New Semester, Same RU Screw

So my grades were pretty good last semester. My classes looked pretty interesting this semester. The books were no more obscenely priced than normal and after a small snafu with the bookstore I was able to pick them all up just before classes began.

I got an email telling me that there was a refund check waiting for me at the Bursar's office... So, one day after class I dropped in there to pick it up.

I guess things were going too smoothly for me because once I showed the woman at the desk my school ID she told me that I have not paid my late fee.

"Late fee? I'm here for a refund check."

"The late fee is $125."

"Okay, fine, here's my credit card. Just charge it and I'll pick up my refund check that I came here for."

"We don't process credit cards here. You have to do it online."

"Alright, so I can pay this late fee online in the computer lab and then pick up my check correct?"

"No, you can't pay the late fee online."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow with a check then..." I say. I think, "There was no point in me coming in today then was there? Thanks."

She says, while I'm still standing dumbfounded in front of her... "NEXT!"

FRIDAY MORNING... (I come in bearing a check for the $125 late fee already written out and having looked again at the finincial aid website which says that my loans paid the bill on time.)

Another woman, much friendlier and more helpful than the Thursday woman, tells me that I owe the late fee PLUS my tuition.

I am floored.

"Oh no," I thought, "Rutgers had better do their due diligence on that one... I paid all of that through my student loans..."

but I said...

"Are you certain? Because I applied through FAFSA for loans and my entire tuition was covered by the loans I took out."

"Yes, you owe $9112 in tuition and a late fee of $125."

"Tuition and the late fee now? Yesterday I was told it was only a late fee and that after I paid it I could have my refund check... Did I misunderstand?"

"Yes, you haven't paid your tuition yet so there's a late fee."

"I'm confused, my tuition was covered by my student loans which the school already has. Why hasn't it been applied? The Financial Aid Office website says that my loan has already been applied to my term bill."

"You can email the Bursar about the late fee. She should be able to remove it for you."

"Okay, I'll email her but I don't want to be dropped out of my classes because of an error with my loans. Can I just give you this check because I have it and at least then you know I still WANT to go here?"

"That's fine but please email her and speak to financial aid."

"Okay, I don't suppose I can pick up my refund check today?"

"Not with a balance on your term bill but let me just make sure that it doesn't get sent back to be reprocessed... They get stale-dated sitting too long."

She looks for my check as I stand there completely baffled as to what's happening with my term bill and my loans.

"There's no check for you."

"But I saw it in the other woman's hand yesterday and she said I just needed to bring the $125 in and I could have it."

"There's no check but if you fill out this form I will have them mail the check for your refund directly to your home."

"Ummmm okay, I guess that's fine."

FLASH TO MONDAY MORNING...

I've now gone online and printed everything and anything having to do with my loans, term bill, financial aid award letter, etc. Interestingly enough, the Bursar now lists only a $0.50 balance on my term bill and the loans magically seemed to have been applied to my bill. I decide to forgo the stop at Financial Aid because I've decided that they've done their job and the problem is in the Bursar's office... And I want to pay off that last bit of my bill so they can't say anything to me at all.

Now mind you the amount of time between me checking the Bursar's website and walking into the building was less than five minutes...

"Hi, I think I have a small balance on my term bill that I'd like to pay off."

"Nope, you have a zero balance."

"This paper, from your website, says that I owe $0.50. Can I please pay that so it doesn't come back to haunt me?"

"Your balance is zero."

"Why does it say I owe $0.50?"

"It doesn't."

"It doesn't in YOUR computer. Here it does." (I point to my sheet already highlighted at the amount owed line.)

"We have a refund check for you. Please sign here."

"What? On Friday I was told that refund check wasn't here."

"It's right here. Just sign here and you can take it."

I sign and take the check. "So let me get this straight: my loans are applied and cover my tuition, my late fee payment has been applied, my bill is paid in full for the Spring 2007 semester AND I have a refund check. Is this correct?"

"Yes, NEXT!"

Again, I'm baffled. Somehow Rutgers fixed their mistake and it only cost me $125. Which I should get back from the Bursar if I email her... but then again I'm not sure that I want them near my bill again because I might end up with another fee for something else... like a term bill fee application correction fee. Which with my luck will cost me $275.

I give up Rutgers... YOU WIN!