Understanding your account summary
You will find information about your student account and financial aid under your Student Center tab in Mosaic under the “Finances” heading.
OSAP funding for eligible students is automatically redirected to McMaster University to pay towards tuition and other student fees. Under your “Account Summary” in Mosaic, you will see your current student account balance, amount currently owing, future amount due and pending aid. Pending items can include OSAP and/or scholarship or bursary amounts not yet posted to your student account.
You are encouraged to check your student account regularly to avoid interest charges.
Financial aid and awards included in total amount of non-repayable funding
- OSAP grants (not including the Living & Learning Grant)
- Graduate scholarships
- McMaster general and donor-funded bursaries
- Faculty awards
- Academic grants
- Athletic scholarships
- Travel, in-course and graduand scholarships
- Exchange grants
Not included in account summary
- McMaster employment income
- Such as Work Program income, teaching assistant income, RA in lieu, sessional faculty income, or temporary/casual faculty income. These payments can be found under the Human Resources tile in Mosaic.
- Graduate research scholarship payments. These payments can be found under the Human Resources tile in Mosaic.
- External scholarships
- Graduate Research Scholarship Payments. These are administered through the Human Resources Mosaic module
- External Scholarships
When the information is updated
As information becomes available, the Account Summary and Tuition, Aid and Awards Summary will be updated. Processing times vary. We recommend that you check your account summary regularly.
Account summary FAQs
What does ‘pending’ mean in my account summary?
Pending items on your Account Summary are based on assessed eligibility either by OSAP or, in the case of scholarships or bursaries, by McMaster University. Items are pending until they are validated and then moved to a payment.
Why is my pending OSAP not reflected in my account summary payments?
There are a variety of reasons this may happen. The most common are:
- The amount of OSAP you receive can change depending on changes you may have made. Have you dropped a class? Did your family income get updated on the OSAP website? etc. We recommend visiting the OSAP website to check your status.
- If you have additional money provided by OSAP for other things, such as living expenses, you will find a partial payment on your Account Summary and the excess funding will be deposited directly to your personal bank account.
Why doesn’t my Account Summary match my Tuition, Aid and Awards Summary?
The Tuition, Aid and Awards Summary is based on OSAP assessed tuition. The Account Summary is based on actual tuition, other charges and shows the amount of confirmed OSAP payments.
Since processing times vary by transaction, there are sometimes delays for items to show in Mosaic.
What are ‘Other Charges’?
Other Charges are fees that McMaster University collects on behalf of student organizations or for University-administered programs. Other miscellaneous fees include but are not limited to food plans, parking fees, library fees, and student services fees.
How can I find more details?
Select the “View detail/Print” button.
Why do I have a balance on my account statement when I have sufficient OSAP to cover tuition?
Students who receive OSAP may still have an outstanding balance on their student account for the following reasons:
OSAP funding is paid to McMaster directly and the amount of tuition, supplementary fees, residence and meal plan are taken into consideration. Fees such as library fees, parking fees or Campus Store charges are not considered.
After the disbursement of OSAP, the tuition for the term increased resulting in an outstanding balance.
Students are responsible to pay the balance on their student account. Outstanding balances are subject to interest charges. Learn more information about payment.
Why does the OSAP information in my Account Summary differ from the OSAP website?
The OSAP website is always the most up-to-date source of information regarding your OSAP assessment. Mosaic is updated regularly, but not as frequently as the OSAP website.
What does ‘Assessed Tuition’ mean?
Every year tuition costs are sent to OSAP for the purposes of calculating your OSAP entitlement. The amount of tuition is calculated according to OSAP allowable costs and how you complete your OSAP application. You may see a variance between the tuition charged on your Account Summary and what is displayed on your Tuition, Aid and Awards Summary for the following reasons:
- You are enrolled in a co-op work term and tuition is displayed at $1
- You have dropped a course and received a full or partial refund from McMaster
- You have not enrolled via Mosaic in the course load you indicated on your OSAP application
- Your OSAP change request is pending.
Where can I find a breakdown of my non-repayable aid and awards from OSAP and McMaster?
On the “Tuition, Aid and Awards” screen, select “Non-Repayable Funding”.
Some or all of my OSAP funding was directed to my personal bank account. How does this impact how much tuition I owe?
Where your funding is directed (e.g. student account or personal bank account) does not impact your how much you owe tuition you owe. Review actual charges and your balance owing on your Account Summary in the Mosaic Student Centre. It is your responsibility to ensure that your tuition and fees are paid in full.
As a graduate student, if my financial aid is sent to my student account and then refunded to my bank account, how does that affect how much I pay for tuition?
Your McMaster aid and awards will first show up as a payment on your student account. Once the money is sent to you, it will appear as an ‘AP Refund’ under ‘Other Charges.’ To see what you actually owe, check your ‘Account Summary’ in the Mosaic Student Centre.
Why am I not entitled to the Living and Learning Grant?
If you were a Crown Ward or were adopted after Aug. 1, 2013, and you’re between 21 and 24 years old, you might qualify for the Living and Learning Grant. Your eligibility is checked when you complete your OSAP application.