Stanford
Student Services

Payroll Deduction FAQs

Enrolling in Payroll Deduction

After Payroll Deduction Plan Set Up

Troubleshooting

Enrolling in Payroll Deduction

How do I enroll in the payroll deduction plan?

Please check that you meet the eligibility requirements. Then find enrollment instructions here: How to Enroll in Payroll Deduction.

When will my payroll deduction plan be set up?

  • Payroll deduction will be set up right after the sign-up deadline. 
  • As long as you successfully enrolled in payroll deduction before the payroll deduction sign-up deadline, you will not be assessed late fees for items that will be paid by your payroll deduction plan. 

The first payroll deduction is after the first bill due date. Will I be assessed late fees?

As long as you successfully enrolled in payroll deduction before the sign-up deadline, you will not be assessed late fees for items that will be paid by your payroll deduction plan. 

The sign-up deadline has passed. Can I still enroll in the payroll deduction plan?

  • Find the sign-up deadline on the timeline.
  • If you miss that deadline, you can still enroll by the end of that month. This means that you will only have five (5) deductions instead of the standard six (6) deductions. 
  • If the end of the month has already passed, you are no longer eligible for the payroll deduction plan for this quarter.
  • If you miss the deadline and the balance is not paid by the payment due date, the account is subject to a 1% late fee and a financial hold.

After Payroll Deduction Plan Set Up

Where can I find payroll deduction plan information in my student financial account?

  • Log into your student financial account via Axess. 
    • To review account details, select the “Account Activity” tab, then find the current quarter.
    • When your payroll deduction plan is set up (shortly after the payroll deduction enrollment deadline), you will see a line-item credit called “Planned Payroll Deduction (Total Amount for Quarter).” This line indicates the total amount scheduled to be deducted from your payroll for the quarter. Click the plus sign to view the line-item charges that have been included in your payroll deduction plan. 
  • The actual payroll deduction payments will be deducted from your salary and paid to your student account according to the Payroll Deduction Timeline.
  • You can view the details of your after-tax payroll deductions via your bi-monthly pay statements: Axess (Employee Role) > Employee Center > View all Pay statements.

My plan was set up but I still see a balance due. Do I need to make a payment now?

No. After your payroll deduction plan is set up, and until the quarter’s payroll deduction plan is closed, please do not make a payment on your student financial account (Payroll Deduction Timeline). As long as the payroll deduction plan is active and the planned deductions are successful, no late fees will apply. 

If your salary or selected payroll deduction plan does not cover all of your charges, you will have a balance due at the end of the payroll deduction period. (See "Will I need to make a payment later?" for more details.) 

Will I need to make a payment later? If so, when?

You may owe a remaining balance after the payroll deduction contract ends if:

  • Your salary is less than the payroll deduction payment amounts.
  • Additional charges were posted to your account after the payroll deduction plan was set up by Student Financial Services.
  • The plan you selected does not cover all of your charges (link to plan option details).
  • Your department set up your salary after the first scheduled payroll deduction.
  • Your department set you up on an alternative calendar that doesn’t match the payroll deduction dates.

Any remaining balance due on the student account after the payroll deduction contract has ended is due immediately (see Payroll Deduction Timeline). These charges cannot be moved to the next term and are subject to late fees and holds per university policy.

My department funding was posted late to my account. How does that impact my payroll deduction plan set up?

  • Determine when you received your first paycheck using the timeline.
  • If your plan was not set up by the first deadline you will only have five (5) pay periods, which means there will be five (5) deductions instead of the standard six (6) deductions.
  • You may have been charged a 1% late fee.

Troubleshooting

I thought I was enrolled in payroll deductions. What happened?

Your plan was not set up due to one of the following:

  • You did not sign up for the new academic year.
  • Your charges were less than the minimum required amount of $500.00.
  • Department funding was not posted by the deadline, or you are receiving a fellowship (rather than a salaried assistantship). Please contact your department for further information.

How might my housing change affect my payroll deduction plan? (Why did my take-home pay increase? Why did my payroll deduction plan stop?)

  • Changes in your housing assignment can or will stop your payroll deduction plan.
  • When the original housing charges are removed from your account, if deductions have posted and satisfied the "new" balance, the plan will stop.
  • In this case, the funds previously earmarked for payroll deduction will instead be disbursed to you directly as take-home pay.
  • Charges posted to the account after the plan has been set up will not be added to the plan, and must be paid by the payment due date on your bill.

Why do I still owe a balance for this quarter if I enrolled in the payroll deduction plan?

  • Additional charges were posted to the student account after the payroll deduction plan was set up: payroll deduction is a payment plan. The system takes the charges for the selected plan, such as Housing and Fees, and sets them aside. New charges posted to your account will be your responsibility to pay by the payment due date on your university bill and will not be added to the plan.
  • OR, you incurred charges that are not covered by the payroll deduction plan, such as Stanford Card Plan or graduate meal plan charges. You can review the chart of covered charges here. 
  • OR, your department set up your salary on an 'alternative calendar' (which doesn't match the payroll deduction periods): As your payroll deductions are posted to your account, your plan balance is reduced. Typically, the plan balance will be paid in full by the last payroll deduction payment. If the payroll deduction payments do not satisfy the balance and there is a balance remaining after the last deduction has posted, it is your responsibility to pay that balance. This balance will reflect on your account and can be paid through Axess.
  • OR, Your salary is less than the payroll deduction payment amounts. If you know your salary will not cover your payroll deduction amounts, you will need to make a payment on your account. (If you do not, your account will be subject to late fees and a financial hold once the past-due payroll deduction amounts are 30 days past due.)
  • OR, Changes in your housing assignment can or will stop your payroll deduction plan. When the original housing charges are removed from your account, this reduces the payroll deduction balance. If deductions have posted and satisfied the "new" balance, the plan will stop. In this case, the funds previously earmarked for payroll deduction will be included in your take-home pay. New charges posted to the account will not be added to the plan after the plan has been set up and must be paid by the payment due date on your bill.

Will I get a refund when the payroll deduction plan is over and there is a credit on the account?

The system first applies the payroll deduction credit to remaining charges for the current quarter (unpaid charges outside of the payroll deduction plan). Any additional payroll deduction credit balance at quarter's end will go to pay the stipulated charges for the next quarter. If you prefer a refund, please submit a help request.