The university may extend the time a student has to pay fee increases as a result of complaints about recent fines incurred by students paying the $72 fee increase in March, Vice President of Student Affairs Shirley Uplinger said.

Uplinger said the university will look at the process and timeline for the future.

“A 10-day turnaround is really too short of (a) time,” Uplinger said.

She wants to see the timeline of mailings lengthened to ensure that students have adequate time to pay.

“In order to avoid the issue, we will move toward a 30-day policy,” she said

Sacramento State student Zachary Kanouse complained to financial services after receiving his tuition fee bill nine days after the bill was due. The bill included a $10 fine for not paying on time, although he said he didn?t receive his notice until March 24. He said the financial services office threatened to put a hold on his grades and records if he didn?t pay the late fee, giving him no other choice than to pay the fine.

Kanouse said officials originally told him to take up the issue with post office officials, but they have since decided to refund his $10 fine.

Over 3,000 students were assessed late fees due to tuition increases, and as of last week, 2,100 have paid them, Jeanette Norton, General Manager of the Student Financial Services Center, said. This means students have paid around $21,000 to the university for the late fee.

Nine hundred students have not yet paid their tuition increases, and face consequences if they fail to pay tuition increases or late fees. They will be prevented from registering for a future term and holds will also be placed on their records, Norton said.

“We took every step that we could think of to ensure students were aware of this increase and gave them as long as possible to pay the increased fees,” Norton said. “It is the students? responsibility to be aware of fee increases and all fees are subject to change.”

Norton said she was aware that the mailings may not have been sent out until at least a few days after their stamped date. Records show they were stamped on March 3 or 4. ASI President Eric Guerra said that this semester?s situation is ludicrous.

“The university should forgive the late fee. After a sudden mid-year increase, its the university?s responsibility to forgive students because there was ample time to implement the increase,” Guerra said.

He said the fee increase was approved in December, and there is no reason why the university waited until March to notify students, let alone assess a late fee with a March deadline.

“We need to develop a student friendly service,” Guerra said.

“Students are here to get an education,” not to handle the bureaucratic responsibility, he said.

ASI Vice President of Finance, Peter Ucovich, also said the responsibility belongs to the university and not the students.

“It?s one thing if students aren?t paying their fees. It?s another thing for students who are trying to pay in good faith and are being charged late fees,” Ucovich said.

He said the university needs to be more responsible and give refunds to students who paid late fees.

Fees are expected to rise by at least 25 percent by next semester. The CSU trustees were expected to vote on more tuition increases for the 2003-04 school year on May 14 in Long Beach, but have delayed that vote until the final state budget is approved. ASI is planning a protest at the May 14 meeting.

“The university violated a contract with students after raising tuition after school started,” Ucovich said. “The fee increase is preposterous, unfair and disenfranchising to students of the university.”

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