Collections
Students should review their account regularly for balance information & pay any balance promptly to avoid negative consequences which may include student record holds, cancellation of registration, late fees & interest, & debt collection.
A student’s account will be considered to be in past due status if the student is not currently enrolled at the University; & the student’s account contains unpaid charges that have been outstanding 30 days or greater after the last day of the term or when the student is no longer enrolled in classes at the University.
Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 147-86.23 & UNC System Office standards, the University is required to assess interest charges & late payment penalties on past due accounts.
- Interest will be calculated each month as a percentage of the unpaid account balance (excluding any interest & late fees).
- The University must calculate interest at the rate established by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.
- Prior to the assessment of interest charges, the student will be notified of his/her unpaid account balance, which may include making contact with the student via letter, email, or phone call to urge the student to contact the Collections Specialist to arrange payment of the outstanding account balance.
Consequences of a Past Due Account
- A hold will be placed on the student’s account & all request for readmission, transcripts or diplomas will be denied until the student’s account is paid in full. There are no exceptions to releasing the holds with students who have an outstanding balance with the university.
- All past due accounts will be notified by mail that they have an outstanding balance with the University.
- A second letter will be sent when the account is 60 days past due.
- If no action has been taken after the second letter further collection activity on these accounts will be at the direction of the Attorney General’s Office.
- Outstanding balances not paid after 90 days
- Referral to an approved collection agency
- Reported to the Credit Bureau
- Report to the State of NC to withhold state tax refund (Set off Deb Collection Act)
- State Employees Debt Collection Act procedures
Debt Collection Acts
Setoff Debt Collection Act
As part of the North Carolina Setoff Debt Collection Act, debtors to the University with debts of $50.00 or greater must be listed with the NC Department of Revenue for potential set off against their NC individual income tax refunds.
The NC Department of Revenue will notify the person with a past due account that they university has a claim against their income tax refund at the time that a refund is seized. The amount owed to UNCW plus a SODCA collection fee is deducted from the individual’s state tax refund. The amount owed is then forwarded to UNCW & the collection fee is retained by the NC Department of Revenue. UNCW will apply the funds received as payment against the outstanding account balance & send a letter to the student notifying them. The student has 30 days to file an appeal, if no appeal is filed then the monies(excluding the SODCA collection fee) is applied to the outstanding balance.
State Employee Debt Collection Act (SEDCA)
If you are a state employee who owes the University money, your account will be submitted as part of the State Employees Debt Collection Act 143-553 (SEDCA). This act requires that employees who work for a state agency will be required to pay their debt in full or authorize their wages being garnished 10% of their net earnings or face termination.
Payments & Rectifying Your Account
Payment Options
- Pay Online through E-bill (must have an active MySeaport login)
- If you do not have an active MySeaport account, you may pay online via our Collections Portal
- Pay by mail
- Payment Plan Options (see below for more information)
Payment Plans
Monthly payment plans are available to students whose accounts have been placed in collections.
Please contact the Collection Specialist at 910.962.4280 to set up a payment plan or if you have questions about your student account in collections. While establishment of satisfactory payment arrangement will not result in the removal of holds, it will stop the progression of collection efforts once the first installment has been paid. Note if the student fails to make the monthly scheduled payment the collection process will resume.
| Amount Due | Payment Plan (in months) |
|---|---|
| $500 to $999 | 6 Month Payment Plan |
| $1,000 to $2,999 | 12 Month Payment Plan |
| $3,000 to $4,999 | 18 Month Payment Plan |
| $5,000 or more | 24 Month Payment Plan |
Rectifying my Account
Rectifying your accounts means all debt is paid & holds are removed.
When will the hold on my account be removed?
If you have paid your outstanding balance with the university then the hold on your account will be removed. Please use the following chart to determine the timeline for removing a hold.
| Type of Payment | Account Hold Removal Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Cash or Credit Card | Immediately |
| Webcheck | 10 business days from payment |
| Paper Check | 30 days from payment* |
*Please note: Students may e-mail a copy of the front & back of the paper check (account numbers blackened out) or provide bank documentation that the check has cleared their account then we will remove the hold sooner than 30 days.
