Students Account Policies

The Treasurer/Student Accounts Unit within the Business and Finance Division provides a variety of services to the University's students, faculty, and staff. The unit is comprised of the Cashiering and Accounts Receivable Section, the Federal Perkins Loan Section, and the Systems Accounts Section. The Cashiering and Accounts Receivable Section is responsible for the receipting of all University funds, assessing and collection of all student fees, issuing student refund, and work study checks, approving of emergency loan funds, management of student room deposits, and the monitoring of impress cash accounts and authorized University cash receipt books. The Federal Perkins Loan Section is responsible for administering the disbursement and collection of approximately 4,000 Federal Perkins Loans. This section is also responsible for advising borrowers of their Perkins Loan rights and responsibilities and for managing an automated loan system that includes a comprehensive due diligence and billing module that insures the loan fund will be replenished for future financially-needy students use. The section is also responsible for the State's Setoff Debt Collection processing through the Department of Revenue and for the reporting of delinquent accounts to appropriate credit reporting agencies, the N.C. Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Department of Education. The System Accounts Section is responsible for daily distribution and review of all (FRS) Financial Accounting Reports. The section also processes request through the state's Cash Management System prior to the disbursement of all state and trust fund checks, submits monthly budget reports for the University's Capital Improvement Funds, and an ongoing basis provides technical and system assistance to all system users within the Business and Finance Division.

BUR 1.1 Mission of the Department

The primary mission of the Treasurer/Student Accounts Office is to support the University's educational goals through the correct assessment of the student fees, collections, and receipting the University funds, the diligent management of the Federal Perkins Loan Fund, and to provide an appropriate support system for the staff of the Business and Finance Office to insure their progressive development in the use of the FRS (Financial Accounting System), LMS (Loan Management System) and other related computer systems.

UR 1.2 Organizational Chart

BUR 2.1 Job Descriptions

BUR 2.1.0 Bursar (Cynthia Jones)
Responsible for the overall activity of the Cashiering and Accounts Receivable, Federal Perkins Loan, and Systems unit within the Business and Finance Division. Responsible for the monthly submission of the 16088 and 26088 state operating reports, the quarterly trust fund reports, and month-end and year-end closing procedures for the (FRS) Financial Accounting System. Responsible for setting up, assisting with the testing and implementation of the University registration sites, and the preparation and submission of Student FTE reports. Responsible for all upgrades, and enhancements to the University Banner, LMS, and/or FRS computer systems. Responsible for insuring the Vice Chancellor is up-to-date on the status of student financial obligation to the University.

BUR 2.1.1 Cashiering & Accounts Receivable

1. Director of Cashier and Student Accounts (Ernestine Spears)
Responsible for Supervising of the Cashier and Accounts Receivable Section. Establish and supervise the office routines and procedures necessary to the efficient and effective operation for cash receipting, depositing and adjusting student accounts receivable, records collections and refunds. Recommend and implement changes in procedures to facilitate performance and to ensure compliance of regulations mandated to State Treasurer's Office, State Controller, State Budget as well as other state, Federal, and University Policy. Prepare and submit financial and FTE report to the Treasurer/Student Accounts as requested. Develop policy and procedures for the Emergency Loan Program to be used as a basis for need determination. Confers with students and parents to determine the ability to pay and/or status of Financial Aid. Analyzes student's accounts, performing computations and explain transactions on accounts through the use of both computer access and manual resources. Reports to the Treasurer/Student Accounts.

2. Administrative Support Specialist (Monique Alexander and Anita Cheatham)
Responsible for preparing and posting Ft. Bragg charges, main campus adjustments, and general ledger transactions, analyzing student account and effectively communicate findings to inquiring students, reviewing daily reports from FRS and Banner systems, reconciling refund reports at mid month, supervise monthly billing cycle, reconcile the room deposit account, directing students to appropriate staff if additional assistance is required when explaining a matter and/or answering visitor's inquiries, conferring with pre-registered students during registration to determine their method of payment, processing and issuing refunds and work-study checks, and producing month end reports for supervisors to reconcile at month end. Reports to the Director of Cashier and Accounts Receivable.

Administrative Support Specialist -Third Party Billing (Kristen Aube)
Responsible for computing sponsor charges to assure charges are within commitment limits and compiling Third Party Billing, gathering and compiles information and reviews accounts to be placed for collections, analyzing student accounts in order to effectively communicate findings to inquiring students, receives and directs visitors to appropriate staff if assistance is required beyond that which can be provided on this desk, bill clearance during registration, and tuition calculation position during late registration, compute write-off percentages for receipting of payments in accordance with established write-off percentages, process check requests to pay collection fees to agencies or match with payments received to reimburse sponsor accounts and transfer funds between students and/or agencies. Reports to the Director of Cashier and Accounts Receivable.

