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university charges back the tuition award after transfer school

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dianexing

Junior Member
UT.
I transfered to a new university in Spring 2010. When I wanted to transfer the credits from the old university, I found out they charged me back part of my tuition award. They claimed that I signed a tuition stipulation and I should pay for it. I want to know if I don't pay my old school the tuition back, Can they go to a collection company me or sue me in future?

I was a research assistant in the old school for one semester so I got a tuition award which paid for part of my out-of-state tuition. I also got paid $1000 dollars for the research assistant job. The old school is now charging me back of the tuition. I didn't find relative words that say students who transfer to a different school need to pay back the award.

I have a copy of that" stipulation". It mentions " Nonresident tuition awards must be placed on the final master’s or doctoral Program of Study." Is it enough to let me pay back?
One page of the contract is as following.
Program of Study Requirements:
In‐state tuition awards must be placed on the final doctoral Program of Study.
Nonresident tuition awards must be placed on the final master’s or doctoral Program of Study.
For new students that have not submitted a Program of Study, courses must meet eligibility
requirements for placement on the Program of Study when submitted. The School of Graduate
Studies will require verification that courses significantly outside the degree program and all
3000‐4990 courses will be included on the Program of Study.
Students who transfer degrees will be responsible for repaying tuition awards received that do
not meet eligibility requirements under the new degree program. For example, if a doctoral
student receives in‐state tuition awards and later transfers from a doctoral degree to a master’s
degree, the student is responsible for repaying all in‐state tuition awards since master’s credits
are not eligible for this type of tuition award. Furthermore, if credits from the old degree cannot
be placed on the new Program of Study, the student is liable for repaying any tuition awards
received for those credits.
No 1000‐2990 level courses are covered by tuition awards. Up to 3 credits of 3000‐4990 level
courses are eligible, but these courses cannot be required by the graduate‐degree department
for a related undergraduate degree. Audited courses do not qualify for tuition awards.
No more than 15 semester credits of 3000‐5990 are permissible on the Program of Study, which
includes the 3000‐4990 class if applicable, except for the MMATH degree that allows 21 credits.
Thesis Research (DEPT 6970) and other courses used in the master’s degree in a dual
master’s/doctoral program will not be covered by the in‐state tuition award, but are eligible for
the nonresident tuition award.
Courses added after the University deadline for the approval of tuition awards (Last Day to Add
Classes) are not eligible for tuition awards.
Tuition awards do not pay for any portion of a dropped course. Students will be responsible for
paying tuition on any course dropped after the 100% refund date. If a student drops a course so
that he or she no longer meets full‐time status, the student becomes ineligible for tuition
awards and will be billed full tuition for the semester.
Absolutely no courses with grades of C‐ or lower can be included on the Program of Study;
hence, they are ineligible for tuition awards. If a department requires a higher standard for a
course to be placed on the Program of Study, any course with a grade lower than that standard
will be ineligible for tuition awards. P (Pass) grades are only acceptable for seminars, special
problems, interdisciplinary workshops, thesis /dissertation research, and CGA.
Students have one year to revise incompletes (excluding thesis/dissertation credits) to letter
grades before the Graduate School seeks repayment for courses that received tuition awards.
Programs of Study must be submitted by the end of the 2nd semester for master’s degrees and
by the end of the 3rd semester for doctoral degrees unless an approved department exemption
is in place. Tuition awards will not be approved until students have submitted a Program of
Study according to these guidelines. Programs of Study that have been submitted but not
approved (e.g., Committee Form deficient) will suspend a tuition award.
Tuition awards will only pay for the minimum number of Continuing Graduate Advisement (CGA)
credits (DEPT 6990/7990) to bring a student up to full‐time status.
All CGA credits will count against a student’s tuition award limits and cannot exceed 10 credits.
Students advancing to a doctoral degree upon completing a master’s are allowed one transition
semester to receive in‐state doctoral tuition awards after holding the final defense for the
master’s degree.
 
