by Dani Norton
Staff writer
As of the spring 2012 semester, students will no longer be receiving their tuition statements in the mail. Instead, they will be able to access statements online as soon as the information becomes available.
The plan was developed with the purpose of “going green” in mind. According to Susan Chalk, director of the business office, an estimated 8,700 statements are mailed out each semester. Providing these statements online rather than in print will not only be friendlier to the environment, but it will also cut down on expenses.
Chalk said that the business office spends over $5,000 a year on mailing statements to students. Nearly $4,000 of that amount is spent on postage alone.
Additionally, Chalk indicated that the number of incorrect addresses on file for students is constantly increasing. If the statement does not reach the correct address, it is mailed back to the business office.
“Student mailing addresses change very often, meaning that hard copy student statements may not reach students in a timely fashion. We know that students have access to their university email, and we have made our best effort to get the information directly to them,” Chalk said.
Finally, a host of other information is available online to students, including grades, schedules and award letters. Providing the statements online further centralizes important information for students.
“We want students to have access to all of the information they need in order to make good decisions regarding their education and to be aware of the resources available to them to make those decisions,” Chalk said.
Chalk said the proposal was presented to the Student Government Association for review. SGA approved of the plan, agreeing it would be beneficial for students to have constant access to their billing information along with everything else provided on Campus Connect.
In order to access their billing statements, students will need to log in to Campus Connect using their student information, select the Student Info tab, then select View/Pay Account. From this page, students may pay their balance or print the statement.
All accounts with balances as of February 29, 2012 will be charged a late fee of $25.00 + 1.5% of the balance. A late fee of 1.5% will be accessed on accounts that have a balance for the Spring 2012 Semester at the end of March, April and May. (Oklahoma’s Promise recipients: please call or come by the Business Office to pay all fees to AVOID late fees)
Please contact Financial Aid at 580-745-2186 or email at [email protected] if you are expecting some type of Grant, Loan or Scholarship to pay on your account.