Maine's Public Universities - University of Maine System

Process Title

What does this Process accomplish?

Process Similarities amongst campuses

Process Differences across campuses

Comments

Implementation Considerations

Process 1 – collect application fees

Collect application fees for matriculated students; this process generates a variety of communications to applicants

-All campuses, except, UMFK, post fees directly to FAST rather than to student accounts

- Participants vary: business office and/or admissions personnel may be involved - While off-campus centers do not process USM credit card charges due to fees, some off-campus centers process UMA’s credit card charges - UMFK post fees to student accounts rather than directly into financial account via FAST

-To ensure appropriate customer service, may want to encourage simultaneous collection of fees and application

-Need mechanism/policy on student payment side for processing application fees   across campuses and centers -What is the impact of allowing centers to collect fees for multiple campuses? (see Recruiting/ Admissions processes) -Evaluate desirability of posting fees directly to FAST rather than to student accounts

Process 2 – process deposits

Handle deposits such as those for student teaching placement, admissions, housing, travel course, and orientation

-All deposits are posted in ISIS to the RQMV screen and moved to a student account

-Participants vary by campus: may involve housing, business office, summer office and/or admissions staff -Each of the above staffs can post deposits in ISIS -UMF’s admission office collects, notifies and posts housing deposits for new students

- Do any off-campus centers collect deposits for other campuses and, if so, what impact does that activity present?

Process 3 – create assessment tables

- Enables charges to appear and be tracked for all students - Registration cannot occur before this process occurs

-All tables are driven by board-approved charges, academic calendar, APL35 and campus-approved fees

-Participants vary -Tables are campus-specific

-Discuss fee codes under process 8 – maintain accounts -Establish common fees codes and descriptors -Identify responsibility for creating and maintaining each table

Process 4 – prepare initial invoice

Inform and bill students

-Steps within process -Invoice formats    

-Payment due dates -Method for calculating campus tuition assessment    

-Subsequent billing dates vary across campuses

-Discuss common due dates -Consider all-inclusive bill displaying “all” charges (multi-campus) -Evaluate methods for consistently calculating tuition assessment between campuses

Process 5 – process response from initial invoice

Posts payments and proper account coding including payment plans and payment arrangements

-All campuses accept cash and checks -All campuses offer some sort of payment plan

-Payment plans, payment plan due dates and plan enrollment costs - Some campuses accept credit cards directly, while others use 3rd party vendors -Type of information collected using student billing information documents  

-Will IVR be available after PSSA implementation?  Does PSSA have an equivalent to IVR?

-Consider web payment option with links to information about campus-specific vendors and payment -Consider ability to pay for any UMS charge at any UMS location    

Process 6 – process scheduled and on-demand refunds

Provide refund checks to eligible students while complying with federal regulations

-All campuses disburse checks

-Method of check creation -Refund disbursement timing -Credit advances  

-Consider how we can establish consistent disbursement dates tied to academic calendaring and multi-campus student -Review issuance of EFT refunds as well as paper refund checks -Review processes for ensuring automated credit reviews and refund issuance to meet federal regulations  

Process 7 – process loans not disbursed through financial aid

Crediting student accounts with loans outside of financial aid disbursement

-Federal regulations

-Participants vary across campuses and steps -Procedures (e.g., determining loan eligibility)

-Consider disbursing Stafford loans through financial aid (mirror direct loan process)

Process 8 – maintain accounts

Updating student accounts

-All campuses maintain accounts

-Late fee amount and timing (subsequent billings) -Waiver application (Financial Aid or Business Office) -Withdrawals -Timing of holds -Types of charges applied to student accounts -Types of notification on student account changes -Appeal processes  

-Consider automation of dependent/employee waivers -Examine timing of financial aid adjustments   -Examine flow of funds between campuses -Examine UNET computing resources and limitations in disbursement of financial aid -Consider common fee and account codes    

Process 9 – process 3d party scholarships and billing

Credit student accounts and collect funds

-Some campuses delay posting until book vouchers clear -At some campuses, late fees are assessed inconsistently for scholarship recipients  

-Encourage information sharing and collaboration between business office and financial aid and throughout student services offices

-Explore regular posting dates and policies to provide accurate and timely information and billing -Explore workflow to ensure “in-sync” adjustments explore consistent application of late fee assessment for scholarship recipients

Process 10 – conduct subsequent billing

Collect outstanding balances

-each campus provides periodic billing or  notification

-Manner of notification (email versus snail mail) -Ability to register without payment (UM allows registration w/o payment through add/drop) -Different payment plan options and due dates

-Explore procedure for providing similar subsequent billing -Consider establishing common billing cycles

Process 11 – conduct collections

Collecting delinquent accounts

-All use 1st & 2nd external collection agencies, Maine income tax setoff, -all write off accounts and use cross-campus holds

-Timing & nature of sanctions including holds -Timing of handoff to collection agency -Internal collection procedures within each campus business office -Use of credit bureau reporting -Definition of delinquent account

-Look at write off policies -Review definition of delinquent account -Review timing & nature of sanctions for consistency  

Process 12 – conduct required reporting

Comply with reporting requirements

-Participants -Report types depending on student population and academic programs -Type of information provided to supplement 1098T

-Consider outsourcing this process (1098T requirements change annually) -Explore unified 1098T for multi-campus students (may not be possible due to unique entity numbers)

Process 13 – other student services and business office functions

-All business offices, except UM, distribute student payroll checks (UM’s human resources department handles this task)