Fee Payment - Fall 2011

Fall 2011 Registration Fees

(All Fees Are Subject to Change)

*Non-resident fees are in addition to regular fees.

Additional Course Fees

Tuition and fees are subject to change by action of the Louisiana Legislature, the Board of Regents, or by student vote on special assessment.

Fee Payments

Questions concerning fees should be addressed to Administrative Accounting at 475-5107.

Regular Registration Payments Due 4:00 p.m., August 12.

A fee bill and schedule of classes will be available online on July 22. It is the student’s responsibility to sign in to Banner Self-Service to view or print their bill and subsequently pay tuition and fees by the August 12 deadline.

Fee payments may be made in person at the Cashier’s Office in Smith Hall, on the web, or by mail to Administrative Accounting, Box 92935, Lake Charles, LA 70609. Payments may also be placed in the drop box located on the north side of Smith Hall. If payment is mailed, a printed copy of the online bill must be included with any check or Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization form. Receipts for paid registration fees (whether mailed or paid in person) can be picked up at the Cashier’s Office located in Smith Hall.

Please see the payment policy for credit card payments and online payment charges.

Payments must be received by Administrative Accounting no later than 4:00 p.m., August 12. Students who do not pay fees by this deadline will have their scheduled classes purged and will have to reschedule classes during late registration.

Late Registration Payments Due 4:00 p.m., August 19.

There will be a $50 late fee for students enrolling in more than three hours during late registration; however, first-time freshmen are exempt from this fee. All payments for late registration must be received by the Cashier’s Office in Smith Hall no later than 4:00 p.m., August 19. An invoice will not be mailed for classes scheduled during late registration.

Fee Deferral Plan

A student may sign a promissory note for the fee deferral plan and pay 50 percent of the tuition at the beginning of the semester. When the student completes the form, a $30 processing fee is assessed, and the student agrees to make one additional payment. The second payment (remaining balance) is due on October 3. Continuous eligibility is available to students who make payments on time. Questions about fee deferral may be addressed to Administrative Accounting at 475-5107.

Personal Touch Account (PTA)

McNeese University Bookstore offers an interest-free, student charge account to all enrolled students (Personal Touch Account-PTA). With a valid McNeese ID and a current paid fee receipt, the student charge account can be opened. It can be used at the beginning of each semester for approximately one month for the purchase of up to $600 in books and supplies. At the close of the purchase deadline, each student will be billed for purchases made. Financial Aid will NOT be applied to Bookstore charges. When refund checks are received, students should make payments on PTA Accounts. Questions about PTA Accounts may be addressed to the Bookstore at 475-5494.

Scholarships

Scholarships may be credited to a student’s tuition and fee charges if they are available prior to the final fee payment date. To authorize the use of scholarship funds for fee payment, scholarship recipients must sign and return a printed copy of the online Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization (found at www.mcneese.edu) or complete the electronic authorization through Banner Self-Service. Residual scholarship funds and those received after the final payment date will be mailed beginning June 27 to the student’s mailing address on file with the Office of the Registrar.

PTA (Bookstore) and housing charges (Ambling) are not automatically deducted from scholarship awards. Each student is responsible for paying these charges directly.

Full scholarship awards credited to a registered student’s account will constitute a completed enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to cancel registration and resign if he or she does not plan to attend McNeese this semester. Failure to properly resign with the Office of the Registrar will result in the receipt of failing grades, and any refund of scholarship awards is the responsibility of the student.

Financial Aid

July 15
Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Stafford Loan awards will appear on the statement of account.

Financial aid awards made after July 15will not appear on the statement of account. The Office of Financial Aid will mail these students the financial aid notification letter. Students must make payment arrangements on their own until they receive the financial aid notification letter.

July 22-August 12
All Financial Aid recipients must sign a financial aid authorization each semester to allow the Business Office to use their financial aid awards to assist in covering expenses. A financial aid authorization must be signed each semester even if you have a zero ($0) balance on your statement of account. Financial Aid recipients can electronically sign their financial aid authorization through Banner Self Service.

Pay by mail: Students who have registered during regular registration may pay by mail. Students should sign and return the online Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization form, along with a personal check for the balance of fees not covered by financial aid, to the Cashier’s Office. The signed Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization must be returned for payment with financial aid, even if the account balance is zero.

Pay in person: Students who do not wish to pay by mail may pay fees in person at the Cashier’s Office in Smith Hall until 4:00 p.m., August 12.

Tuition, fees, and meal plan (board expense) will be charged against financial aid awards of students who sign the Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization by mail or in person; however, the student remains responsible for full payment of charges in the event that he or she becomes ineligible for financial aid for any reason.

Federal Perkins Loan recipients must report to the Office of Financial Aid to sign a Federal Perkins Loan promissory note prior to having funds disbursed to their student account.

