REG - 30.01.9 Student Account Regulation

1. Purpose

The purpose of this regulation is to provide information regarding the Student Accounts Office.  The Student Accounts Office serves as the central collection center for student accounts receivables. The office is responsible for verifying that university billing, collection, and accounting procedures for student tuition, fees, and related charges are in compliance with federal and state statutes, as well as university policies.  Tuition rates are reviewed by the University's Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System and set annually by the North Carolina legislature. Fees are reviewed and approved by the University's Board of Trustees with final approval pending the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System review.

2. Scope

This regulation applies to student refunds, financial aid disbursements, billing and third-party payments.

3. Financial Aid

3.1 The Student Accounts Office works closely with the Financial Aid Office to coordinate each student’s payment of institutional charges with awarded financial aid.

3.2 Federal student financial aid can only be applied to “allowable charges” (tuition, fees, room, and board) as defined by the US Department of Education.

3.3 Authorization must be received from the student to use federal aid for other institutional charges (e.g., parking, library fines). 

3.4 In general, federal financial aid funds may only be used to pay for the student’s costs for the period for which the funds are provided. However, an institution may use current year funds to satisfy prior award year charges for tuition, fees, room, and board for a total of no more than the $200 limit as approved by the US Department of Education. The institution may also use current year federal aid awards to pay for other past educational related charges if the student, or parent in the case of PLUS loans, has given documented approval to the Student Accounts Office. 

4. Billing

4.1  Electronic bills (eBill) are emailed weekly to registered students with outstanding balances on their accounts. 

4.2 Only the official university email address is used to send the ebill.

4.3 A student can print a copy of the statement or forward the statement to his / her parents or a third party for payment. 

4.4 A student may also authorize a parent as a user in the university’s system for this purpose.

4.5  The university makes public their billing dates and payment due dates. These dates will be posted on the Student Accounts / Cashier’s website and communicated to students.

4.6 The North Carolina Board of Governors, as required by the North Carolina General Statute 116-143.7, imposes a tuition surcharge on students who take more than the designated credit hour limits determined by the Board of Governors.  The Registrar’s Office has a procedure in place to verify that students who meet the criteria for the tuition surcharge are billed appropriately according to the policy.

5. Refunds

5.1 All federal financial aid credit balances must be refunded to the student within 14 calendar days.

5.2 A credit balance is refundable if the Student Accounts Office has determined that the balance should be distributed to the student. This refundable credit balance may be caused by financial aid or other payments to the student’s account.

5.3 Refunds are distributed to the student via check or electronic deposit into a bank account authorized by the student.

5.4 If a parent PLUS loan created a credit balance on the student’s account, this balance must be refunded to the parent.

5.5 If the parent wants the refund to go directly to the student, the parent must provide the Student Accounts office with written authorization to distribute the refund to the student.

6. Third-Party Payments

6.1 Students bills may be paid by third parties (university department or outside organization) that commit to pay for all or part of the semester charges for a specific student.

6.2 Proper written authorization must be received in advance from the Third Party payor in order to officially grant credit to the student’s account.

6.3 Third parties should pay their bills within 30 calendar days of the billing date.

6.4 This authorization should be verified or renewed before the due date of each semester to prevent cancellation of course registration. 

6.5 The Student Accounts Office may refuse to accept future term third party authorizations from certain organizations that have consistently failed to pay their obligations in the past.

6.6 If the third party fails to make a payment within 60 calendar days or revokes the authorization for payment, the student becomes responsible for paying the bill. Students will be billed for any outstanding balance on the student account at the next billing cycle.

7. Tuition Waivers

7.1 Employees of an institution within the University of North Carolina may receive a tuition waiver to any of the system schools, in accordance with UNC GA policy (G.S. 116-143).

7.2 The Student Accounts and the Human Resources offices establish and publish a deadline to receive the approved tuition waiver request, which is the last day of the drop/add period.

7.3 The Student Accounts and the Human Resources offices establish a process for ensuring that students do not exceed the number of courses allowed within the policy.

7.4 The Student Accounts Office may publish, as appropriate, those programs that are not part of the tuition waiver program because they are entirely receipts supported.