01. POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01 This
UPPS sets forth university policy for students' financial obligations.
01.02 University
administrators have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the collection of
financial obligations owed to the State and the university.
The university will make every reasonable effort to notify students of
any outstanding financial obligations. It is the student's responsibility to
meet these obligations as required.
01.03 The
university will have a documented procedure that treats all cases equitably that
will protect the university from claims of unfair treatment.
01.04 Student
Business Services has primary responsibility for establishing and administering
policies and procedures for the collection of students’ financial obligations.
02. AUTHORITY
02.01 Texas
State University System Regents’ Rules and Regulations establish
system-wide policy for students’ financial obligations. These are set forth in
Chapter VI, Sub-sections 9.2 and 9.3, as follows:
"Students'
Financial Obligations. Students are expected to meet their financial obligation
to the Component within the designated time allowed. Registration fees are payable at the time of
registration, and students are not entitled to enter class or laboratory until
their fees and deposits have been paid. Other charges and financial obligations
are due at registration or within ten days after a bill is rendered by the Component
or according to the special payment instructions that may be printed on the
bill.
Penalties for Failure to Pay. Failure to pay in the allotted time the amount owed to the Component for tuition, fees, charges, or any other financial obligations may result in any or all of the following:
(1) Dismissal
from the Component or other disciplinary actions;
(2) Withholding
of future registration privileges;
(3) Withholding
the issuance of grades or of an official certified transcript;
(4) Withholding
the conferring of a degree;
(5) Bar
against re-admission for the student;
(6) Assessment
of late fees and/or reinstatement fees.”
03. DEFINITION OF AND PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING OUTSTANDING
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
03.01 Student financial obligations may include the following:
a. tuition,
room, board, drop fees, schedule change fees, late registration fees,
orientation fees, application fees, matriculation fees, and other
registration-related fees (such
as Technology Resources, Library, Campus Recreation, shuttle bus, Student
Center);
b. returned
checks and related fees;
c. payment
of delinquent charges, delinquent payment penalty, registration reinstatement
fee, installment fees;
d. residence
hall or university-owned apartment damages, unpaid rent, late charges, unpaid
electricity;
e. lab
breakage, damaged equipment, lost equipment, chemical fees, supplies;
f. Health
Center charges, X-ray charges, prescription charges, late fees;
g. tutorial
and lost book charges;
h. parking
permit, duplicate identification card charges, traffic violations, parking
violations and associated fees;
i. absentia
fees, transcript fees;
j. testing
fees;
k. student
loans, installments, collection costs and associated fees;
l. charges for other university-provided
services or functions (such as canoe rental, room rental, athletic events, and
fine arts programs);
m. property damage; or
n. any
other debt owed to the university.
03.02 Notice
of Financial Obligations – The university will give due notice to students failing
to meet their financial obligations by email to the Texas State student email
account, campus mail, or standard U. S. Postal Service.
Student Business Services will utilize standard
university publications (such as the Schedule of Classes and the university web
site) to advise students of the consequences for non-payment of fees or for
failure to clear a returned check or other debts.
03.03 As
consequences for the student’s failure to meet financial obligations, the
university may:
a. dismiss the student from the university;
b. cancel
the student’s classes;
c. prohibit
registration for succeeding classes;
d. withhold
official transcripts;
e. withhold
the conference of a degree;
f. bar
re-admission to the university;
g. prohibit
the student from remaining in a residence hall or university- owned apartment
and using a meal plan;
h. assess
additional fees for delinquent payments as detailed on the Student Business
Services website;
i. assess
additional fees for each returned check and non-acceptance of checks for
payments to the university;
j. report
unpaid university obligations to credit agencies;
k. cease
university-provided services; or
l. place
warrant holds with the State Comptroller’s Office stopping state payment to the
individual owing the debt.
03.04 Financial Holds – Student Business Services will place financial holds on the records of students who have outstanding financial obligations.
When the student has cleared all financial obligations, the university will remove the hold and restore services.
03.05 Insufficient
Funds Checks (NSF checks) – the university will place students who present two
NSF checks within a one-year period of time (measured from the date the first
check is returned to the date the second check is returned) on a ‘cash basis’
(cash, cashier’s check, certified check or credit card) for one year (measured
from the date the second check is returned). The university will place students
who present five NSF checks, in total, on a “permanent cash basis” (cash,
cashiers’ check, certified check or credit card).
04. PROCEDURE FOR WITHHOLDING TRANSCRIPTS
04.01 The Family Education Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974 requires that the university provide requesting individuals
copies of their unofficial grade transcripts and other education records as
requested, though the requesting party may have an outstanding obligation to
the university. The university may withhold an official validated transcript
with the Registrar's seal thereon from a person with outstanding financial
obligations to the university.
04.02 If a student has unresolved financial obligations to the university, and if the student has neither filed for bankruptcy nor had the debt discharged in bankruptcy, the university will follow these procedures in allowing the student (or someone acting on his or her behalf) access to his or her transcript:
a. The
Registrar will produce the transcript for inspection or duplication at the
Registrar’s Office, while the original transcript will remain in the
Registrar’s office.
b. The
Registrar will not question the person seeking to inspect or copy the
transcript other than requesting the party’s proper identification, identifying
the requested transcript, and establishing that the Registrar can honor the
request.
c. The
Registrar should afford the student an opportunity to take notes of the
contents of the transcript, or pay for its duplication, or both.
d. The
Registrar may charge only the actual copying cost for a non-certified
transcript.
04.03 Students
may appeal these actions by presenting written documentary evidence to the Director
of Student Business Services that an accounting error in recording payment caused
the administrative actions. The university will accept documented serious
emergencies that precluded payment by the due date as the only other grounds
for appeal. Lack of sufficient funds will not be considered an emergency
circumstance. The Director of Student Business Services will review the written
material and make a decision with due consideration to the student's welfare.
05. RESPONSIBILITIES
FOR COLLECTING STUDENTS’ FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
05.01
Student Business Services has primary responsibility for the collection of
registration-related student fees and other financial charges and will work to
assure that losses from unpaid student financial obligations are minimized.
When it is feasible, Student Business Services will also assist other university
departments in collection of non-registration fees, per the following section.
05.02 University
departments that collect non-registration student fees and other financial
charges have primary responsibility for the collection of such amounts. They
should exercise diligence in their collection efforts, so as to minimize losses
from unpaid obligations. These departments may be granted security access by
Student Business Services to place their own financial holds on students’
records. Departments must notify Student Business Services of student
non-payment within thirty days after the obligation becomes due. This will
enable Student Business Services to assist with the collection efforts, if
feasible.
06. PROCEDURES FOR DISSEMINATION OF THIS POLICY
06.01 The university has adopted the board authorization as policy. The Treasurer shall be responsible for assuring that this policy is published in the University Catalog, Student Handbook, and other appropriate publications.
07. REVIEWERS
OF THIS UPPS
07.01 Reviewers
of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Treasurer July 1 E5Y
08. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of
this document until superseded.
Treasurer;
senior reviewer of this UPPS
Vice
President for Finance and Support Services
President