Early tuition, early drops

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and pass the cash.

For students who pay for their own education, the decision to remove the 50/50 program could not hit at a worse time of year. Sure, they can set up payment arrangements, but by the same token, there will be no bill to remind them.

Could there be a worse holiday combination? Tuition and fees are due a week and a day before Christmas morning with a conversion to paperless billing at the same time.

This complicates life for students with children or parents who are funding a college education. Keeping track, much less paying for, items at this time of year is hectic, now students and their families have to add to the stress by checking and double checking their bill – online.

Here’s the kicker: now a sweatshirt could cost you a semester. Anything that goes on the college bill, even if you had paid in full before, will be due weekly. Tuition is due Dec. 17, but books are not available. So come January that textbook or sweatshirt could cost you when drop date number two, Jan. 4, rolls around. But wait, there’s more. Every Friday in January is a drop date. Any charges to the account, not paid in full by end of business on Friday, will send that student schedule on a permanent holiday.

There is no grace. There are no second chances. If you don’t pay, you lose and good luck finding an adviser to reinstate you before classes begin.

In this season of hope and giving it seems exceptionally ironic that our University should turn into Scrooge.

It may be good business, but for students and the faculty who will be re-enrolling them, making student bills a do-it-yourself project is a little outlandish. Is one warning much to ask?