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Students to Remain Enrolled Despite Nonpayment

University Services Building

A new process at the UA will enroll University students in a tuition payment plan instead of dropping them if they have not paid by Feb. 4. This is meant to help rid students, faculty and staff of unnecessary stress and additional work.

The UA has instituted a payment plan option to avoid dropping students who don't pay their tuiton and fees by the first day of classes.


By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
January 9, 2009

University of Arizona students who have not paid their tuition and fees by the first day of classes will be signed up in a payment plan under a new policy.

Each semester, about 2,000 students voluntarily enroll in the UA's tuition payment plan. Students can voluntarily sign up for the payment plan on or before Jan. 14. And now, those who do not pay in time will automatically be signed up for the plan.

UA students are already receiving information about the new policy via Student Link, a Web-based system that tracks each student's academic history, shows available financial aid and allows students to register and make payments online.

"The other two state universities have adopted this practice and it makes sense for us for many reasons," Beth Acree, interim UA registrar, noted in a campuswide memo.

Acree said the new policy will help many University students avoid "unnecessary anxiety.

This is how the program works:

  • Students who have not paid by Feb. 4 will automatically be enrolled in the program.
  • Whether students enroll voluntarily or automatically, a $75 payment plan enrollment fee will be added to each student's bursar's account. Automatic enrollment in the plan will only happen to students who would have had classes cancelled under the old policy.
  • Students will be able to make their payments in three installments. The first installment will be due Jan. 14, the second will be due March 16 and the third on April 13.
  • Students can pay tuition and fees on or before Jan. 14 to avoid a late fee, but students do have the option to sign up Jan. 14. Those signed up for the payment plan and do not make their first installation payment on that day will be assessed an additional $50.

John Nametz, the UA's financial aid director, said the new process will ensure that "students who are expecting financial aid and other money from outside sources that they are are truly safe from having classes cancelled."

The new process also helps the University streamline the enrollment process in several ways, Nametz said.

For instance, faculty should have a better headcount in the first weeks of the semester because the system will not be automatically dropping students who have full intention of being enrolled.

Also, students will not have to be manually re-registered into courses after they are able to make their payments, he said.

Acree noted another benefit: state full-time equivalent funding will not be reduced by canceled registrants who end up adding courses after the census date, which is the 21st day of classes.

© 2009 Arizona Board of Regents