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Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
UT.
I transfered to a new university in Spring 2010. When I wanted to transfer the credits from the old university, I found out they charged me back part of my tuition award. They claimed that I signed a tuition stipulation and I should pay for it. I want to know if I don't pay my old school the tuition back, Can they sue me in future or will I have trouble to my credits history?

I was a research assistant in the old school for one semester so I got a tuition award which paid for part of my out-of-state tuition. I also got paid $1000 dollars for the research assistant job. The old school is now charging me back of the tuition. I didn't find relative words that say students who transfer to a different school need to pay back the award.
Ask the old school to send you a copy of the signed tuition stipulation.
 

dianexing

Junior Member
Ask the old school to send you a copy of the signed tuition stipulation.
I have a copy of that stipulation. I read it. I didn't find words that indicate that I need to pay them back if I transfer school.

Will the school be able to go to a collection company if I don't pay them back?
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Will the school be able to go to a collection company if I don't pay them back?
yes but that still doesn't mean the debt is valid.

It sounds like you need to discuss this with the school. I would suspect they can show you where you were required to repay whatever. If they can't, it will give you an opportunity to demand they call off the dogs and provide your transcripts to the other school.
 

dianexing

Junior Member
yes but that still doesn't mean the debt is valid.

It sounds like you need to discuss this with the school. I would suspect they can show you where you were required to repay whatever. If they can't, it will give you an opportunity to demand they call off the dogs and provide your transcripts to the other school.
The contract I signed is called "TUITION AWARD STIPULATIONS". I signed at the beginning of my master program. It doesn't say for one semester or for one year. In the contract, it says "In‐state tuition awards must be placed on the final doctoral Program of Study.". I am not sure if this is enough to charge me back the money.

My RA job paid $1000 per month and covered out-of-state tuition part. I still paid in-state tuition part. They are charging back the out-of -state tuition part now.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
can't tell with what you have posted. I suggest taking it to an attorney who can the the entire document and render an opinion.
 

cosine

Senior Member
Regardless of what the contract actually says, as long as the school BELIEVES that it says so in their favor, they will BELIEVE you owe the money (back), and will pursue it accordingly. That is as much a debt as any other debt as far as the processes to collect it go. They can send it to a CA. They can sue. They can sell it to debt buyers. All this, unless there are any applicable laws focusing on them that prevent certain things. So, yes, they can send it to collections. But you can also dispute it if you believe it is in error. As pointed out above, we'd need to see the full contract in context to know what it says and means.
 

dianexing

Junior Member
Regardless of what the contract actually says, as long as the school BELIEVES that it says so in their favor, they will BELIEVE you owe the money (back), and will pursue it accordingly. That is as much a debt as any other debt as far as the processes to collect it go. They can send it to a CA. They can sue. They can sell it to debt buyers. All this, unless there are any applicable laws focusing on them that prevent certain things. So, yes, they can send it to collections. But you can also dispute it if you believe it is in error. As pointed out above, we'd need to see the full contract in context to know what it says and means.
I pasted one page of the contract. Thanks.
 

HuAi

Member
Nonresident tuition awards must be placed on the final master’s or doctoral Program of Study.
***
Students who transfer degrees will be responsible for repaying tuition awards received that do
not meet eligibility requirements under the new degree program. For example, if a doctoral
student receives in‐state tuition awards and later transfers from a doctoral degree to a master’s
degree, the student is responsible for repaying all in‐state tuition awards since master’s credits
are not eligible for this type of tuition award. Furthermore, if credits from the old degree cannot
be placed on the new Program of Study, the student is liable for repaying any tuition awards
received for those credits.
***
Absolutely no courses with grades of C‐ or lower can be included on the Program of Study;
hence, they are ineligible for tuition awards. If a department requires a higher standard for a
course to be placed on the Program of Study, any course with a grade lower than that standard
will be ineligible for tuition awards.
The university is only footing the bill for your final master's or doctor's program. If a class no longer qualifies for your final program for example if you switch out or if you fail to get a C or higher then you have to return any awards for classes that don't give you credit toward that final program. If you transferred out, the final program is not at the university and they don't have to foot your bill at all.
 
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