Policies
Student Payment Policy
Purpose
The purpose of the Student Payment Policy is to ensure that all students have either paid their account balance in full or have made approved payment arrangements by the required payment due date for each term, which are defined below.
Scope
This policy applies to all Wilson College students and any student service-oriented offices (Student Financial Services, Business Office, Registrar’s Office, Residence Life, etc.)
Definitions
Student Accounts Workgroup – Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration, Accountant III, Director of Student Financial Services, Assistant Director of Student Financial Services, Student Financial Services Counselor, Assistant Director of Financial Aid. This group is supported by Vice President for Finance and Administration and Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Policy
Payment Requirements:
Invoices are not mailed to students. Students are required to check their student portal and Wilson College e-mail account for any balance related information.
Approved Payment Arrangements Include:
• Cash/Check
• Debit/Credit card payments
• Financial aid
• Approved payment plan (for details go to https://www.wilson.edu/paying-college)
Payment Allocation:
SFS Staff will apply received payments (ex. Cash, check) to the oldest balance first, prioritizing the student receivable balance (ex. Tuition, Required Fees, Housing, and Food) before considering non-required fees (Horse Board, Pet Fees, Fines, etc.). Students may direct their own payment by paying directly through Self Service.
NOTE: The College reserves the right to bar a continuing student from enrolling in a future payment plan if the student has a history of two or more incomplete, defaulted, or deactivated prior plans.
The Published Due Dates for Invoices Are as Follows*:
• Fall or Fall I Semester – July 30
• Fall II – September 30
• Spring or Spring I Semester – December 15
• Spring II – February 15
• Summer or Summer I Semester – April 15
• Summer II – June 15
*If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, payment is due on the next business day
Students Who Register Prior to the Bill Due Date
Students must have acceptable payment arrangements for all previous terms prior to the billing due date for a subsequent term of registration. For the upcoming term, students must have their account balance paid in full or have approved payment arrangements by the published due dates listed in this policy.
Students Who Register After the Bill Due Date
Students must have acceptable payment arrangements for all previous terms prior to the billing due date for a subsequent term of registration. For the upcoming term, students must pay account balances within 30 days following the assessment of tuition charges or the last day of the add/drop period, whichever is first.
Failure to Pay
Any student account with an outstanding balance as of the due date may be administratively dropped at the discretion of Student Accounts Workgroup.
A student who is administratively dropped is not considered an enrolled student for the semester. As a result, an administrative drop restricts students from:
• Attending classes (both online and in person)
• Student housing and food plan
• Athletics or any other College sanctioned club or activity
If a student is administratively dropped from classes, and then is able to satisfy their financial obligations, the student will need to re-register for all classes. In such cases, returning students must electronically re-enroll in courses through the student self-service portal. New students will need to contact the registrar’s office to re-enroll. The College does not guarantee that students are able to re-enroll in courses previously selected.
Semester Charges
Charges applied to the student’s account during the semester (example: book charges, fines, etc.) must be paid 30 days after the charge is placed on the account.
Financial Aid will not cover certain charges; these charges are therefore assessed as “Non-Allowance Charges for FA” (ex. Horse Board, Pet Fees, Late Payment Fees, Secondary Vehicle Registration, etc.) Students may inquire with SFS Staff for a full listing of charges ineligible for financial aid coverage.
Failure to make payment will be subject to a Financial Hold and late fee policies. No carryover balances are permitted and therefore all outstanding balances must be paid in full in order to start the next semester. If a balance remains, the student will be dropped from all future courses on the last day of the current semester. Any charges applied after the end of the semester (example: room fine) must be paid no later than the payment due date of the next semester.
Financial Hold
The Financial Hold restricts student access to diplomas and precludes future term registration or scheduling adjustments. Financial Holds are applied to a student’s account if the balance has persisted past the due date or for 30 days from the date that charges were assessed AND the balance is $1,000.00 or more. All accounts will receive a Financial Hold on the 15th of the last full month of the term (November, April, June, July), regardless of the amount overdue. If a student separates from the College and has an outstanding balance at the time of separation, the Financial Hold will persist until the account balance is paid in full, even in instances where the student is enrolled in a satisfactory payment plan. Post-baccalaureate students who have elected to defer payment receive Deferred Registration restrictions according to the Deferred Payment Policy.
Implementation
Student accounts are regularly reviewed by the Student Accounts Workgroup.