Houghton campus is finally starting to thaw and that means a season of preparing for finals, getting ready for Mayterm, graduation and most importantly- letting loose on the long-awaited summer. However, this time of year also marks another season: that of readying ourselves for the upcoming financial school year. FAFSAs are completed and packages for both incoming and returning students are rolling out the doors of the financial aid office.
This year timing is especially important because it marks a new policy change for The Student Financial Services Office at Houghton College. Students have been receiving emails regarding this policy change- the introduction of EBilling which keeps us in-line with Federal Regulations regarding tuition overload; SALT, which will help students understand their financial responsibilities, enforcement of Church Match deadlines, and a comprehensive checklist to ensure all students are financially registered before returning to campus next year.
In previous years Houghton has given much grace when it comes to financial registration. Over the years we have seen this result in frustrating situations for our students. Students arrive on campus excited for a new semester and quickly become involved in academics, activities and friends. The last thing they want is to add financial strain to their lives. For that reason the new policy will strictly enforce that a student must be paid in full before he or she arrives on campus in August.
The process to be financially registered has not changed dramatically. Students will receive their tuition bills in July. Bills will be due August 16th. Students will be expected to pay the bill by that date. This means that any alternative payment plans and loan applications should already be in place and approved. After August 16th it will then be too late to apply for loans or make other arrangements.
Until a student formulates and communicates a plan in conjunction with SFSO to pay their bill, their housing key will be withheld, a stop put on their account, and their meal plan frozen. The intent of this is to alleviate the frustration and stress that accompanies long overdue bills.
If the student has a special circumstance where the usual payment plans and methods are not possible, they must communicate this with SFSO so that an acceptable alternative payment method can be decided upon before the 16th of August.
Once a student has reached a $0.00 balance on their account, an email will be sent confirming this. The email will act as financial clearance to return to campus, move into their housing and attend classes.
The hope is that through this strict financial policy, the billing process will be easier and smoother for both our students and the institution. Our intention is to engage with families and work through their plans at earlier dates so that the burdens of finance do not linger over the heads of students as a new semester starts. In addition SFSO will be able to proceed efficiently and without the fear of financial dismissal of students we feel should not have to leave our campus prematurely. Moving forward we are optimistic about the new policy and we are looking forward to August where we will find all students financially registered and ready to start a fresh year of academics, activities and friends.