Student AR Practices at SMCCD

1. Student AR Practices at SMCCD 2008 - 3CBG Conference Presenter – Raymond Chow, District Controller Phone (650) 358-6742 Email – chow@smccd.edu

2. Introduction • San Mateo County Community College District Consists of three colleges. • Enrolls over 25,000 students • Banner users since 1993

3. Background • The District’s policy does not prevent students from registering nor does it drop them for non payment • Student enrollment more important then A/R collection • Colleges win and District losses • Conversion from EIS accounting to Banner

4. Policy • District policies on AR balance prior to 2006 • Internal Collection Efforts • Send out schedule bill to students • Make SARS calls • Send past due notice

5. Policy • External Collection Efforts (after 2006) upon exhaustion of all internal collection efforts • unpaid student fees accounts are then sent to collection agencies • The COTOP program for financial aid receivables • Franchise Tax Board sponsored Interagency Intercept Collections program to offset unpaid parking citation receivables • Working with District attorney office for returned checks collection

6. Collection Steps • Goal to reduce outstanding student and non-student A/R • Hire outside collection agencies • Wrote off “old” uncollectable balances • Redefine A/R procedures, schedule student billing, SARS calls and collection letters, etc.

7. Student Billing Procedures • Develop and implement a billing time-table • Sample internal A/R collection schedule

8. Collection Agency Process Initial Placement File • Balance over $50 and • with activities older than 2 years and not older than 7 years New placement File • Twice a year • Outstanding is older than 1 year

9. Collection Agency Process AR Data Synchronization • Weekly download and upload of AR payment information to and from collection agencies Thank you !