Debt collection policy for student fees and related charges

Scope

1. This policy relates to all fees and charges payable to the University by current and former students for the use of its facilities and the provision of its services. This includes monies owed in respect of tuition, accommodation, programmes of study, examinations, conferment of degrees, field trip costs, library, and other miscellaneous fees and charges, including the payment of money owed to the University in respect of loans, books or other equipment or materials.
2. The University will always seek to be sympathetic to, and understanding of, each individual student’s financial circumstances. However, for the University to do so, students must engage in dialogue with officers of the University if financial difficulties are being experienced. Where a debt becomes overdue by 14 days or more the relevant School will be informed.
3. Action to enforce settlement of debt for outstanding fees and charges will be taken in respect of all current and former students who have failed to engage with the University to find a solution to any outstanding debt, or who have failed to honour agreements to pay.
4. The Finance Department will always use the student’s official University of Dundee email address. It is the student’s responsibility to check this regularly. In addition, the University reserves the right to also contact the student or former student using any non-University email address it has recorded as a point of contact. If contact cannot be established with a former student, as no active alternative contact details are available, the University reserves the right to pass any outstanding debt to our collection agents per the sixth stage of the collection process as detailed at Appendix A.
5. Students eVision accounts will detail within the My Balance section any outstanding payments on the Student Account and what these are for – tuition fees, accommodation fees or other charges. If you think your record is wrong and you do not have a debt, you should contact the Cash Office team in the first instance. Please quote your student number in any correspondence.  

Students who Experience Financial Difficulties

6. Students experiencing financial difficulties in paying any fees and charges must seek help at the earliest opportunity. Please contact a member of the Cash Office team, the Student Funding Unit or use the online enquiry form for advice if you are experiencing financial difficulties.
7. Discretionary and Hardship Funds do exist, but please note that, while students can apply for help from these Funds, the funds are limited and are designed to provide supplementary support to students in financial difficulties. They are not intended to be a student’s primary source of income. Help and advice is available from the Student Funding Unit  Tel: +44 (0)1382 384801

Fees and Other Related Charges

8. The broad categories of fees and charges that the University maintains are noted below.

Tuition Fees

9. As part of the matriculation process, each student is required to sign a declaration acknowledging that they are personally liable to the University for payment of tuition and related fees. You will be asked to confirm this as part of your online matriculation task at the beginning of the academic year.
10. Students must pay tuition fees on time. Details of acceptable payment options and methods, including instalments, can be found in our tuition fees pages.
11. Student who intend their fess to be paid by a person or body other than themselves should read the guidance available on our tuition fees pages.
12. If the fee-paying body fails to pay, or unduly delays payment, the student becomes liable for the amount due. In this event, an invoice will be issued to the student.
13. Parents or guardians, family members, friends cannot be classed as sponsors. A student is classed as a sponsored student if funded by SAAS, SLC, their home government or any other legal entity (organisation, company) or University scholarship, etc.
14. Where a student has confirmed that they will be funded by a sponsor, the University will invoice the sponsor directly. The student should ensure that the University is provided with full contact details for the sponsor prior to registration. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the relevant documentation to the University as proof of a sponsorship, such as an award letter.
15. In the event of a query or dispute in relation to the actual student fees invoiced (as opposed to the method of payment or payment difficulties), please contact fees@dundee.ac.uk.
16. It should be noted that academic tutors are not empowered to vary fees or agree payment schedules with students on behalf of the University.
17. If you do not pay your tuition fees the University reserves the right to:
    • revoke your access to University facilities such as the Library and your IT account
    • withdraw you from your studies, you will be unable to receive tuition and sit exams
    • notify your funding body that your student status has been revoked
    • withhold your degree certificate
    • pass your details to a debt collection agency
    • if you are a Student visa (or Tier 4 visa) holder: notify UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that we are no longer sponsoring your visa. This will result in your Visa being invalid and you will be required to return home.
18. If a student does not meet the payments agreed and does not engage with the Cash Office to agree an alternative payment plan, action will be taken to recover the debt. This is detailed at Appendix A.

Accommodation

19. Accommodation offered by the Residences Office is dependent on the student signing a lease for the period of accommodation and paying in full or agreeing in writing a payment plan to cover the accommodation fees. More information can be found here: Accommodation Information
20. How to pay accommodation fees are detailed at How to pay for accommodation
21. If a student is living in University-let accommodation, payment in full must be made, or an instalment payment plan set up by the due date detailed in your Residences Contract, otherwise additional charges will be applied.
22. If a student does not meet the payments agreed and does not engage with the Residences Office or the Cash Office to agree an alternative payment plan, action will be taken to recover the debt. This is detailed at Appendix A. Failure to settle accommodation fees may result in students being asked to leave University accommodation, and details of their account will be passed to the University’s collection agents for recovery of the debt.

Other Fees and Charges

23. Payments for the use of University facilities or provision of resources must be paid in accordance with the agreed payment terms and conditions. Students should contact the relevant service provider for any clarification if required.

Additional Charges

24. The University reserves the right to levy additional charges for the non-payment of fees and cancellation of direct debit instructions.
25. If you have not paid your tuition or residences fees in full or arranged to pay by Direct Debit instalments before the due date of your invoice you will be liable to pay a late payment fee of 3.5% on your fee (maximum charge £400).
26. If a student direct debit is rejected then they will be contacted by email from the Cash Office to advise of the unpaid instalment and given 7 days to repay the missed instalment. If there is more than one rejected direct debit, then the instruction is cancelled and a late payment fee of 3.5% on your fee (maximum charge £400) will be added to your account. Students will be contacted and advised to make alternative arrangements for payment.
27. In the event of a query or dispute in relation to any additional charges levied, please contact the Cash Office. Where there is clear evidence that the late payment was not the fault of the student, the 'late payment' charge may be waived.

Debt Recovery Process

28. The debt recovery process will be triggered (a) where an invoice for fees or charges is not settled by the due date on the invoice or (b) where a payment in accordance with an agreed instalment plan is not received.
    
    The debt recovery steps are detailed at Appendix A of this paper.

Appendix A - Collection Processes to be followed for Arrears

The Finance Department addresses all emails to students’ official University email addresses. It is the student’s responsibility to check this account on a regular basis. In addition, the University reserves the right to also contact the student using any non- University email address it has recorded as a point of contact.

Late payment – Tuition fees, Residences Fees and any other debt on the student account

The University will send an email 7 days prior to an invoice becoming due highlighting that the invoice is about to become due for payment.

For Debt Recovery purposes, Day 1 is the day following the date on which a payment is due.

For those due to settle an invoice, standard terms are 30 days from the date of matriculation / invoice date. In that case, Day 1 will be the 31st day following the invoice date. For those paying by instalments, Day 1 will be the day following the date on which an instalment was due for collection.

For clarification, the dates set out below represent the minimum number of days at which each stage will be invoked, and that action taken at a later date does not invalidate the process or indicate a policy breach.