Starting in the fall 2014 term, Washburn is making some changes to its credit card acceptance and tuition refund policies. A press release sent out by Washburn University officials details these changes.

“Beginning August 1, 2014, credit card payments on student accounts must be made online via WU-View (formerly I-BOD). Instructions on how to make online credit card payments are located at http://www.washburn.edu/current-students/business-office/ibod/index.html.

Credit cards will no longer be accepted at the cashier windows; students can still make payments at the cashier windows via cash, check or PIN-based debit card. In order to provide cardholders with an even greater level of security against theft of credit card information via hacking, we have outsourced credit card processing to TouchNet, which has been providing our online payment portal for several years. A convenience fee is charged by TouchNet to cover credit card interchange fees (i.e., fees charged to merchants by Visa, MasterCard and other credit card companies) and the cost of providing the additional security over credit card information. Online credit card payments will be charged a credit card convenience fee of 2.75 percent of the amount being paid (minimum fee of $3.00) to cover this processing cost.”

According to the press release, payments can be made online, but are subject to convenience charges unless the payment is made via webcheck.

Webchecks are not processed through the credit card network, so they are not subject to interchange fees.

Additionally, online payments can no longer be made by debit card. Online payments can only be made with credit cards or webchecks. PIN-based debit card payments are accepted at the cashier window in the Student Service Center in Morgan Hall, Room 152.

Beginning with the Fall 2014 term, the tuition refund period for fall and spring terms has been shortened from five weeks to four weeks. The refund percentages are also changing:

First week of classes – 100%

Second week – 100%

Third week – 40%

Fourth week – 20%

This change is being made to bring Washburn’s refund policy more in line with the other public universities in Kansas, and to make the refund schedule align with official enrollment reporting dates, which fall at the end of the fourth week of classes.

The announcement states that summer refund period and percentages are not changing. The changes mentioned above are for fall and spring terms only, beginning Fall 2014.