POLICY 1-4
STUDENT ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

• Issued: 12-1-73
• Revised: 12-04
• Approved:
  

I. PURPOSE

To establish responsibilities, policies, and procedures concerning Fort Lewis College student accounts receivable (A/R). Procedures include methods to establish a student accounts receivable, collections, A/R Adjustments, write-offs, and reconciliations.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES

The heads of the following departments have responsibilities for Student Accounts Receivable as follows:

A. Records Office - Assessment and adjustment of charges for tuition, fees, matriculation fee, special course fees, and late registration fees.

B. Housing Office - Assessment and adjustment of room charges for the residence halls, Centennial Apartments, and Anasazi Apartments, board charges and charges for dorm damages.

C. Admissions Office - Assessment and adjustment of charges for application fees and classification as an in-state or out-of-state student for tuition purposes at the time of admission.

D. Accounting Office - Assessment and adjustment of charges for late payment fees, bad checks and returned item penalty assessments.

E. Financial Aid Office - Assessment and adjustment of financial aid overawards, and initial approval of short term student loans.

F. Health Center - Assessment and adjustment of charges for health insurance and Health Center visits.

III. PROCEDURES

A. Tuition and Fees - The Registrar is responsible for the assessment and adjustment of charges to students for tuition and fees. Based upon the hours and residency (and ethnic background in the case of Tribal Certified Indians), tuition and fees are charged to the student’s account, as follows:

FALL AND WINTER TRIMESTERS:

For students registering for nine (9) credit hours or less, there will be a resident or non-resident hourly tuition charge, plus part-time student fees.

For students registering for ten (10) credit hours through eighteen (18) credit hours, tuition will be assessed at a full-time resident or non-resident rate. Student fees will be assessed in total.

Students registering for nineteen (19) credit hours or more, will be assessed an additional resident or non-resident hourly surcharge.

A student’s tuition and fees will be adjusted according to the net number of credit hours registered for by a predetermined, published census date each term. If a student adds approved credit hours after census date, appropriate charges will be assessed, based upon the net of these added courses. There is no adjustment for credit hours dropped after the census date.

FIVE WEEK SUMMER SESSIONS:
Students registering for a five week summer session will be assessed tuition per a predetermined resident or non-resident hourly rate. Students registered for three (3) credit hours or less will be assessed student fees at a reduced rate (approximately 50%). Students registering for three and one-half (3-1/2) credit hours plus, will be assessed student fees in total.

B. Withdrawals -
Students who are registered for classes and decide not to attend have the responsibility to cancel classes before the first day of the relevant term.  Nonattendance does not constitute cancellation or withdrawal.  Students who officially withdrawals during the fall and winter trimesters will be assessed tuition and fees according to the schedule below:

Students officially withdraw during the summer terms will be given assessed tuition and fees according to the following schedule below:

To be eligible to receive the reduction in tuition and fees according to this schedule, the official withdrawal must be completed using WEBOPUS prior to midnight on the Sunday of the week indicated, with the exception of Census date deadlines.

Students withdrawing on or after the first day of the term will be charged the full matriculation fee.

Room and board charges are calculated using the same schedule based on the date of check out from Student Housing. A student must check out of Student Housing within 48 hours of withdrawing from the College. Disciplinary removals from the Student Housing will result in full assessment of room charges and forfeiture of the housing deposit.

Students who receive financial aid and then withdraw may be required to repay all or a portion of aid received. Repayment amounts are determined in accordance with federal, state and institutional regulations and policies. Refunds and repayments for students receiving Title IV financial aid will be calculated using the “Return of Title IV Fund” formula.

Refunds will be sent to the student at their permanent address after the withdrawal process is completed. There is a 30-day hold on payments made with a personal check. Payments made on a charge card will be credited back to the charge card.

C. Application Fee - An application fee is required of all first time applicants to Fort Lewis College. If the applicant does not include the fee with the application, the applicant is notified in subsequent correspondence regarding admission status, of the unpaid fee. If the applicant fails to pay the fee and is accepted and enrolls, at census date, a list including the student’s name and social security number is transmitted to the Accounts Receivable Office by admissions staff. The charges are then added to the student’s account.

