STATESBORO — Georgia Southern University is giving its students and families the option to pay for college through a unique payment plan, with the goal of making college more affordable.

GSU is teaming with Nelnet Business Solutions to allow students to pay tuition and fees over time. Students and/or their parents are now able to enroll in the new program which offers easy online enrollment, flexible payment options and no interest.

“We are always looking for new ways to make college more affordable for both our in- and out-of-state students,” said Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel. “This new payment plan will offer students and/or their parents an additional option to spread their payments out to help make college more affordable. Our goal is to not only recruit outstanding students, but to encourage them to complete their degrees. One of the ways we can help is by offering them an opportunity to pay their tuition and fees over a period of time – something we feel like many of our parents and students, particularly those working full-time, will appreciate.”

Students can enroll in the program at a cost of $50 per semester. They pay 60 percent of their bill upfront and then have two additional months to pay the remaining 40 percent. The payment plan covers the cost of tuition, student fees, meal plans and on-campus housing for each semester/term.

In addition to being able to enroll online, the plan also offers flexible payment options including automatic bank payments and credit and debit card payments including American Express, Discover and MasterCard. When students or families enroll, they may finance up to $5,500 per semester using Nelnet; if their bill is larger than that, they simply pay the difference directly to the university as they normally would have.

University officials note that the payment plan is an interest-free alternative to paying each semester’s tuition. In addition to more manageable payments, students or their parents have 24-hour access to their account, receive convenient online statements and can also set up recurring payments.

To join the plan, students must be registered to attend classes at Georgia Southern for the term in which they want to enroll in the payment plan and do so by the designated deadline. Because a checking account or a credit card is required to use the plan, students should work with one of the many local banks or credit unions to set up an account. As an alternative to a checking account, they may also choose to pay from a savings account.

“When we first started talking about this program, we immediately received very positive feedback from both parents and students,” said Keel. “If we can make it easier to pay for college by stretching out the payments, it is a win-win.”

Students interested in taking summer classes at Georgia Southern may use the new payment plan, but must be registered for classes prior to May 20 and have followed all Nelnet application and payment requirements. Students are encouraged to register as soon as possible for summer to ensure courses will be available.

For more information about the new plan, visit georgiasouthern.edu/paymentplan.