FINANCIAL AID APPEALS

Students who did not make satisfactory academic progress for federal student aid programs, as defined in the McNeese Catalog, will be notified by mail. These students will have a hold placed on their financial aid awards and will not be awarded financial assistance. These students have the right to appeal in writing for financial aid based on documented extenuating circumstances. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for appeal dates. All appeal letters must be received no later than two weeks before the scheduled meeting in order for the Office of Financial Aid to acquire any transcripts needed for the meeting. Appeal results will be available after 3 p.m. on the day following the appeal meeting. Additional appeal meetings will occur once every two months thereafter. Denied appeals result in the cancellation of financial aid awards, and students must re-establish their eligibility.

August 12
Fee Payment Deadline: All registrants, including financial aid recipients, who have not paid tuition by the published deadlines will have their schedules purged. Even if the statement of account has a zero ($0) balance, all financial aid recipients must sign and return the Financial Aid/Scholarship Authorization to the Cashier’s Office by the payment deadline in order to use the financial assistance to pay for semester expenses.

September 6
Financial Aid Awards Disbursed: Federal Pell Grant and Federal Perkins Loan awards will be disbursed to student accounts on this date. All funds for these programs must be disbursed before the last day of classes.

Federal Stafford Loan awards will be disbursed to student accounts as the electronic funds (EFT) are received by McNeese from each lender. All funds must be received by McNeese prior to the last day of classes.

September 19
Financial Aid Refund Checks Issued: Beginning on this day the Administrative Accounting Office will process refund checks for all financial aid awards that have been disbursed to student accounts with a credit balance. Administrative Accounting will mail a check for the remaining balance to the student’s mailing address on file with the Office of the Registrar.

Exception: First-time Stafford Loan recipients with less than 30 semester hours earned can not receive or endorse checks until Friday, September 16. These are mailed and cannot be picked up.

Financial Aid and PTA Accounts: PTA charges are not automatically deducted from financial aid awards. Each student is responsible for paying the entire balance owed on a PTA account at the McNeese Bookstore.

Financial Aid and Housing Expense: Housing expenses are not automatically deducted from financial aid awards. Students are responsible for paying their housing expenses directly to Ambling.

How Late Registration Affects Financial Aid

Students who have received a financial aid notification letter stating the amount of financial aid awarded need to confirm their award amount with financial aid and be sure to sign the financial aid authorization after they register for classes. Students, who have not received a financial aid notification letter, should check with the Office of Financial Aid after registering to determine eligibility to use financial aid toward semester expenses.

How Dropping or Adding Classes Affects Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant awards will be reduced for financial aid recipients who drop classes. These students may owe a refund to the Federal aid program and should inquire at the Office of Financial Aid prior to dropping classes. Students who add classes during registration should notify the Office of Financial Aid to verify award(s).

How Withdrawal from the University Affects Financial Aid

If a student, who is disbursed Title IV financial assistance, withdraws on or before completing 60 percent of the semester in which the Title IV aid was disbursed, the following return of Title IV funds policy will be applied.

Beginning with the Fall 2000 semester, McNeese State University implemented the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy per the Higher Education Act of 1998. This policy applies to any student who receives Title IV aid and who officially withdraws, drops out, is expelled, takes an unapproved leave of absence (unofficial withdrawal), or fails to return from an approved leave of absence (unofficial withdrawal). Title IV aid consists of Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study (FWS), and Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized and parent). Refer to the “Withdrawal From the University” section of the McNeese Catalog for requirements for officially withdrawing from school.

The amount of Title IV funds to return to the applicable federal programs will be determined using the student’s withdrawal date and calculating the percentage of the enrollment period for which the student did not complete. McNeese will return that unearned percentage of the unearned Title IV funds that were disbursed or that could have been disbursed to the federal programs. The school will return the lesser of the total of unearned aid or an amount equal to institutional charges multiplied by the percentage of unearned aid. The student will be responsible for repaying any remaining unearned portion that was disbursed to them.

Failure to attend class or failure to resign properly could result in a letter grade of F and/or WN in all courses. In this case, the student would still be subject to the return of funds policy once an official withdrawal date is established. Merely discontinuing class attendance is not considered to be a formal resignation from the university. Students who were awarded financial assistance and who stop attending may be held responsible for repayment of all tuition and fees. The “Class Attendance Regulations” section of the McNeese Catalog details requirements on class attendance.

If a portion of a student’s unearned Title IV funds is a loan, no action by the school is necessary. Regular loan terms and conditions apply. If a portion of a student’s unearned Title IV funds is a federal grant, the student will be required to return no more than 50 percent of the amount received for the enrollment period.

The school will collect the portion of any financial assistance owed by the student. If no payment is received, holds will be placed on the student’s account. The student will lose eligibility for Title IV aid unless the overpayment is paid in full or satisfactory repayment arrangements are made.

Refund Schedule

The date that a student officially resigns (withdraws from all classes for which he or she is registered) from the University with the Office of the Registrar determines whether fees are refunded and at what percentage. Resignations received after close of business in the Office of the Registrar are considered received on the next business day and are processed as such. The refund policy and resignation dates apply to off-campus classes as well as on-campus classes. The schedule refers to calendar days, including weekends, beginning with the first day of classes as designated in the official University calendar. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday on which the University is closed for business, the student will have until close of business the following business day. Fees paid for late registration or fee deferral processing will not be refunded. Refer to the current issue of the McNeese Catalog for more information.