Payment for Degree Programs and Student Financial Records
Establishing Fees: Each degree program offered through The Tseng College must have an established fee schedule before the program can be marketed.
Program fees are determined by considering the operating cost of each cohort, the up-front investment in developing the program, and the program's value and distinction in the market place. The cohort-based operating budget for each program should be developed by the program director in collaboration with The Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance.
Required Approvals: Drafts of the budget, the final budget and established fees must be approved by The Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance and the dean of The Tseng College. The Tseng College program director should keep a record of this approval in the file for the program/cohort in question.
The CSUN Campus Fee Committee: New fees and changes in fees must be submitted to the CSUN campus fee committee for review. The CSUN fee committee recommends approval or disapproval to the CSUN president, who makes the final fee decision. The Tseng College works with the CSUN campus fee committee to approve a range of fees for self-support degree programs. If the proposed fee for a new program or new cohort is within that range there is no need for review and approval through the CSUN campus fee committee.
It generally takes a full semester to get on the schedule of the CSUN fee committee in order to get a new fee approved. Therefore, it is important to begin developing a budget and considering pricing very early in the program planning process in order to determine whether or not the fee will be within the approved range or will exceed that range and require review and approval. The Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance is responsible for The Tseng College's work with the CSUN fee committee, can answer any questions about the fee committee process, and is responsible for presenting Tseng College fee issues to the CSUN fee committee.
Financial Codes: At least six weeks prior to the start of the program/cohort in question, the Tseng College program director should work with the Tseng College assistant budget analyst to establish the "item type" codes and "project/grant" codes for the program/cohort. These codes enable The Tseng College to track revenue and expenses for each program/cohort.
Establishing Billing and Payment Schedules for Degree Programs: Print and Web marketing materials for all degree programs must carry a clear statement of the established fee. The fee can be expressed per course and/or per credit unit
Billing Schedules: There are two options for billing schedules: twice yearly (fall and spring) OR three times yearly (summer, fall and spring).
Payment Schedules: Program directors working with the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services can choose to have payments due at the time of billing and offer no payment plan beyond that. However, if a program director feels it would be useful to allow students to spread out payments, the program director can work with the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services to choose one of the first three payment schedules below.
Note: Only the following payment options are available. Cohort programs may use only the last (option d).
a. Term charges can be spread out as three equal payments. The first payment is due 15 days before the start of the first class and the subsequent payments are due in 30-day increments.
b. Term charges can be spread out into three payments with the first payment no greater than 50 percent of the total amount due and the other two payments will be equal payments of the remaining balance. The first payment is due 15 days before the start of the first class in the term and the two subsequent payments are due at 30-day intervals.
c. Term charges can be made in two payments with the first no larger than 60 percent of the total amount due. The first payment is due 15 days before the start of the first class and the second payment is due 60 days later.
d. Term charges must paid in full at least 30 days before the start of the first class.
When determining which of the payment schedules above is best, the program director together with the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services should consider the following:
Payment schedules should keep the program financially sound and keep the demands on Tseng College resources to a minimum.
Payment schedules must accommodate students who qualify for and receive Financial Aid.
Payment schedules are most effective if payments are spread reasonably across the term of the enrollment.
Approval of the Billing and Payment Plans: The billing and payment plans for each program must be selected and approved before marketing begins. Program directors should work with the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services to select a payment schedule before the program is marketed. The Tseng College program director should keep record of this approval in the file for the program/cohort in question.
Approved payment schedules must appear on each program's Web site. The site should also provide a link to the payment method information so that the students will understand their options for making payments (online, via mail, in person, etc).
Exceptions to the Billing and Payment Plans: All students must make payments according to the established approved billing and payment schedules for the programs in which they are enrolled. Any exceptions must be approved in writing by the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services and the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance. The Tseng College program director should keep this approval for exception in the file for the program/cohort in question.
Students cannot be given personalized payment plans. All are expected to make payments on or before the due date.
Establishing Refund Policies and Granting Refunds: The Tseng College does not give refunds to cohort students once the classes for that term have begun. Prior to the start of marketing for a cohort degree program, a clear statement defining the no-refund policy must be written for inclusion in Web-based marketing materials.
"Special-Circumstance" Exceptions: Students seeking a refund due to special circumstances must send their request together with the reason for the request in writing (email is acceptable) to the Tseng College program director. If the Tseng College program director feels that special circumstances exist and that some portion of the fees should be refunded to the student, he or she should consult with the Director of Academic Support and Finance and the student accounts specialist, who will jointly determine the appropriate amount of the refund.
In the case of students who have received any type of Financial Aid for the semester from which they wish to drop or withdraw, the student accounts specialist must consult with the Tseng College financial aid analyst and the assistant for operations in the CSUN Financial Aid office. The Financial Aid assistant for operations will use the "last date of attendance" to compute the amount of financial aid that must be repaid to the university. After this amount has been computed, the Financial Aid assistant will update the student's financial aid standing and the student's account, so that the Tseng College student accounts specialist can calculate and enter the refund information into the student's account.
