Tuition Payment Deadline and Funds Flow Working Group

1. Issue: Tuition is due prior to the date financial aid can be disbursed.
   Recommendation: Move the tuition billing due date to be when financial aid disburses to simplify the process for students and use available funds disbursed to pay bills for student direct costs of tuition and housing. Payment deadlines will be reduced to two – the first tuition payment deadline when financial aid disburses, and then only one additional deadline on the 12^th class day when students will be automatically put into an installment plan if they have a remainder due.
2. Issue: Tuition bill and housing bill due dates occur on different dates.
   Recommendation: Align due dates for tuition and housing/dining to be on same days in order to make it easier for students and families to understand their total costs and expected payments. The first, second, and third payments will be the same date for both tuition and housing, and only housing will have a fourth payment date.
3. Issue: College SS1 scholarships do not automatically pay any outstanding balances for direct costs (including tuition and housing); instead college scholarships are disbursed to students who then must pay any outstanding bills, causing confusion for many students.
   Recommendation: College SS1 scholarships should pay all past due bills and any direct bills due, including current and any installment payments, for direct costs of tuition and housing, before disbursing any remaining funds to students. College SS1 scholarships should pay on the same day as financial aid disburses if possible. Any past due bills would be paid first, and then any remaining funds would pay current direct cost bills. Any remainder owed after all funding is utilized would become a new installment plan.
4. Issue: Payments that are less than the minimum amount due are not applied to the tuition bill.
   Recommendation: Allow students and families to make payments of any size to be applied to their payment due for current tuition or other bills owed. Minimum amount to be determined as well as allowing different types of payments.
5. Issue: Students do not understand the tuition payment process and impact on their registration if they do not pay their tuition bill on time.
   Recommendation:  Create a Financial Responsibility Agreement for all students to sign after they register for classes that will help students understand that if they don’t pay their tuition and other bills, they will be automatically entered into an installment plan, their classes may be cancelled, and other important information. Draft Financial Responsibility Agreement attached as Appendix A.
6. Issue: Many students and families have requested the ability to pay their estimated tuition at the time of registration rather than waiting until a few weeks before classes start.
   Recommendation: Provide ability for students to make a payment towards their estimated tuition bill at the time of registration.

The 6 recommendations for Fall 2021 to improve processes to benefit undergraduate students for fall semester have been approved by the Provost and CFO to begin implementation.  Phase Two for TPFF Work Group is looking at processes for students entering in the spring and summer semesters and improvement efforts on meeting the needs of graduate and professional students.