POL-U5351.01 Billing and Receiving Payment For Tuition, Fees, Goods, and Services
Jump to section
Dates and Approval
Effective Date:
July 18, 2005
Revised Date:
September 1, 2015
Approved by:
President Bruce Shepard
Who does this policy apply to?
This policy applies to all billing and payment receipts under Chart 1. The purpose of this policy is to efficiently bill for and collect University revenue and adequately control financial risk by:
Overview
There is no overview for this policy.Definitions
E-Commerce System
An electronic system by which the University receives payment through the internet.
Cash
Includes coin, currency, checks, travelers’ checks, and money orders.
Financial Manager
An employee in a position to which an organization code or fund is assigned; is granted financial authority over the monies allocated to the organization code and/or fund; and is
given permission to delegate further to budget authorities.
Payment
Payment in the form of coin, currency, checks (paper and electronic), travelers’ checks, money orders, and debit and credit cards for goods, services, or fees. Payment methods include payment in person, via the mail, over the phone, or through the Internet.
Policy Statements
1. Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs Ensures Oversight of the Billing and Receipt of Payment Processes
The Vice President delegates the daily administration and oversight of this policy to the Director of Financial Services.
2. University Maintains a Centralized Billing and Cashier Location
The Student Business Office (SBO) is designated as the University’s centralized billing and cashier location responsible for:
- Billing and receiving payments on student accounts,
- Billing and receiving payments on non-student customer accounts,
- Receiving and processing decentralized department revenue, and
- Compiling and depositing University funds.
3. All Billing and Payment Collection Will Be Conducted Through the Student Business Office or a Western E-Commerce System
In order to establish sufficient controls through a standardized billing (accounts receivable) process and to minimize the handling of cash, the billing and collection of tuition, fees, goods, and services will be processed either through the SBO or a Western e-commerce payment or point-of-sale system.
Exception: Departments wishing to maintain a decentralized billing and/or payment receipt operation on a short-term or permanent basis must receive prior written approval in accordance with procedure (PRO-U5351.01A or PRO-U5351.01B).
4. All Fees Charged Require Prior Approval
All fees including, but not limited to, course, lab, goods, service fees and fines, charged to students and/or external entities must receive initial approval in accordance with University fee policies. Fees include deposits (e.g. key or equipment deposits).
5. Cash Must Be Deposited Within One Business Day
All cash received by the SBO and the Associated Students Bookstore must be deposited with the University’s bank within one business day following receipt of payment. All corrections and adjustments to deposits will be documented.
All cash received by approved decentralized cash receipt locations must be deposited with the SBO within one business day following receipt of payment.
Exception: Treasury Services may grant decentralized locations a waiver to the one business day requirement, however, departments with waivers must comply with deposit requirements as directed by Treasury Services. See 24 Hour Waiver Form (FRM-U5351.01A).
6. Unauthorized Departments Must Redirect Payees and Payments Received in Error
If an unauthorized receipting location receives a payment either in person or in the mail, the department will:
- Direct the payee to the SBO or applicable e-commerce site (if in-person),
- Hand deliver the payment to the SBO within one business day of receipt of payment (if received in the mail), and
- Notify the payee of the mailing address for the SBO for future payments.
Accepting an in-person payment to the SBO on behalf of the payee is prohibited.
7. Refunding Process Restricted to Authorized Departments
Refunds for charges applied to a student or general receivable account must be made in accordance with the Adjusting Student and General Receivable Accounts and Refunding Credit Balances policy (POL-U5352.03) and related procedures.
General refunds (payments received directly for charges that were not applied to an established student or general receivable account) must be processed through the use of the General Refund Voucher.
Exception: Decentralized locations authorized to receive payments directly may receive specific authority to process their own refunds.
8. Compliance with Internal Controls Required
The SBO and financial managers granted authority to maintain a decentralized payment receipt and/or billing location (including refunding when applicable), must ensure compliance with applicable internal control requirements, stipulated by the Director of Financial Services. Financial managers must attest to being compliant with the Authorizing a Decentralized Billing and/or Payment Receipt Location procedures (PRO-U5351.01A).
9. University Pursues Collection of Returned Items
The SBO will promptly contact any payer whose deposit item is returned by a bank.
Exception: Items returned that are payable to the Western Washington University Foundation and Western Washington University Alumni will be delivered to those offices for resolution. Other departments may be authorized by the Treasury Services Manager to collect their returned items.
10. Financial Manager Ensures Training and Performance
Training provided by Financial Services must be completed:
- Prior to participating in any cash/credit card handling activities,
- Annually, and
- Upon request of Treasury Services.
In accordance with the Authorizing and Defining Financial Responsibilities policy (POL-U5320.03), financial managers must ensure that performance issues of employees responsible for the stewardship of financial resources are promptly and adequately addressed (e.g. mishandling of cash).
11. Only University Trained Employees May Handle Payments
Financial managers must ensure only University trained employees handle payments.
Exception: The Treasury Services Manager may authorize a non-employee to handle cash on a limited basis only after required training has been completed and appropriate internal controls are in place.
12. Financial Managers Responsible for Compliance
Financial managers, of departments authorized to handle billing and/or receipt of payment directly, must comply with all of the requirements outlined in the:
- Authorization memo,
- Decentralized Cash/Billing Internal Controls Verification, and
- Trainings.
All cash handling operations are subject to random audits by Internal Audit and/or Treasury Services. Financial managers must comply, in a timely manner, with requests for information during audits.
Policy Contact
Financial ServicesDivision
Policy Information
Authority:
Display all authorities
History:
Display policy history
Cancels:
- POL-U5351.01 Authorizing and Maintaining Cash Receipting Locations
- POL-U5351.02 Training Cash Handlers
- POL-U5351.03 Supervising Cash Handling Activities
- POL-U5351.04 Issuing and Maintaining Pre-Numbered Receipts
- POL-U5351.05 Maintaining Accountability Over Cash
- POL-U5351.06 Accepting Cash
- POL-U5351.07 Handling Rejected Items and Items Returned by the Bank
- POL-U5351.08 Balancing Cash to Receipts
- POL-U5351.09 Depositing Cash
- POL-U5351.10 Maintaining Physical Control Over Cash
- POL-U5351.11 Transporting Cash
- POL-U5351.13 Accepting, Processing and Securing Bankcard Information
- POL-U5352.01 Charging and Billing the Public for Goods and Services
- POL-U5352.02 Billing Students' Account
- POL-U5352.13 Charging and Billing Fines
See Also:
Display procedures, standards, and forms
Related documents
Forms:
Related Policies and Info:
Cancels
- POL-U5351.01 Authorizing and Maintaining Cash Receipting Locations
- POL-U5351.02 Training Cash Handlers
- POL-U5351.03 Supervising Cash Handling Activities
- POL-U5351.04 Issuing and Maintaining Pre-Numbered Receipts
- POL-U5351.05 Maintaining Accountability Over Cash
- POL-U5351.06 Accepting Cash
- POL-U5351.07 Handling Rejected Items and Items Returned by the Bank
- POL-U5351.08 Balancing Cash to Receipts
- POL-U5351.09 Depositing Cash
- POL-U5351.10 Maintaining Physical Control Over Cash
- POL-U5351.11 Transporting Cash
- POL-U5351.13 Accepting, Processing and Securing Bankcard Information
- POL-U5352.01 Charging and Billing the Public for Goods and Services
- POL-U5352.02 Billing Students' Account
- POL-U5352.13 Charging and Billing Fines