Ensuring Timely Solar Set Up for Programs and Cohorts: At least one month prior to the start of a program or cohort, the Tseng College program director should provide Academic Support and Services with the item type, billing schedule, payment schedule, class schedule, and cohort name for his or her program or cohort. This information will be used to program Solar so that the correct fees are charged to the student and the correct due dates are set for the program/cohort in question.
Approval for Non-Standard Fees: If a cohort student takes classes outside the stated cohort class schedule and is charged additional fees for these additional classes, the amount of the additional fee must be approved in writing by the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance. Once a non-standard fee is approved, the program director should alert the student accounts specialist. The Tseng College program director should keep a record of this approval in the file for the program/cohort in question.
Timeliness of Payments: The student accounts specialist will track payments and send Accounts Receivable aging reports to the program directors bi-monthly. Students can elect to make their payments online or send their payment directly to The Tseng College, "Attention: Client Services." Payments must be received on or before the due date specified on the billing (or payment) schedule.
Under no circumstances should the program director/coordinator, other Tseng College staff members, or instructors handle cash or any other forms of payment, regardless of the means of transmittal. University cash-handling policies are very complex and rigorous. Only the Tseng College registration team and the cashier that works with the registration team can receive and process payments.
Program directors should ensure via written communications as well as marketing materials ? that all students admitted to their programs know how, when and to whom payments are to be submitted.
Methods of Payment: Students may make payments in person at The Tseng College registration office, by mail, or online. The Tseng College accepts cash, checks, and credit cards (VISA and MasterCard) at the registration counter and checks via U.S. mail. Students can also pay online using E-Checks or credit cards.
NOTE: When Tseng College students pay by credit card, they are not charged the convenience fee that is charged to CSUN students who use credit cards to make payments on state-supported programs.
Accounts Receivable Audit: The student accounts specialist will audit student accounts for all degree programs offered through The Tseng College. This audit process identifies students who are falling behind in their payments. The Tseng College Academic Support and Services team will work with the student accounts specialist to provide timely and informative student accounts reports for program directors and relevant Tseng College executive team members. The student accounts specialist will report her findings to the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance, who has the authority and responsibility to take action if a student account falls behind. The program director is expected to remind students who are late with payments about the payment schedules and payment dates, but if such intervention from the director fails to prompt a payment before the next payment is due, the director of Academic Support and Finance will confer with the program director and the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services and then take appropriate action to ensure payment (or to disenroll the student). The Tseng College Academic Support and Services team will also furnish electronic reports on program revenues to Tseng College program directors/coordinators.
NOTE: Students have the ability to review their own accounts online at any time. Program directors should be sure students know about this option and how to use the CSUN Web portal.
Past-Due Accounts: When students fall more than 30 days behind in their payments, the Solar system automatically places a Financial Credit History (FCH) hold on their accounts unless the student has enough anticipated aid to cover the amount of the outstanding charges. This hold will prevent the student from receiving services from the university until the account is brought current and the hold is released. Registration Services will not enroll a student with an FCH service indicator.
Tseng College students with past-due accounts will receive a notice from the Tseng College student account specialist via U.S. mail. The Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance will determine what additional steps are necessary if a student's account falls more than 30 days behind.
In no case will a student be permitted to remain in the program if his or her account is more than 90 days in arrears.
Credit Balances: Cohort students will be allowed to carry forward credit balances that have resulted from overpayments (but not excess financial aid awards) as prepayment for the next term charges. The Tseng College student account specialist will place an SFB (Student Financial Balance) service indicator on the student's account to prevent a refund if the student alerts the program director or student accounts specialist that he or she wishes to carry a balance forward rather than receive a refund.
Student Bills: Students should always be encouraged to utilize the university portal to view their accounts online. Cohort students should be notified via email by the program director/coordinator prior to each billing cycle. In addition the university may notify students of past-due balances.
Collections for Past-Due Accounts: Once the Tseng College student accounts specialist has determined that an account is delinquent and that finding has been confirmed by the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Finance and the Tseng College director of Academic Support and Services, a collection process will begin. This process is summarized below:
Credit History: After a charge is 30 days past due, a Financial Credit History (FCH) hold is automatically placed on the student's account. Under this "hold," the student is no longer able to receive services from the university until the account is brought current.
Past-Due Letters: The student account financial specialist mails past-due letters to all students whose accounts have become past-due. These letters inform the students that their accounts are past-due and they will not be enrolled in any further classes until their account is brought current.
Final Collections and Records Hold: If the account is not settled by the conclusion of the term, additional letters are sent monthly and a Financial Payment Collection (FPC) hold is placed on the student's account. After the fourth letter, delinquent accounts are sent to a collection agency and a Financial Collection Agency (FCA) hold is placed on the student's account. The collection agency collects for one year and then returns the account to the university. If payment has still not been made, a Financial Collection Withhold (FCW) hold is placed on the student's account. Ultimately, the accounts of all students will FCW holds are sent to the Franchise Tax Board for collection.
