Financial Responsibility
Returned Payments/Failed Payments
If a payment made to a student account is returned by the bank, students agree to repay the original amount of the payment plus a returned payment fee of $30. Multiple returned payments and/or failure to comply with the terms of any payment plan or agreement signed with the College may result in a requirement of a fully paid balance due prior to the semester starting, cancellation of classes, and/or suspension of eligibility to register for future classes at the College.
Financial Responsibility
All students enrolled at Dunwoody College of Technology are required to complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement annually.
This form states that students understand that when being registered for any class at the College or receiving any service from the College, they accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees, and other associated costs assessed as a result of their registration and/or receipt of services. Students must also further understand and agree that registration and acceptance of these terms constitutes a promissory note agreement (i.e. a financial obligation in the form of an educational loan as defined by the U.S. Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(8) in which the College is providing educational services, deferring some or all of payment obligations for those services, and a promise to pay for all assessed tuition, fees, and other associated costs by the published or assigned due dates or enrollment in the institutional payment plans.)
Furthermore, understanding that failure to attend class or receive a Billing Statement (bill) does not absolve any student of financial responsibility as described above.
Balance Impact to Registration
All students with account balances will be placed on a financial hold. Financial holds will prevent release of any official diplomas or certificates until the financial obligation has been met. Enrolled students are allowed to carry a $200 or less balance forward when registering for a future semester. Students with a balance above $200 will be prevented from registering for the next semester until their balance is below the threshold.
Students who owe a balance for the spring or summer terms will not be allowed to register for the following fall semester until the balance is paid to $200 or less. If they were previously registered for the fall, the fall schedule will be put on hold until the past due balance is paid in full.
Communication
The College uses the assigned Dunwoody email as an official method of communication with students. Students are responsible for reading the emails sent from the College on a timely basis. Students authorize the College and its agents and contractors to contact them at the current and any future cellular phone number(s), email address(es), or wireless device(s) on file with the College regarding delinquent student account(s)/loan(s), any other debt owed to the College, or to receive general information from the College. Students authorize the College and its agents and contractors to use automated telephone dialing equipment, artificial or pre-recorded voice or text messages, and personal calls and emails in their efforts to contact them. Students may withdraw consent to call cellular phone by submitting a request in writing to the Student Accounts Office or in writing to the applicable contractor or agent contacting the student on behalf of the College.
Once a Return to Title IV calculation is completed, students are notified by letter of any post withdrawal disbursements, balance due to school, and/or loan repayment requirements.
Updating contact information: Students understand and agree that they are responsible for keeping the College records up-to-date with current physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers by updating my.dunwoody. Upon leaving the College for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to provide the College and student loan provider(s) with updated contact information for purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts owed to the College or lenders.
Late Admittance
Students who wish to attend Dunwoody and are accepted or re-admitted within 14 calendar days prior to the start of the term, through the first week of the semester, are required to meet with the Financial Aid Office and the Student Accounts Office prior to attending any classes.
Additionally, these students are required to adhere to the the College payment policy as outlined in the Financial Responsibility Agreement. Late-admit students must also have a completed FAFSA (if eligible) on file with the Financial Aid Office or they must make a payment no less than 25% of the outstanding balance owed for the semester.
If returning students have no means to pay the tuition in full by the end of the fifth business day of the semester (new students have until end of week 2), the student will have the option to leave Dunwoody and have all tuition and fee charges reversed off their account. Students will still be responsible for any non-returned IT equipment, books or supplies charged to the account.
All tuition and fees must be paid down to $200 or less to enroll in a future term or paid in full if graduating. All students with account balances above $200 will be placed on a financial hold. Financial holds will prevent release of any official diplomas/certifications or readmission into the College until the financial obligation has been met.
Past Due Balance
Financial hold: Failure to pay a bill or any money owed to the College by the scheduled due date, the College will place a financial hold on the student account, preventing registration for future classes or requesting official diplomas/certification until the account balance is satisfied in full.
Students who pay a past due balance with a personal check must wait seven business days for the payment to clear before being allowed to request diplomas/certifications or register for a new semester.
Delinquent Account/Collections
Balances remaining after exiting enrollment at the College must be paid in full immediately upon leaving or a payment plan agreement must be set up with the Student Accounts Office. The payment plan agreement is at the discretion of the Student Accounts Office and may have a maximum time period of 24 months from the last date of enrollment or the last day of the term, whichever is earlier. Payments must be a minimum of $50 per month and must begin within 90 days of leaving the College or incurring the charges. Balances not paid in full within the payment plan parameters or missed payments may result in the delinquent account being referred to a third party collection agency. The delinquency date reported to the agency will be the date the account became delinquent or last day of enrollment, whichever is later. Accounts with a balance of $600 or less will remain at the College and will result in a financial hold placed on the account preventing registration for future classes or receiving diplomas/certifications until the account is satisfied in full.
Collection agency fees: For any balance over $600 owed to the College by the scheduled due date(s), and failure to make acceptable payment arrangements to bring account current, the College may refer the delinquent account to a third party collection agency. The student is responsible for paying the collection agency fee, which may be based on the maximum amount permitted by applicable law, but not to exceed 34% of the delinquent account balance, together with all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, necessary for the collection of the delinquent account. The third party agency will use the student's social security number for external credit reporting to one or more of the national credit bureaus and/or for collection purposes for all charges incurred against this account.
Returning After Previous Balance in Collections or Balance Discharged in Bankruptcy
Students who wish to return to Dunwoody after previously attending and having a tuition and fee balance sent to collections or a balance that was discharged in a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy must:
- Satisfy balance owed with the school or collection agency (this includes any fees related to the account being placed with that agency, if applicable).
- Must meet with the Financial Aid Office and the Student Accounts Office prior to re-admittance.
- Must have all financial aid requirements met prior to attending, if applicable.
- Must show how they will cover 100% of their tuition and fees before being allowed to register. This could include, but is not limited to, a combination of eligible financial aid, non-Dunwoody scholarships, approved and certified private alternative loans, cash, check, credit card, third party payment, or enroll in the Dunwoody Payment Plan.
Failure to Return Laptop
Students who fail to return the College-issued laptop by the last day of each spring semester or the last day of attendance/academical-related activity, whichever comes first, will be placed on the Laptop Recovery List. Students will have a laptop-not-returned hold applied in addition to an $1,800 laptop non-returned fee. If a student returns the College laptop to the IT Helpdesk within the first 12 months of leaving the College, the fee will be adjusted per the return fee schedule below:
| Days | Refund Amount |
|---|---|
| 0-30 days | $1,800 |
| 31-60 days | $1,750 |
| 61-90 days | $1,700 |
| 91-120 days | $1,650 |
| 121-150 days | $1,600 |
| 151-180 days | $1,550 |
| 181-211 days | $1,500 |
| 212-242 days | $1,450 |
| 243-273 days | $1,400 |
| 274-304 days | $1,350 |
| 305-335 days | $1,300 |
| 336-365 days | $1,250 |
| 366+ days | $1,200 |
If the College laptop is returned after the IT lease agreement with the vendor has expired, the student will be responsible for the entire $1,800 laptop non-returned fee. Dunwoody leases the laptops through a third party leasing company and does not have the right to transfer ownership of the machine to anyone. All machines must be returned regardless of paying the non-returned laptop fee.
In the event that Dunwoody receives possession of the laptop through means other than the student (i.e. returned by law enforcement due to negligence, strangers, pawn shops, etc), the school has the right to prohibit the student from being able to receive a replacement device. The student will be financially responsible for reimbursing Dunwoody for any fees related to regaining possession.