Collection of enrollment fees to be enforced as uncollected student debt continues to mount

By Carlos Silva:

City College will be enforcing its payment policy for non-payment of fees effective Spring 2014 registration period. The Admissions and Records office will implement this new policy to fight against the huge debt the college has accumulated since 2003.

“Effective Spring 2014, City College of San Francisco will be implementing its registration policy. Enrollment fees are due and payable at the time of registration. City College of San Francisco will be dropping students for non-payment of fees,” City College spokesperson Jennifer Aries said.

Students will have the option to sign up for a payment plan and pay off their enrollment fees in installments.

”To assist students not eligible for financial aid and unable to pay in full for their fees, the college has hired Nelnet Business solutions to manage an installment payment program which will be extended to students unable to pay fees in full,” Rebeca Chavez of the Financial and Administration Office said.

Nelnet “provides a full range of federal and private education loans and valuable resources for students and graduates,” according to its website.

  Financial aid students will not be affected by this new policy.

“[There will be] no impact on them [if] they receive a Board of Governors Fee Waiver.  For out-of-state students, their fees are usually paid with their financial aid funds. If the student still needs a payment plan, they will be able to enroll after registering for the spring ‘14 term,” Chavez said.

Aries explained that the payment plan will benefit students who can’t pay their enrollment fees all at once.

”For just $18 they can sign up for a payment plan that will give them the opportunity to pay their fees in multiple installments and not be dropped from their classes,” Aries said.

Faculty will be required to provide students with a drop schedule so they know when they are eligible for a full refund when choosing to drop a class.

Carla Prates, an international student from Peru, believes that it is going to make it difficult to stay at City College.

“Pay it all up-front at the beginning of the semester seems unreal for me. As everyone knows, our tuition as internationals is very high and I believe that I will reconsider whether [to] stay here or move to another community college,” Prates said.

Chavez said about 18,000 former and current students owe about $4 million from summer 2003 to summer 2013 semesters. Most former students owe around $200.

City College students who do not pay their fall 2013 registration fees by Nov. 12 will not be able to enroll in spring courses.

9,000 Current students impacted

18,120 Former students impacted

$5MDebt owed by current students

$4.6M Debt owed by former students

$3.7M Student debt written off since 1998

$2,822 Highest individual debt

$18 Payment plan fee per semester

6 to 12 Months of repayment timeline before collections begin

85K Annual average enrollment

27,400 Fall 2013 credit enrollment

30,498 Fall 2013 noncredit enrollment

Sources: CCSF, Nelnet Business Solutions,SFXAMINER.COM

NOTE: Enrollment numbers and debt owed fluctuate from day to day