D. Matriculation Fee - The one-time matriculation fee is assessed to all students in their first term of attendance.

E. Special Course Fee - Special course fees are assessed to those students participating in courses requiring extraordinary supplies, travel, facilities, etc. Fee amounts for each course are then transmitted to the Records Office for loading to the "COURSE" file. The Institutional Plan for student fees addresses the process for approval of course fees.

F. Late Payment Charges - Late payment charges are assessed to those students who fail to pay their financial obligation by a specified payment date each term. Students having made financial arrangements and failing to pay by an agreed upon date are also assessed late payment charges. Charges are assessed by the Accounts Receivable staff based upon the past due balance, as follows:

G. Late Registration Fees - Registration dates are specified for each term. Students registering at a later date without justification or reason, are assessed a late registration fee by the Records Office.

H. Room and Board

1. Establishing Charges - The Student Housing Office is responsible for the assessment and adjustment of Room and Board charges. See the current published schedule of charges for appropriate rates.

2. College Policy Concerning Housing Charges - All students assigned to the Residence Halls (dorms and suites) will take their meals in the College cafeterias, and are billed for room and board accordingly. All students in the campus housing system are billed by the trimester, rather than on a monthly basis.

Students moving out of campus housing or failing to fulfill their housing contracts will have their charges adjusted according to published College policy.

3. Board Only Meal Tickets - Enrolled students who are not housed in the on-campus facilities are permitted to purchase meal tickets. The appropriate charges are entered by the Housing Office.

I. Dorm or Apartment Damages - When evidence of damage exists, the Housing Office personnel will determine the amount of damage from Physical Plant records and the charges will be entered to the student’s account and billed by Accounts Receivable staff. If the damages remain unpaid at the time the Housing Office refunds the student’s security deposit, the Accounts Receivable Office will deduct the damage from the refund.

J. Financial Aid Overawards - An overaward occurs when the Financial Aid Office determines that a grant or scholarship has been erroneously disbursed to a student either partially or in total. Federal and State regulations governing financial aid require that the aid accounts be reimbursed when an error is discovered. The Director of Financial Aid requests the Controller’s Office to establish an Institutional Accounts Receivable from the student. The Financial Aid Office notifies the student of the amount due and the reason for the action. The collection process begins at this point.

K. Short Term Student Loans - See FLC Policy/Procedure 1-12 which states policies, responsibilities, and procedures for the disbursement, accounting, reporting, and collection of loans made from the Fort Lewis College Emergency Student Loan Fund.

L. Bad Checks and Returned Item Assessments - Bad checks are returned to the College by our depository bank. A College check is prepared by the Controller’s Office and payable to Fort Lewis College and deposited with Wells Fargo Bank to reimburse the bank for those checks returned against our account. The checks are reviewed to determine the purpose for which the check was written in order to properly charge back to the point of origin. Checks which were written for the following purposes to the College are entered onto the Student’s account:

Tuition and Fees
Room and Board
Dormitory Damages
Short Term Student Loans
Auto Fines
Checks Written for Cash
Other Miscellaneous Charges

This not only charges the student’s account but also creates the necessary entry to the fiscal system. Bad checks written by non-enrolled students for purposes such as transcripts, housing deposits, Perkins Loans, application fees, etc. are not accounted for on the student’s account but instead are charged back against the account originally credited and returned to the department personnel responsible for assessing those particular types of charges.

A returned item assessment is charged to the respective student’s account for each check returned.

The amount of the bad check can only be eliminated from the student’s account by receiving payment, in cash or certified funds, or by a write-off if it is determined to be uncollectible at a later date. The amount of the returned item assessment can be adjusted off for a valid reason (i.e. bank error caused returned check rather than fault of student).

M. Conditions for Reduced Student Fees:

1. Fort Lewis College students may be eligible for a reduction of their student fees if their college courses require them to be located outside of La Plata County for a minimum of 80% of the school term (i.e., 12 weeks during either the Fall or Winter trimesters or 4 weeks during any five week summer session).

2. Faculty or staff within the relevant academic department must notify the Accounts Receivable Office of students eligible for the fee reduction. The notification shall include the student’s name and identification number.

3. A student’s fees relating to Student Activities, (including the Lift), Athletics, Health Center, and Technology may be reduced to zero. The Facilities Use Fee and the Student Life Center Fee relate to repayment of outstanding bonds and may not be reduced.

4. If a student’s fees are reduced, the student is not permitted to use the services provided by Student Activities, (including the Lift), Athletics, Health Center, and Academic Computing Labs.

