Payment Policies

*Per Board of Trustees of Community-Technical Colleges Policy Manual

6.5.4 — Payment of Tuition & Fees and Non-Payment

Colleges must have an administrative system in place to manage and evaluate the implementation of this section, which shall include periodic review and reporting on the status of deferments, collections, total receivables, and

uncollectible accounts in order to minimize the level of uncollectible tuition and fee revenue. The goal of this policy includes 1) Providing accurate and consistent data supporting institutional research and college funding formulas, 2) Protecting students, and 3) Responsible accounting and collection practices.

Definitions

Tuition Instructional charge assessed on credit courses. Extension Fees Instructional charges assessed on self-supporting credit (Summer and Winter session) and non-credit courses. Mandatory Fees Charges unique to a specific program of study or credit course. Other Registration Fees Charges assessed to all students enrolled in a credit bearing course. Payment Date 21 days prior to the first day of the term, or at the time of registration.

I. Tuition & Fees Payment Date

Students are expected to pay for assessed Extension and Other Registration Fees promptly upon registration. A student shall be considered to have satisfied payment policies when an authorized financial aid/loan award, a formal deferred payment agreement, or an approved third party arrangement exceeding the accounts receivable balance is on file in the Bursar’s office. Refunds and non-refundable fees are further addressed in Board Policy, dated June 16, 2016, and information in this manual at Section 6.5.5 “Refunds of Tuition & Fees.”

II. Dropping Students for Non-Payment

A college, at the discretion of the President or designee, may drop students who are not in compliance with payment policies from the course roster at any time. However, any student who is not in compliance shall be removed from the roster prior to the seventh (7th) day of the term and last business day before the census date.

III. Deferments

A. Normal operating procedures assume that all payments to the college by students shall be on a pay-as-you-go basis. However, the board recognizes that circumstances may be such that students require other payment options. Therefore, the board authorizes certain deferments as set forth in section B, below. However, no deferment of payment shall be approved or extended until outstanding accounts of prior sessions or semesters have been settled. Under any deferment schedule that is approved, all required, non-refundable fees shall be paid in full before any payments are applied to tuition.

B. A student's payment may be deferred, and his or her registration shall only be considered complete, upon written assurance of payment on file with the college in accordance with one of the following:

1. Financial Aid Deferments. In order to receive a financial aid deferment, the college financial aid officer shall certify in writing that, based on his or her evaluation of information provided by the student, the college has reasonable assurance that the student meets eligibility requirements for receiving sufficient federal or state financial aid to cover the student's tuition and required fees.

2. In the absence of sufficient information which is judged by the financial aid office to provide reasonable assurance of forthcoming financial aid, a financial aid deferment shall not be issued and the student must provide assurance of payment in accordance with item 2, 3, or 4 below, even though financial aid may subsequently be applied for and, in fact, granted.

3. Third-Party Payer Deferment. The student may provide written documentation from a responsible third party (e.g., sponsoring organization, government agency, employer) which guarantees payment.

4. Other Deferments. In the absence of a financial aid or third-party deferment, the College President or designee may, at his/her discretion, defer payment of tuition only for no more than forty-five (45) days from the first day of classes. Such deferments should normally be based on temporary or unusual circumstances and an assessment by the College that the student will be able to pay at the end of 45 days.

However, such deferments shall not be extended to a student if a previous deferment remains outstanding. When such a deferment is granted, the non-refundable college services and student activity fees shall be paid at the time of registration and the student, if he or she has reached majority (otherwise the parent or legal guardian), must provide written assurance in the form of a signed promissory note covering the balance of deferred tuition.

5. Deferred Payment Plan. The chancellor is authorized to establish policies and procedures for implementation at each college’s option of a deferred payment plan for tuition, general fees, and extension fees, which provides for monthly or other periodic payments and which may be made available to all categories of students and/or programs offered by the college, including full- or part-time students enrolled in general tuition funded courses or enrolled in special extension programs and courses.

IV. Accounts Receivable

Upon registration, accounts receivable shall be established for all students whose tuition and/or fees have been deferred. Accounts receivable shall also be established for any other student charges not paid by the established due date. Such receivables shall be maintained by account on a current basis with appropriate monthly reconciliation to control records.

The student's account receivable shall be adjusted to reflect changes in registration and applicable refund policy throughout the expiration of the add/drop period.

V. Failure to Pay

Failure to have made all applicable payments by the payment deadline will result in the withdrawal of the student's registration unless a deferred payment schedule has been approved. Failure to make payments in accordance with a

deferred payment schedule shall also result in the withdrawal of the student's registration.

Students presenting bad checks must replace them with cash, money order, or bank check within seven (7) days (one week) of the college's receipt of such notification, otherwise the student's registration shall be immediately withdrawn.

If the student's registration is withdrawn effective prior to the start of the semester, the account receivable will be cancelled and no hold placed on the student's academic records. If the student's registration is withdrawn effective

after the start of classes, either because the student has officially dropped the course or has failed to pay, the account receivable will remain on the student's record, the college shall take reasonable measures to collect the amounts due, shall not issue the student's official academic records, and shall not allow the student to register for future semesters until such receivable is paid in full.

Following reasonable collection efforts, if the college deems the account uncollectible, the college may create an allowance for doubtful accounts as an offset to the account receivable for purposes of financial reporting and may

discontinue further active collection efforts. The college shall maintain detailed records to support any allowance for doubtful accounts.

The chancellor may establish procedures for collections, for the financial write-off of inactive, uncollectible accounts, and for the related determination of student academic status.

Notice of this policy must be prominently displayed in the college catalog and provided to all students receiving deferments and to all students at registration.

VI. Late Registrations

All registrations which occur after the payment deadline shall be accompanied by full payment of all tuition and fees applicable to the courses for which registered, unless a deferred payment schedule has been approved.

(Adopted March 21, 1994; amended December 19, 1994,

April 22, 1997, December 16, 2002, September 19, 2017)