Another Rip-Off: Privatizing Student Payments

This just in. Just like Ticketmaster's "Convenience Fees" Rip-Off, Cal Poly Pomona's announced that it's turning over fee and tuition payments to a Third-Party Vendor. (CSU Long Beach is also doing this and it's quite likely, other CSUs too.) There is no good reason why Cal Poly Pomona's Cashiers Office can't continue to receive student payments directly, without enriching a private corporation, in this case, CASHNet, by over $1.5 million (assuming that 60% of our 20,000 students pay by credit card).

This is adding insult to injury at a time when students have to pay more but get less: the administration is tacking on even more charges that do nothing for the students. Another good reason why the people in charge, the privateers, need to find an honest job elsewhere (or perhaps retire with their unearned pensions) and stop ripping off students and the community for private interests.

From: Student Accounting & Cashiering Services
Date: Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT CHANGE ON CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS
To: students@csupomona.edu

Cal Poly Pomona is introducing a new credit card payment process beginning in Spring 2010 which will impact how you pay for both registration fees and fees that you currently pay in person or by mail for transcripts, GWT, and graduation applications. Online payments will significantly reduce the time and inconvenience of paying these fees either in person or by mail.

Registration Fees and Tuition Payments

Beginning with the Spring 2010 quarter, credit card payments for registration fees and tuition made online via BroncoDirect will use a new third party vendor, CASHNet/Smartpay. CASHNet will accept MasterCard, Discover and American Express (Visa will no longer be accepted). With this new service, the Cashier’s Office will no longer accept credit card payments in person for registration fees and tuition.

To provide this online service, CASHNet will charge a convenience fee of 2.9% for registration fees and tuition. As an example, if your fees are $949.64 for part-time enrollment, a fee of $27.54 will be added by CASHNet to your transaction.

The following payment options will continue to be available for payment of registration fees and tuition::

· Cash at the cashiers’ windows


· Checks at the cashiers’ windows or by mail


· Money order at the cashiers’ windows or by mail


· Electronic checks or e-checks via BroncoDirect (no convenience fee)


· Installment Payment Plans


Parking, Housing, Transcripts, Graduation Application, Graduate Writing Test (GWT) and Other Fees

The Cashiers’ Office will continue to accept credit card payments for parking, housing both online and in person at no additional cost to you. For your convenience, you will be able to make the following online payments by credit card beginning in April. (We will email you once these are available online.)

· Transcripts


· Graduation Application fees


· Graduate Writing Test (GWT) fees


· Orientation


· Enrollment Deposit


Questions regarding this new service should be directed to Student Accounting and Cashiering Services, sacs@csupomona.edu or (909) 869-2010. Thank you.


Student Accounting and Cashiering Services