IV. COLLECTIONS

A. The student will receive a bill and is responsible for the payment of all charges, including tuition, room and board. If parents wish to accept this responsibility, then a copy of the bill must be forwarded by students to their parents. Similarly, payment of the final bill must reach this office by the published census date. The census date is approximately two weeks after the start of the Fall and Winter Trimesters and the fifth day of each summer session.

Students who receive financial aid and then withdraw may be required to repay all or a proportionate amount of aid received. Repayment amounts are determined in accordance with federal, state and institutional regulations and policies. Refunds for all new transfer and first-time freshman students receiving Title IV financial aid will be calculated using the Title IV pro rata refund schedule.

Students requesting deferral of payments must contact the Accounts Receivable Office during the payment period and, if they have approved financial aid pending, they are required to sign a Financial Obligation Form, specifying a date the payment will be made. Payment information from this form is data entered into the TSAISTL form for periodic analysis of outstanding accounts.

B. Students with money in transit or extenuating circumstances are required to follow the above listed process. Third Party bills are prepared for students whose circumstances warrant this procedure, i.e. National Guard Tuition Assistance, Concurrent Admission Program with area high schools (Fast Track), Colorado Division of Rehabilitation, etc.

C. During the academic term, student accounts and accounts receivable detail are continuously analyzed by the A/R staff to assure correct balances and accurate reporting. The A/R staff is responsible for the billing and collection of all student accounts; however, the actual receipt of student payments is handled by the Cashier’s Office.

D. At the end of the payment period, those students who have failed to pay or sign a Financial Obligation Form are notified by mail, according to College policy of impending disenrollment. Failure to heed this notice results in administrative withdrawal from classes. Notification is sent to each instructor informing them of the students who have not yet paid. If the student fails to clear his account at this time, the financial termination is finalized.  If the student subsequently pays the bill and requests reinstatement of course credits and grades after financial termination, that student will be required to pay, or provide proof of approved financial aid, for future tuition and fees before being permitted to register for any future classes.

E. Refunds are processed for students due funds from the College for properly adjusted accounts, excess financial aid, or from housing security deposits.

F. After the end of the term, the student is notified of pending transmission of outstanding accounts to Central Collection Services for appropriate collection and/or legal action. Fort Lewis College is required by the State of Colorado to submit all delinquent accounts to Central Collections at 60 days past due or 30 days past the registration period for the next semester for current students. Should this become necessary, reasonable collection costs will be added to the amount due and shall be paid by the debtor. If the State of Colorado obtains judgment from a court or competent jurisdiction, the debtor shall be liable for the collection agency fee as well as reasonable court costs and attorney’s fees. The following illustrates the time frame that is required for referring Fort Lewis College past due accounts to Central Collection Service:

V. RECONCILIATIONS

A. Monthly Reconciliation

1. Student Accounts Receivable - A report of all outstanding accounts receivable is generated each month for the purpose of reconciling to the General Ledger. Accounts receivable balances are broken down by General Ledger account number. The account totals are compared with the General Ledger figures for the same account numbers. Any resulting differences are then investigated and corrected. This procedure is repeated each month and the related work papers are maintained in the Student Accounts Receivable area.

2. Central Collection Service - Student accounts that have been referred to the State of Colorado, Central Collection Service (CCS) for collection are reconciled upon receipt of the monthly status report from CCS.

3. Deposits:

Advance Payments
Special Course Deposits
Housing Deposits

During the month-end closing routine, detail on all student identification numbers with current balances in any of the above accounts will be printed. These account totals are compared with the General Ledger. Any differences will be investigated and resolved.

VI. ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS

A. An account titled "Allowance for Doubtful Accounts" will be established in all General Ledger funds containing student receivables. Annually, as of June 30^th, an analysis will be made of outstanding balances in the various funds and appropriate adjustments will be posted to this account. The offset in each case will be charged to bad debt expense.

B. Student accounts for the purpose of this section are defined as those accounts which arise from the enrollment of individuals at Fort Lewis College. These accounts are aged on a fiscal year basis as follows: 5 week 3, Fall, Winter, 5 week 1 and 5 week 2. Based upon previous collection patterns the following percentages of the outstanding amount as of June 30^th will be posted to the allowance accounts:

C. A hold is placed on transcripts and future registration for students whose account is written off. CCS continues to attempt collection by tax-offset.