due date immediately after registration, use the Find Due Date and Payment Instructions Guide. Full fees are payable as soon as students are registered. If full payment is not received by the end of the day on the payment due date, students will be dropped for non-payment (Drops for non-payment may not be executed every day. Students are responsible for maintaining their class schedule and avoid incurring charges by dropping from a class within the deadline for a 100% refund). If you enroll in multiple courses with different due dates, be sure to pay before the due date. If you only pay partial fees, you will be dropped for underpayment. Payment due dates are calculated by adding five calendar days, to the date of registration with the following exception:
IMPORTANT: For courses excluding Open University and semester-length academic credit courses, if you enroll on the day a class begins, or after a class has begun, fees are due immediately. If payment is not received, even if you drop the class, charges will remain and you are liable for them based on the refund schedule at the time of the drop. If you don’t pay, a Financial Hold will be placed on your student record preventing you from enrolling in classes and receiving other university services for future terms.
For Open University and semester-length academic credit courses, you will be able to drop and swap courses with no financial impact up until the Last Day to Drop on the Calendar & Deadlines.
If a Third Party will be funding your Extended Learning education, please first contact the Extended Learning Subsidy Specialist at (415) 817-4248 or subsidy@sfsu.edu for guidance and questions before you register or enroll in any course(s).
Please follow the steps below if a third party agency is paying for your courses.
Payment must be received and processed before or by the student’s fee payment due date. To avoid being dropped from course(s), students MUST contact the Subsidy Specialist and show proof of their Third Party Authorization Letter, before the student’s fee payment due date. For any subsequently added course(s), please follow this same process.
Students, who elect to register in-person after 5:00pm, on Saturdays or on the first class meeting, must present a copy of their authorization letter in order to be enrolled, even if the Extended Learning Subsidy Specialist already has the authorization letter on file.
NOTE: If the Third Party Agency subsequently does not submit payment for course fees, the student becomes responsible for ALL the course fees.
Contracts take 4 - 8 weeks to be completed and signed by both SF State and the contracting agency. Signed contracts will be on file with Extended Learning prior to registration. Students whose contracts are not complete at the time of enrollment may be dropped from classes for non-payment.
If the contract has not been completed and signed, we are only able to hold course seats with an additional promise to pay letter from the agency which will act as a placeholder until the final contract is completed and signed. The contract must be signed and completed by both the Third Party agency and SF State by the Drop Deadline, or students will be dropped for non-payment. After this deadline, all students need to petition to add late with appropriate signatures (see Calendar & Deadlines).