Student Accounts: Collections

About This Policy

The Collection Office with the Office of Student Accounts is responsible for the recovery of monies owed to Montclair State University by students no longer enrolled. This collective debt includes outstanding student account balances for past semesters. The student is responsible for payments of the resulting tuition, fees, and any other balance incurred after financial award(s) or student loan(s) may have been granted. Regardless of any expected reliance on any third-party resource, including but not limited to financial aid, family gifts, employer reimbursement or any other external resource.

If an account is in a delinquent or defaulted status, a financial hold is placed on the account. Any request for transcripts, re-admission, diplomas and/or certifications are denied until the delinquency or default has been satisfied. Students are expected to pay their outstanding balance in full or establish an internal payment plan with Montclair State University. If the student’s financial commitment to Montclair State University becomes delinquent at any time, the Office of Student Accounts may send notification to the student’s MSU email and/or mailing address on file. It is the student’s obligation to update any address Montclair State University has on record. Financial obligations include but are not limited to tuition, room, board, course fees, parking fines, library fines, residence hall fines and any special fees or fines charged to a student’s account. If any notice is returned by the post office, the student account will automatically be placed with a collection agency.

Past Due Collections

Once an account becomes past due Montclair State University will begin active collection proceedings according to its Collection policy. This may include making contact with students by a series of letters urging students to contact the Office of Student Accounts /Collections to arrange payment for their accounts.

It is important for students to contact us immediately to arrange payment for their account if they receive notice that their account is past due. Montclair State University is more than willing to accept payment arrangements to facilitate payments of student accounts. It is also the student’s responsibility to keep the university abreast of changes in the demographic information.

After the Office of Student Accounts/ Collections Office has exhausted its efforts of collecting a debt or any correspondences to you are returned by the post office, the debt will be referred to a collection agency for further action. This may include legal action.

If a student has signed a Montclair State University internal payment plan contract or promissory note, and is placed with a collection agency, all costs by the collection agency or attempting to collect the debt will be charged to the student. These costs can include, but are not limited to, collection costs charged by a collection agency, skip tracing fees, fees incurred in obtaining legal documents, reasonable attorney’s fees, and fees charged to send notices via registered mail. Once an account has been transferred to a collection agency, students will need to contact the collection agency directly to arrange payment.

Montclair State University (MSU) no longer mails paper bills or statements.  Students not receiving a mailed bill or statement does not constitute as a valid justification for lack of remitting payment. It is the student’s responsibility to view their account on NEST. If you no longer have access to your NEST account, please contact our office for further assistance in resolving your account balance.

COLLECTION AGENCY ASSIGNMENTS

Once a student account has been placed in Collections, the student must contact the assigned collection agency to resolve the balance and/or make payment arrangements. Once an account is placed, payment arrangements can no longer be made with Montclair State University. The student will then be liable for all collection and/or attorney fees (20%-40% of the amount placed in collection).

 Collection Agency Contact Information for Students:

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