2008 Woodie Awards
Online payment plan gives students more options
Jessica Strachan
Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: News
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The plan gives students the option of paying tuition over a span of four monthly payments instead of in one lump sum at the beginning of each semester.
The general rule is that the due date falls on the third Wednesday of the month, except for January when the payment is due on the last Wednesday. Official payment dates for the Winter 2009 semester are Dec. 17, Jan. 28, Feb. 18, and March 18.
When the plan was first enacted this semester, there were several bugs in the system, including both technical issues and fees that went unnoticed.
Ian Hawkins, a tech worker in Student Accounts said that there was a 2.75 percent fee that students needed to pay if they used a credit card, and some buttons on the Web site that students needed to access were blocked.
According to Hawkins, it was cleared up within a month and there should be no further problems with the online payment plan during the Winter 2009 semester.
There are, however, two catches. The first payment is due more than a month earlier than the regular tuition due date, which is Jan 28.
There is also a $40 fee to set up an online account.
Hawkins says the plan is designed to "grant an extension" on the due date and that the $40 is just an enrollment fee.
But students have their own reactions.
Marie Conner, a junior, said that "it sounds good, but if I had the money [for the enrollment fee], I wouldn't be getting a payment plan in the first place."
She believes that it is like any overdraft fee or penalty charge, "just another way for them to generate revenue."
She agreed though that if there are no other options for a student to pay by the regular due date, it is a good plan to participate in.
Ruth Sable, a senior, had a similar first reaction.
"People who are enrolling don't have the money to throw around on the $40…but it helps for people paying out of pocket to spread out payments over the semester."
Hamzah Latif, a sophomore who pays his own tuition, finds the plan to be long overdue.
"It makes sense. It's just like any other expensive thing--like a new car--you get to make payments on it. Too bad they didn't have it earlier."
According to Latif, Henry Ford Community College offers the same plan, but without the $40 enrollment fee.
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