501 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Student Accounts

Introduction

Purpose

North Carolina law requires the University to charge and collect tuition, fees and other applicable payments for the term at the beginning of each semester or quarter (NCGS § 116-143). The University is also required to collect Accounts Receivable, including past due accounts in accordance with guidelines established by the Office of the State Controller.

Policy

Policy Statement

A student financial account is established for each student at the time the student accepts an admission offer to the University. This account is used to record various student charges and payments. Each student is personally responsible for the proper settlement of his/her student financial account.

Tuition and fees for all University students are due and payable prior to the beginning of each term. Due dates are published on the University Registrar's Calendar and on the Office of the University Cashier's website. All students registering in the billing period for each term will receive an electronic billing statement indicating the payment due date. Students choosing to register after the billing period must compute their tuition and fees based on the published rates and prepay or show proof of financial aid before being allowed to register.

A student's registration will be subject to cancellation when prior term, past due charges have not been resolved before the current term. Students not paying or deferring current term charges by the due date may be subject to cancellation. Students intending to cancel enrollment must contact the Office of the University Registrar and follow the cancellation procedure to ensure that related current term charges are reversed. Any unpaid balance on a student's account may prevent registration. In addition, transcripts and diplomas may be withheld until outstanding balances are paid.

Students who leave the University with unpaid balances are subject to collections actions. These actions will begin with a letter reminding the student of the unpaid debt and encouraging immediate payment, payment arrangements or other action to resolve the debt and avoid additional actions. If the student fails to respond satisfactorily, a final letter will be sent, a late fee will apply and each month thereafter, interest will apply. Next steps include referral to the NC State Attorney General's Office as practical, referral to collection agencies and litigation where appropriate. Additional actions will include pursuit through the NC State Offset Debt Collection Act (SODCA) and the NC State Employee Debt Collection Act (SEDCA), when applicable.

Student accounts receivable will be written off the student accounts receivable and expensed as bad debt, once collection efforts have been exhausted. Writing off the account balance does not relieve the legal obligation of the student to pay the debt. A record of the debt and the related student account holds are maintained along with SODCA and SEDCA reporting until the debts are discharged by the Office of the Attorney General or collected. If the written off bad debt is later collected, then the resulting funds will be recognized as recovery of write-off revenues.

Checks and money orders for payment of student accounts should include the student's identification number (PID) and be made payable to: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mailing Address:

Office of the University Cashier
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2215 SASB North, CB 1400
450 Ridge Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Exceptions

Students expecting financial aid may submit a request for deferment of the initial due date through ConnectCarolina. In no instance can the online Financial Aid Deferment request take the place of other required documentation such as the Tuition Waiver Request for UNC-Chapel Hill Employees, Application for Faculty and Staff Tuition Waiver, Application for Financial Aid, Graduate Student Employee Payment Plan Form, etc., which may be requested at any time by the Cashier's Office.

The Financial Aid Deferment request only permits a student to defer current term charges for a short period beyond the original due date to allow time for financial aid to apply and for tuition waivers, tuition remission, etc. to be processed. Students are expected to pay the amount they know will not be covered by aid or a third party by the original due date.

Deferred Payment

Payment deferment is available for current amounts due for students receiving financial aid. In addition, students enrolled in either graduate payroll deduction or the Tuition Management Systems (TMS) payment plan or for whom the University Cashier is billing a third party will receive appropriate extended due dates. Past due and/or prior term amounts cannot be deferred.

In order to request a deferment of the initial term due date on the basis of financial aid, financial aid recipients must complete the Financial Aid Deferment request in the ConnectCarolina Student Center or contact the Cashier's Office.

First-time recipients of financial aid may be required to furnish documentation to the Office of the University Cashier of their eligibility for receiving aid, including the source and the amount. If there is not sufficient funding for the anticipated tuition, fees, and housing charges, the unfunded portion must be paid by the original bill due date.

Aid for Deferment Purposes

Financial aid for deferment purposes includes the following:

• Scholarships/grants from UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid;
• Guaranteed Loan or Supplemental Loan;
• UNC department assistantship, fellowship, or scholarship;
• UNC tuition remissions;
• UNC athletic grant-in-aid;
• UNC employee tuition waiver;
• UNC Graduate Student Employee Payment Plan;
• UNC departmental funding;
• Direct and/or PLUS Loan; and
• Scholarship/loan/grant from non-UNC source.

Returned Student Account Payments

Any payments refused by the payer bank due to inaccurate bank account information, insufficient funds or closed account, are subject to a $25.00 returned payment feed. In addition, a student account hold restricting registration and the receipt of diplomas and transcripts will be placed on the account. This hold will not be released until the amount is repaid. In some cases where the returned payment was made in order to register for classes, those classes may be cancelled based on nonpayment. The University reserves the right to observe a 10-day waiting period to ensure that any replacement payment clears. For immediate release of the student account hold, payment must be cash, money order or certified check.

Related Requirements

External Regulations and Consequences

• NCGS 105A: Setoff Debt Collection Act
• NC Office of the State Controller: Accounts Receivable Policies
• North Carolina Accounting System Accounts Receivable policies
• Other student payment options

University Policies, Standards, and Procedures

• Finance Procedure 501.1 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Procedure on Departmental Payment of Student Charges
• Finance Procedure 501.2 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Procedure on Collecting Past Due Student Accounts
• Finance Procedure 501.3 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Procedure on Late Payment Fee and Interest
• Finance Procedure 1291.1 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Procedure on Routing Requests for Special Tuition Rates for Non-Resident Students

Contact Information