4. Cashier Supervisor (Katrina Hoffman)
Responsible for supervising the receipts for all cash funds received by the University, computing and prepares daily bank deposit, certifications, and enters the appropriate data into (CMS) State Controller Cash Management System, reimbursing University's various petty cash records after Controller's approval and reviews check request to re-establish cash funds, analysis return checks, charge back to appropriate accounts, forward to the appropriate University Units, and submit letters for return check for Accounts Receivable, Federal Perkins Loans, and other specific Accounts, Screens all incoming telephone calls for the Cashiering and Accounts Receivable Section and answers general questions on students' account and directs all other calls to the appropriate staff, sorts, prepares, distributes refund checks on a weekly basis and work study checks monthly, reimburse Imprest Fund Cash Accounts, post appropriate note request Emergency Loans prior to disbursement of Refund Checks and Work Study Checks, Reconciles deposits, vault cash and returned check account for accountability and accuracy daily, weekly and monthly, respectively, researching and resolving receipt errors. Reports to the Director of Cashier and Accounts Receivable.

5. University Cashier (Hannah Orrison)
Responsible for receipting University funds including unit transmittals from the Vice Chancellors Office, walk in student payments, and various checks, (SODC) Set Off Debt Collections, Collections Agency, etc. containing longs volumes of payments in one check. Daily responses to student inquires, regarding balances, projected Financial Aid Refund Dates, Work Study Checks, Monthly Payment Plans, etc. Aid in matching Student Loan, Refund and Work study checks to student account statements for disbursement to students. Computes deposits by bank. Prepares bank deposit slips, certifications, and makes appropriate entries into State Controller System (CMS). Process returned checks and approved petty cash items to record activity by completing system generated reports and official forms request and prepares appropriate reports in the absence of the Head Cashier. Responsible for running daily cash reconciliation report which contains totals for each cashier window. This is a multi-step process and is essential to require feeding of appropriate date to FRS, Banner, and LMS systems. Prepares memoranda, notices, signs, and other item through use of Word Perfect and color printer that communicates essential information to students and staff. Responsible for mailing of refund checks weekly, maintaining logs of those checks to respond to student inquiries. Reviews payments listed on transmittal to determine where to receipt it, consults with other members of Accounts Receivable Staff, Federal Perkins Loan Staff, Treasurer/Student Accounts, and University controller to ensure proper receipting recorded to appropriate accounts. Detach, fold, stuffs, and counts billing statements mailed monthly to students and/or attached to checks. Assist with placing address labels, and preparation and mailing of other appropriate notices to students such as (card to pre-registered students, notice to Stafford Loan or Federal Perkins Loan borrowers who have not signed notes or attended loan conferences. Reports to the Director of Cashier and Accounts Receivable.

BUR 2.1.2 Federal Perkins Loans
The primary responsibilities of the position include providing supervisory, administrative and technical systems support for the Federal Perkins Loan staff. Reports to the Treasurer/Student Accounts. 

Accounting Clerk IV (Nichelle Stevens)
The primary responsibilities of the position include processing, reviewing and processing all cash receipts. The responsibilities for signing of Federal Perkins Loans lies within the purview of the position. The position handles referrals to three external collection agencies, processes all paid in full accounts, bankruptcies and has the primary responsibility for the accurate signing and processing of all Federal Perkins Loan Promissory Notes. Reports to the Bursar.

3. Accounting Clerk IV (Charlene Allen)
The primary responsibility of the position includes clearance for the release of financial aid/academic transcripts and readmissions along with the postponement and deferment of Federal Perkins Loans. This position handles the referral of Federal Perkins Loan accounts that are at least ninety days past due to the North Carolina Department of Justice (Attorney General's Office). Reports to the Bursar.

BUR 2.1.3 Systems
Accounting Technician V (Vacant)
The primary responsibilities of this position includes distribution of Daily Reports. Maintaining and processing Cash Requisitions for Funds and Cash Management Transfer. Processing invoices and monthly reports of Capital Improvements Projects Accounts. Set parameters for nightly processing. Balance Balancing month-end activity between systems. Assist in month-end close process and distribute month-end reports. Prepare Capital Improvements Projects for year-end close and year-end close process for the Financial Records System. Assist in year-end close of 13th month activity (Accrual System). Distribute year-end reports. Reports to Bursar/Student Accounts Director.

