Tips on Working With Cashiers' Office

Parent Cafe
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<p>Just wondering how folks are doing in dealing the various university financial offices–the financial air, cashiers. payment plan and/or any others that they’re routed to.
This is our 1st kid in college & 2nd semester of the 1st year. Our 1st semester went fine with just a few glitches that I was able to get cleared quickly. This semester has been very turbulent so far and I have spent the past 3-4 days trying to talk to someone about it. Late Friday, I reached someone & he “fixed” everything up. Now, I have a different balance everywhere on their system. There’s one on the printed bill I was sent, a different one on one part of the on-line account and another one on another part of the on-line account and two different ones on the automated billing system!</p>

<p>I called today & spoke to someone at the cashier’s office, and was transferred to her supervisor. She listened & tried to get me to call back one of the other offices but I begged her to figure out what’s going on & why I have all these different balances and call me back, giving both my home & cell phone #s. She called back a few hours later & said that the problem was the guy I spoke with on Friday, whose “fix” messed everything up!</p>

<p>I told her there are only a few things–I want to have a $400 credit to apply toward my child’s housing next year. He will be getting a $500 scholarship later in the semester. Other than that, I just want to know what my balance is & how they came up with it. She promised to research some more & get back to me. <sigh> I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she will actually call me back–if she can’t figure out what’s going on, I’m going to ask her whom to speak with & their DIRECT LINE so I don’t keep going thru menus & being told that all lines are busy (which was happening over the past few days.) My patience is wearing a bit thin!</sigh></p>

<p>Anyone have any great tips on working with the financial offices of their Us? I told her I never had this much trouble with my mortgage or any loans! My friend (who has 3 kids all in college right now) says this U gives him more hassles than the other two put together! They’re nice, but their records are a mess!</p>

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<p>No tips, but a funny story. Columbia credited me for my final tuition check for grad school, but never cashed it. By that time they had aggravated me so much I never told them. My sympathies.</p>

3

<p>I don’t do it.</p>

<p>Kiddos have to. They make appointments with financial aid, trek back and forth from there to the bursars and student accounts offices. Keep their receipts and all print-outs. If they set up payment plans, then they set up payment plans and are responsible for payment and checking on the accuracy of the account.</p>

<p>In turn, they each have been very motivated to stay on top of the financial aspect of college, continue to pursue outside scholarships and meet with their financial aid reps. to re-evalaute their packages and tweak them (less loans, decent work study, additional scholarships new and/more). Kiddos also stay on top of their meal plans, if they are in-season or out-of-season (athletes, heavy travel schedule vs. conditioning schedule) and are also aware of potential “credits/GC” offers for the bookstore. DD#2 at an OOS public, takes advantage of at least 1 or 2 per semester campus offers of to clean-up campus, plant trees, paint for a $300-400 uni bookstore credit. Usually covers the remainder of her books, and other supplies.</p>

<p>Only if they have tried and tired will I step in but after 4 kiddos I have not had to do that yet. I have given them suggestions on how to handle it or what type of questions to ask but they do handle it themselves.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>Yippee! By a combo of e-mails & phone calls, everything has been straightened out & I have a written understanding ouf how much we owe for the remainder Spring 2007. <whew> Still have not heard back from the supervisor who promised to call me back & whom I left a message for. Hmmmmm.</whew></p>