ADMINISTRATIVE RULE NO: 7050-03

RELATED TO POLICY NO: 7050

TITLE: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND STUDENT DEBT

PURPOSE
This rule establishes options for students to meet their financial obligations to the college and the payment of debt owed to Linn-Benton Community College.

STATEMENT
Payment Expectations
Students are expected to make timely payment of their charges. Payment for the term is to be made in full at the time of registration or by the end of the second week of the term.

Students with an outstanding financial balance can register for the next term until the end of the ninth week of the current term. After the ninth week of the term, students may be assessed a late fee and an accounts receivable hold will be placed on their account. This type of hold prevents students from registering for a future term or making any changes to current term classes until the student’s balance has been paid in full or cleared by the appropriate college department. A student who has a past due balance and is registered for the upcoming term may be dropped from future classes if the past due balance is not paid by the end of the current term. The college may choose to not release any type of transcripts or other records when the student has failed to make payment on a financial obligation. Exceptions made to this policy shall be non-precedent setting, well-documented, and result in a stronger position for the college to collect the debt or obligation owed by the student. Such exceptions will be made by the president or her/his designee.

Debt Paid From Financial Assistance
All student debts owed to Linn-Benton Community College will be paid in full from financial assistance available to the student. Any money remaining after all existing debts have been paid will be distributed to the student through direct deposit or mailing a check.

Monies owed to the college could include, but not be limited to, tuition and fees due at the time of registration; deferred tuition; Eldon Schafer Loan; library or equipment fines; parking tickets, etc.

Financial assistance available to the student could include, but is not limited to, scholarships, VA advance payment checks; Title IV financial aid (Pell Grant, State Need Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant [SEOG], and Federal Direct Loan funds.

There are two exceptions to the above rule:

  1. A non-institutional scholarship will not be used to pay off an existing debt if specific instructions from the donor are in  conflict with the above rule.
  2. Money owed to the college may not be deducted from student paychecks without the student's prior written approval.

Exceptions for Clearing A Registration Hold For Student Debt
A student who has a debt to the college will be prevented from registering for subsequent terms until the debt has been cleared or a Financial Hold Appeal is approved by the Business Office and appropriate college department when applicable.

Exceptions may be granted by the Business Office through the Financial Hold Appeal process:

  1. The Business Office will consider if there is a greater likelihood to collect the debt by allowing the student to register and the student makes an acceptable commitment to a repayment plan.

  2. The course(s) being requested by the student are being paid for by a third party that is requiring the student to be enrolled (e.g. employer, court )

A department that encounters a student who is trying to register but has a registration hold due to debt will:

  1. Guide the student to the Business Office Financial Hold Appeal process for consideration of establishing a debt repayment plan.
  2. If the Business Office authorizes the registration, the student will be notified and asked to contact the Business Office when they are ready to register. The Business Office will temporarily remove the hold and allow the student to
  3. The Business Office will replace the hold by the end of the business

 

DATE OF ADOPTION: 01/26/88
DATE(S) OF REVISION(S): 3/13/14; 11/6/14; 11/1/18;11/12/21;10/06/22
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 3/13/14; 11/6/14; 11/1/18;10/06/22