Collection Policy

Billing statements are to be mailed for all outstanding accounts. Delinquent accounts will have a second notice mailed. If no collection is made, a third and final personal letter will be sent. The letter will detail the date, purpose and amount of the debt. The student is to be advised of the State policy regarding grade transcripts and registration for future classes. If the above procedure fails the following will apply determined by the amount of the debt.

For amount less than $25, the account may be written off with approval of the Trustees. All correspondence will be retained for a period of three years from the date that the Trustees approve the account for write-off, and then be destroyed.

For amounts less than $50 but more than $25, the account will be turned over to the Collection Section of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Information submitted to the Attorney General will include the debtor’s name and current address (if known), the date of the account, the purpose of the charge and the amount of the charge. If this fails, the account may be written off with the approval of the Trustees. All correspondence will be retained for a period of three years from the date that the Trustees approve the account for write-off, and then be destroyed.

For amounts over $50, the account will be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office first. If the Attorney General has no success then the account will be turned over to the Collection Agency under State Contract. If the Collection Agency has not collected the debt within 30 days, the debt shall be included in the “Set-off Debt Collection Program” established with the Department of Revenue by G.S. 105A. Use of this program will be mandatory for all debts of $50 and over, except in cases where the College is advised by the Attorney General not to submit a claim because the validity of the debt is legitimately in dispute or because an alternate means of collection would result in a loss of federal funds.

Should this final effort prove unsuccessful, approval to write off the account will be requested from Trustees and the Financial and Administrative Services Division of the North Carolina Community College System. When requesting write-off approval, the history of the collection attempts will be included. Documentation will be held on file for a period of three years from the point of write-off. If the amount of the account is $300 or more and there is reason to believe the debtor is in North Carolina at a known address, the Attorney General’s Office may file suit for collection. This will replace the step of placing the account with the Collection Agency.

NOTE: Any outstanding debt whether on the student’s account or written off will result in flagging the student’s account. This flag will prevent a student from receiving grades, registering for future classes, and/or denial of transcripts request.