After failing to pay up, 2,305 are blocked from PARIS

Financial Services officials alarmed by the high number put on hold An estimated 2,305 current University students were placed on financial hold for not paying their fall tuition bill by the October 15 deadline, Student Financial Services officials said yesterday. Students on financial hold cannot register for the next academic term, receive transcripts or receive degrees from the University. Under a new Financial Services policy, students must pay for the current semester before they are permitted to register for the next semester. This semester, the policy is only being enforced against students who owe the University more than $1,000. Under the old policy, students were able to go another semester without paying before they faced financial hold. Financial Services officials said they hoped the new policy would force students to either pay their bills or work out a repayment plan with Financial Services, before their debt becomes even larger. Also, by making students come in earlier to take care of their debt, students could also be made aware of possible scholarships. Associate Vice President for Finance Frank Claus said that in the past, he had seen students who would have been eligible for federal grants and loans – but who missed the deadlines for applying. Another problem for the University under the old policy was that it took a long time for the University to collect on back payments. Other Ivy League schools, some of which impose harsh penalties if tuition is not paid promptly, don't have this problem to nearly the extent the University does, Claus said. Earlier this month, the University was owed $22 million in back payments. Claus said he hoped the new policy would reduce that amount to between $10 million and $12 million. D.L. Wormley, Student Financial Services' director of product development and marketing, said while the 2,305 figure is "alarming," it is still better for students to take care of their debt now rather than later. She said it is still too early to tell how successful the new policy will be, but she said Financial Services system of warning students who risked financial hold was largely successful. At the beginning of the month, an estimated 3,300 to 3,400 students received letters warning them they would be placed on financial hold if they did not pay up or come to Financial Services to work out a repayment plan by October 15.

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