TAMUK to switch from paper billing to on-line billing
By Carlos Alvarado
The South Texan
Beginning August 1, students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville will be introduced to MoneyConnect, a new feature that will allow them to view and pay bills online.
The university’s Business Office will begin sending billing statements via the Internet using the Blue and Gold Connection which will allow students to just be a click away to see transactions and make payments. By making the switch between the U.S. Post Office and the Internet, online billing is not only helping the environment by eliminating the billing statement paper and carbon emergency forms, but it will also help students by allowing them to make payments at home as opposed to standing in line.
The system will send a notification to the student’s university e-mail account each time a transaction has occurred. Parents of students can also make payments on an account, without jeopardizing the student’s privacy.
Parents will have a separate pin, with permission from the student, which allows them certain viewing privileges to access the student’s account. The same pin can be used if the parents have more than one student enrolled in this university to view and make payments on multiple accounts.
“This is something we have been trying to do more efficiently,” Business Services Manager Patricia Hayes said. “Online billing is just a part of it; automatic emergency loans, direct deposits, and other features will benefit students.”
TouchNet Bill+Payment (TBP) Suite is the software that is going to get rid of the paper handling, shuffling, and storing.
TBP suite offers colleges and universities online, web-based solutions for presenting student billing, managing tuition payment plans, accepting bill payments, and distributing refunds. Currently the university has one payment plan authorized by the state, a three-part payment that could pay for tuition fees and room and board, if necessary.
In the future they will have other payment plan options, but the most common for students is the emergency loan, which will also be available online but just for tuition fees.
“Mailing checks have always been an issue,” Hayes said. “Sometimes they wait until the deadline, now they can get online and pay at home.”
MoneyConnect and other features is the first phase of the three phase project, the two other phases will be implemented later on next year and a postcard will be sent during the middle of the Summer to students as well as presentations to Hoggie Days participants during the camps. .