Friday, October 10, 2008
Students at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park are scrambling to pay back tuition refunds that the University erroneously sent them last month.
Mary Ryan, associate dean of academic affairs at the Edwards Campus, said the refunds were the result of a software glitch in the Enroll and Pay program. The glitch resulted in the system’s failure to update tuition costs, making students’ bills lower than they were supposed to be.
The KU Edwards Campus enrolls about 2,100 students each semester. According to the campus’ Web site, 47 percent of those students are married and nearly 25 percent have children younger than 18 years old.
The University Registrar sent an e-mail to about 400 affected students Tuesday. The e-mail informed students that their accounts had been credited with a refund, which varied in amount depending on the students’ credit hours. The refunds were issued during the week of Sept. 29, but the problem was not discovered until recently.
Cindy Derritt, University Registrar, said in the e-mail the problem was brought to the University’s attention by “a number of very honest students who reported the unexpected check.”
Ryan said the error had taken a while to correct because of the lengthy process of tracking down the affected students.
Paul Gutierrez, Vinton, Texas, graduate student, found out Tuesday that he owed the University an extra $396 he was previously unaware of. He said the entire process had left him confused and frustrated, an issue the University’s e-mail had also addressed. Gutierrez expressed concern about repaying the refund in time to meet the Nov. 15 deadline.
Ryan said the issue with repayment was going to be flexible, based on a case-to-case evaluation for each student. She said the University was willing to work with students to resolve the potentially frustrating issue. In some cases, Ryan said the payment deadline could be extended as late as January.
Cathy Griffith, Lansing graduate student, made what she thought would be her final tuition payment Oct. 1. She chose to pay her tuition on a monthly basis through the Tuition Management System offered online. After reaching a zero balance on her account, she was informed through Enroll and Pay that she owed another $695.25. Griffith said when she contacted the Bursar’s office, she received a polite explanation of the situation.
Ryan said there were a number of students who were very upset by the situation. She said the University had done its best to this point to be accommodating for those affected. Ryan said students were welcome to call her and the Registrar’s office to discuss issues generated by the situation.
— — Edited by Kelsey Hayes
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