Brian and colleagues

Here at Exeter we have been revising our procedures ready for the
next session for the very same reasons you, Brian, outline. We have
been operating new sanctions against non-paying and slow-paying
students since October 2000. We shall be developing these
processes during next year, but here is what we expect to do. (Our
Regulations give more details on some of this at
http://www.ex.ac.uk/calendar/fee.htm ).


1 All tuition and accommodation fees can be paid in 3 equal
termly instalments. (An administrative charge applies in some
cases for this facility).

2 The due payment date is the 1st day of each term.

3 For the 1st term, payment is considered late if not made by
the 10th working day. For terms 2 and 3 it is the 3rd day.
Late fees of 2.5% of the overdue amount are charged. (If the
debt remains unpaid by the last day of term, a second charge
of 5% is added).

4 1 week after late fee date (in each term), overdue account
letters are sent out warning students that they have 10 days
to pay, or IT and Library services will be withdrawn (stage I
sanctions). (Two senior officers of the University approve
the implementation of all sanctions).

5 If the debt remains unpaid at this date, another letter is
sent to the student. This advises that these services have
been withdrawn and warns that a further 10 days are allowed
after which the student will be de-registered (stage II
sanctions).

6 Again if unpaid, a final letter is sent advising that the
student has been de-registered. At this point, one final
opportunity is given to pay (within 5 days):
- if payment is made, the student's record is amended
back to 'registered', but
- if payment is not made by this date, Registry
completes all de-registration formalities (eg advises
the LEA, etc) and formally advises the University
school / academic department.

7 If the student subsequently pays and wishes to be reinstated,
we already have a reinstatement procedure. The student is
charged £100 for this.

8 No student in debt for £10 or more receives a degree or award.


As I have mentioned, we have been using these sanctions since October
2000. Of some 7000 students who personally pay an element of fees:

- 261 have suffered stage I sanctions
- 14 have been de-registered


Our experience over this first year has been that even just the
threat of applying stage I sanctions is highly effective.
Withdrawing library and IT facilities would have a serious effect on
the ability of most students to study, which compels them either to
pay up, or to contact us. Actioning stage I and threatening stage II
(de-registration) produces further response, leaving only a handful
of non-payers for us to chase up.

However, each term something like 500 students become due to receive
the first warning letter. Dealing with this volume, and the
follow-up, has been quite an administrative problem.


We are making extra effort now to notify students that payment is due
at the start of each term, and that the University cannot afford to
allow them to end up persistently in debt. The policy has been fully
supported by the Guild of Students.

Peter Glazier
Finance Manager
Exeter University


====================================
On Wed, 13 Jun 2001 15:07:21 +0100 Houlgrave B
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

# We are trying to tighten up our procedures regarding student
debtors # and in particular those who (apparently) deliberately
withhold # payment right until the last minute. We currently revoke
their # registrations if after a series of letters we get no
response. The # question is how to treat these (ex)students if / when
they eventually # pay up. Some believe that such a revocation of
registration is only a # suspension to be reinstated the moment fees
are paid. Others believe # that this does not help the income
collection as students know they # can hold out until the last minute
and then pay - this means an # elaborate system has to be put in
place to force such students to go # through many hoops before their
registration is reinstated. Obviously # we don't want to lose
students! I would be grateful to know how other # colleagues deal
with the question of such deliberate long standing debtors. #
# Thanks #
# Brian Houlgrave # Senior Assistant Registrar
# Undergraduate Student Administration # University of Salford
# Salford M5 4WT # Tel: 0161 295 5787
# Fax: 0161 295 5258

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Peter Glazier
[log in to unmask]
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