• Great Falls College MSU
• Business Office Operations Manual
• Accounts Receivable

100.00 Accounts Receivable

100.00 Accounts Receivable

110.00 Student Accounts Receivable

110.10 Introduction

• The Great Falls College MSU Students Accounts office is responsible for the timely and accurate posting of payments and charges on student account receivable.
• Tuition and fees are assessed on a student’s account when registered for classes. Bills notifications are emailed regularly. Students can view their bills in MyInfo/BannerWeb, and QuikPAY.
• If a third party is paying for a student’s tuition and fees, and/or books, it is the responsibility of the student to provide information and documentation to student accounts.
• If Federal Financial Aid is paying for a student’s tuition and fees, it is the responsibility of the student to communicate with the Financial Aid office.
• If the student expects scholarships to apply to their account, it is their responsibility to communicate with the Financial Aid office.
• Anything not covered by Financial Aid, scholarships, or third-party will be the responsibility of the student.

110.20 Cashiering Activity

• Any form of payment provided to Student Accounts will be posted in a timely and accurate manner. This includes, cash, credit/debit, check, or money order.
• It is encouraged that students and authorized payers pay their bill through the QuikPAY portal. It is secure and available 24 hours. Payments can be made by credit/debit card, or eChecks. Great Falls College does not charge fees for this service.
• All monies collected by Student Accounts is delivered to the Business Office daily for deposit at the bank.
• Student Accounts is responsible for and maintains a cash change account.
• Funds are secure at all times.
• The staff has been trained on PCI Compliance when it comes to the use of credit/debit cards.

110.30 Past Due Accounts

• Great Falls College understands that not every bill will be paid in-full, or on time. The college anticipates that a portion of accounts receivable will not be collected each term. The Business Office and Student Accounts monitors these amounts.
• A finance hold is put on all accounts that are past due until the account is paid in full or arrangements are made with Student Accounts/Business Office. This hold may restrict registration for future semesters are well as ordering of transcripts.
• The college offers payment plans to students who have a past due balance. FORM INSERT

110.40 Collections

• The college makes multiple attempts to collect on past due balances. After a student has been given the required 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day notice, the college reserves the right to turn over the past due balance to either the Montana Department of Revenue Offset Program or an outside collection agency.
• The college reserves the right to pass on any fees or commissions in collecting past due balances.
• Balances from other departments, such as the Weaver Library, may be added to tuition and fees owed.
• When the balance is paid-in-full, the finance hold for that balance will be lifted. If the student has other holds, it is the responsibility of the student to address those with the appropriate department.

110.50 Write-offs of Uncollectible Accounts

• When the business office has deemed an account uncollectible, the account is written off. This means that the balance is removed as receivable on the student’s account.
• It is deemed uncollectible if the account has been turned over to more than one outside form of collection efforts with no success, meaning no money has been collected.
• The college has up to 8 years from when an account is due to actively pursue collection. After 8 years the college will not actively pursue the account, but the balance is still owed to the college.
• A finance hold is placed on the student’s account which prevents certain activities such registering for future classes or obtaining an official transcript.
• Unless it is otherwise documented for extenuating circumstances or negotiation, even though the balance is written off as uncollectible in the account, it is still due to the college and will remain due until paid off.

110.60 Refunds

• Refunds on overpayment, or credit balances, on students’ accounts are processed by the Student Accounts office.
• Disbursement dates for financial aid are posted on the Great Falls College website.
• Other refunds are processed weekly.
• Great Falls College uses QuikPAY as a secure third party to disburse all student refunds. Students may elect to receive direct deposit/ACH or a paper check. We encourage students to sign up for direct deposit/ACH because they will receive the refund faster than a mailed check.

If a student does not receive their check, Student Accounts can assist them. If the student requests a stop payment on the check, we require the student to sign up for direct deposit before reissuing payment. If the student does not wish to sign up for direct deposit, then Student Accounts will not issue stop payment on the check and the student will have to wait until the check stale dates 90 days after issue to have another check processed.

120.00 Accounts Receivable (Non-student)

120.10 Introduction

• The Great Falls College MSU Business Office is responsible for invoice creation and for the timely and accurate posting of payments for non-student accounts receivable.