BUR 2.2 Office Administration

BUR 2.2.1 Cashiering & Accounts Receivable
1. Office Hours
The Cashier's Office and Accounts Receivable Section normal operating hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday. Extended Office operating hours are 8:30 to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday & Wednesday.

2. Correspondence
Correspondence is received by the Business & Finance Office. The secretary sorts it and delivers it the Bursar/Student Accounts Director. Then the correspondence pertaining to the Account Receivable Section is delivered to the Director. The Director distributed the correspondence to the perspective staff members. Any sponsor programs, collections, returned mail for past due bill, past dues account, SODC reports, and write-off correspondence is delivered to Collection and 3rd party area. Any correspondence pertaining to returned mail for outstanding bills, posting, adjusting, reconciling room deposits, refund, and Fort Bragg Charges is delivered to Posting and Adjustment area. Correspondence pertaining to Cashiering is delivered to the Head Cashier. All other correspondence is processed by the Cashier and Accounts Receivable Director.

3. Telephone
The University Cashier's Office and the Accounts Receivable Section are located on the second floor of the Lilly Building. Fax Number: (910) 672-1494. Telephone numbers are as follows:

Cynthia Jones (Bursar): (910) 672-1152

Ernestine Spears (Director of Student Accounts): (910) 672-1085

Anita Cheatham (Student Accounts Rep.): (910) 672-2010

Monique Alexander (Student Accounts Rep.): (910) 672-1830

Kristen Aube (Third Party Billing): (910) 672-1035

Katrina Hoffman (Cashier Supervisor): (910) 672-1037

Anita Cheatham (University Cashier): (910) 672-2606

Hannah Orrison (University Cashier): (910) 672-2117

Staff Meeting

The Cashier and Accounts Receivable Staff Meetings may be called as needed at the discretion of the Director. The Director meets with the Treasurer/Student Accounts on bi-weekly basis.

5. Policies
The policies of the Cash & Accounting Receivable Section is provided in accordance with the Fayetteville State University Personnel Office. Other internal policies of the section are as follows:

1. Leave is requested 24 hours in advance as much as possible.

2. Employees must notify director when calling in sick or late.

3. Must inform director when leaving the primary area of responsibility.

4. Leave can not be taken during registration.

5. Performance EvaluationsThe Cashier and Accounts Receivable Section Performance Evaluations are in accordance with the Fayetteville State University Personnel Office.

BUR 2.2.2 Federal Perkins Loans

1. Office Hours
The Federal Perkins Loan Section observes the University prescribed office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, and Friday) and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Tuesday and Wednesday). During peak Cohort contact periods, the staff works non-conventional hours in an attempt to locate past due borrowers who are in the University's Annual Cohort Category.

2. Correspondence
The Bursar/Student Accounts Director receives correspondence from the receptionist on behalf of the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and distributes it to the appropriate staff member or it is handled by the Bursar. Correspondence that originates from this office is reviewed by the Director prior to mailing.

3. Telephone
A Perkins staff member will answers the telephone for the Federal Perkins Loan Section. (Procedure # B-2a) There is also in place a Voice Mail system by which calls made to our office after business hours are handled the next business day.

4. Staff Meetings
Federal Perkins Loan staff meetings are held on a regular basis each month. Staff Training are conducted quarterly by either the Director, a member of the FPL Staff or a staff from the Management Information Systems.

5. Personnel Policies
Several Internal Policies have been established for the department to include; requesting leave, documenting same, lunch hours and others in keeping with University policies and NC State Personnel Guidelines.6. Performance EvaluationsPerformance evaluations are reviewed annually with staff by the director.

BUR 2.2.3 Systems

1. Office Hours
The Systems Unit office hours in accordance University policy, supervisor approved 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Monday, Thursday, and Friday) and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Tuesday and Wednesday).

2. Correspondence
Correspondence is handled through the Comptroller's Office and distributed to the Unit from that area. Construction Documents pertaining to Capital Improvements Projects is processed through the Vice Chancellor's office and distributed to the Unit from that area.

3. Telephone
A Student Account staff member will answers the telephone for the student account Section. (Procedure # B-2a) There is also in place a Voice Mail system by which calls made to our office after business hours are handled the next business day.Since there is only one line for this Unit the phone is answered by the .4. Staff Meetings

4. Staff Meetings
Staff Meetings are held once weekly.

5. Personnel Policies
Internal policies established for the department include requests for leave, lunch hours and time away from unit.

6. Performance Evaluations
Performance evaluations are done on an annual basis by Unit Director.