120.20 Invoicing

• Campus departments delivering goods and services are responsible for providing the invoice information to the Business Office.
• The Business Office is responsible for invoicing other campuses, other state agencies, and outside business entities for goods and services provided.
• While it is beneficial to obtain payment prior to delivery of goods and services, it is not always possible.

120.30 Past Due Invoices

• Multiple attempts to collect payment will be made before involving the department requesting the invoice be sent.
• Departments must understand that not all customers pay in-full or on time.

120.40 Cashiering Activities

• There are several places on campus approved to be revenue collection points. This includes the dental clinic for patients, the Weaver Library, the bookstore, Lifelong Learning, the Business Office, and the testing center.
• Monies received will be taken to the Business Office on a daily basis.
• The Business Office will create the Banner entries for department revenue and send the deposits to the bank.

120.5 Refunds

• The Business Office will issue certain refunds.
  • If the original payment was made by credit card, the department can issue refunds.
• Departments must provide documentation and reason for refund.
• If the original form of payment was by check the Business Office must have sufficient time to ensure the check written cleared the bank.
• If the original form of payment was by credit/debit card, the preferred form of refund is back to the original card.
• If the original form of payment was by cash, cash will not be given as a refund. Instead, a check will be issued via accounts payable. Normally, this does not require a w-9, but that is determined by the Business Office.

120.60 Bad Debt Expense

• When checks are returned, the department that originally earned the revenue will have a receivable set up on their index/fund for the original check amount.
• The department will not be charged the NSF fee.
• The check writer has 1 year to pay. Therefore, the receivable will remain for 1 year. During that time the Business Office has the right to turn over the balance to the Montana Department of Revenue Offset Program or an outside collection agency. However, the Business Office typically does not have enough information to do this.

At the conclusion of 1 year the Business Office will reverse the receivable because it has been deemed uncollectible and recognize a bad debt expense.

130.00 Returned Checks

• It is at the discretion of the department if they will accept checks as form of payment.
• A bad check can be returned for a variety of reasons. This can include insufficient funds, a closed bank account, a stop payment by the issuer, or fraud.
• The fee assessed for each returned check is the same for students and non-students.
• The business office maintains a no-check-cashing list when the bank has returned a check.
• The individual will stay on the list for one year from the date of the last returned check.
• This list is shared with the managers of departments that accept check payments.
• This list is confidential and should not be posted in the public’s view.
• If it is a non-Student Accounts receivable, the business office will send a letter to the check writer stating the amount still owed on the original check and the fee.
• If it is Student Accounts receivable, Student Accounts will send a letter to the student stating the amount still owed on the original check and the fee.
  • The exception to this is QuikPAY eChecks. No letter will be sent. QuikPAY sends an automatic email that the payment was rejected.
  • The student’s bill will reflect the reversed eCheck and NSF fee.
• An individual writes a check to Lifelong Learning and the check is returned.
  • Lifelong Learning will be notified immediately if a check is returned so they have the opportunity to drop the student from the class for non-payment.
• After a returned check, payment must be made by another method. A check will not be accepted.

Examples of when a returned check crosses departments or student accounts versus non-student accounts.

• An individual writes a check on behalf of a student to Student Accounts and check is returned.
  • The check payment will be reversed from student’s account and NSF charge added.
  • A finance hold will be placed in SOAHOLD.
    • What if it wasn’t the student writing the check?
      • It does not matter who wrote the check. The transaction still occurred on the student’s account.
      • The name of the check writer is the name that will be added to the no-check-cashing list that is shared with departments. Unless the check writer is the student, other departments will refuse checks from the check writer and not the student.
    • An individual writes a check to the Weaver Library and the check is returned.
    • An individual writes a check to the bookstore and the check is returned.
      • When the bookstore accepts checks, the student’s ID is written on the check, regardless of who is writing the check.
        • What if there is a student ID, but the check writer is not the student?
          • Only the check writer’s name will be placed on the no-check-cashing list.
          • However, a finance hold will still be placed in Student Accounts SOAHOLD, but the comments must reference the Business Office and not a balance due on the student’s account. The Business Office is responsible for removing the finance hold once the funds have been repaid.
        • What if there isn’t a student ID on the check?
          • Assume it is a community patron.
          • The check writer’s name will be placed on the no-checks-cashing list.
          • No finance hold can be placed anywhere.