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Electronic Student Contribution Amount Payment Option Declaration
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The Electronic Student Contribution Amount Payment Option Declaration is web based functionality. It enables students to make their Student Status Declaration using an on-line student self-service facility. As part of the choices given when submitting a declaration, this facility also includes the ability to record Tax File Numbers (TFN) and the full or part payment of fees to the University.
Note: A student electing to make a payment is not committing to make the payment but is indicating their desire to be considered for payment remittance.
On entry to the web connect application a student must first pass through the Connect security system. At this authentication layer, they must enter their personal identification details.
Access to the payment option and Tax file number functionality is restricted to students liable for Student Contribution Amount. This is controlled by Connect Cohort definition functionality.
Using the Student Status Declaration, a student can inquire on their existing declaration and/or create a new one. When making a new declaration they have two choices:
Create a Default Declaration
A default declaration form automatically applies across all active fee calendars with associated Student Contribution Amount liabilities. (Ref: STUDENT_COURSE_HECS_OPTION).
Create or Replace an Override Declaration
An override declaration is only applicable to a specific fee calendar period. Calendar period selections are restricted to active fee calendars with associated Student Contribution Amount liabilities. (Ref: STUDENT_CRS_HECS_OPTION_OVERRIDE).
The start and end date attributes of a STUDENT_COURSE_HECS_OPTION are used to represent the duration of a default declaration. A student is not required to select the actual Student Status value, instead they record their desire to be considered for making up front payment (in part or full). Electing to make a payment results in payment option 111. Electing to defer payment to taxation results in payment option 110.
The matching process automatically matches any payment to a debt according to the matching rules.
For this reason it is important the payment matching hierarchy is carefully considered with perhaps the COMSUPPORT (HECS) fee types low in the hierarchy. The ability to make specific declarations enables variations for specific Fee Periods.
For example, a student with the default declaration of defer for taxation, chooses to make a full or part payment for the summer semester. The student can override the declaration for that fee period. The override declaration applies only to the summer period with the default declaration applying to all other periods.
Authentication
The functionality for changing a Student Status falls within the Self Enrolment set.
The student is required to authenticate their access to Self Enrolment functionality prior to proceeding. This authentication is managed by Connect's security mechanism and constitutes capture of an electronic signature.
Self Enrolment
The student uses the Student Status on the Self Enrolment page to view or modify their Student Statusdeclaration.
Access to this option is limited to students liable for Student Contribution Amounts. This is achieved using Connect Cohort functionality.
Instructions
On entry to the Student Status, instructions are presented on the Student Status Declaration Form .
These instructions must be acknowledged ('I have read these instructions' button at bottom of page) before proceeding to the Student Status Declaration Form.
Existing Declarations
The Student Status Declaration Form shows information on existing declarations as well as providing the ability to submit a Tax File Number.
Tax file numbers submitted for the first time without an existing default declaration form are automatically navigated to the Entering a Default Declaration form.
Tax file numbers submitted for the first time with an existing default declaration will have the TFN recorded against the default declaration.
The system allows a student to record a default declaration electing to defer debt to taxation without recording their TFN. The student is able to submit their TFN at another time.
Once a valid TFN is entered and saved in the system, it cannot be accessed again using Connect functionality. An administrator, using standard administrator functionality available in the Callista Enrolment application can access a saved TFN.
When pressed, the Default and Override buttons (displayed at the bottom of the form) navigate to Entering a Default Declaration and Entering a Period Override Declaration respectively.
Entering a Default Declaration
A student must enter declarations in chronological order. They cannot retrospectively create a declaration.
The start date defaults to today unless the latest un-ended (the end date is not set) default declaration starts in the future. If this is so, the default will be set to the start date of that declaration. If the latest declaration is ended (the end date is set) the default will be set to the end date of that declaration.
A student can only change the defaulted start date by moving it further into the future.
Checking the Make Full or Part Payment check box signifies that the student wants to be considered for debt collection by the university. Payment matching is according to age of debt and the defined payment hierarchy rules.
A student wishing to limit the value of a matched payment will need to create an Override Declaration.
The Payment
Option field is a system field and is automatically set based on the Make Full
or Part Payment check box selection. If the indicator is checked (up-front payment),
the Payment Option value is set to 111. If the indicator is left unchecked (defer
to taxation) the Payment Option is set to 110.
The SUBMIT button displayed at the bottom of the form is used to accept the
new declaration.
Clicking on the SUBMIT button results in the new declaration being saved in the system and returning to Existing Declarations with the new declaration displayed.
At the time a new declaration is being saved, the system automatically logically deletes a prior override declaration for the same fee calendar period, should it exist.
The date that the declaration was made and accepted is also recorded as a self enrolment completion date. This date is set by the system.
Entering a Period Override Declaration
This screen enables a new Override Declaration to be entered against a fee calendar period. The declaration will only apply to fee assessment and debt management for the defined period.
An existing override declaration cannot be directly changed but may be replaced by a new override declaration.
The Period is selected from a pick list of ACTIVE fee calendars applicable to COMSUPPORT (HECS) fee types. The calendar instance start date, end date and alternate code will be displayed in the list to assist the student in understanding the period.
Checking the Make Full or Part Payment check box signifies that the student wants to be considered for debt collection by the university. Payment matching is according to age of debt and the defined payment hierarchy rules.
The Payment
Option field is a system field and is automatically set based on the Make Full
or Part Payment checkbox selection. If the indicator is checked (up-front payment),
the Payment Option value is set to 111. If the indicator is left unchecked (defer
to taxation) the Payment Option is set to 110.
The Payment Limit field can be used by the student to limit the value of the
matched payments.
The SUBMIT button displayed at the bottom of the form is used to accept or reject the new declaration.
Clicking on the SUBMIT button results in the new declaration being saved in the system and returning to Existing Declarations with the new declaration displayed.
At the time a new declaration is being saved, the system automatically logically deletes a prior override declaration for the same fee calendar period, should it exist.
The date that the declaration was made and accepted is also recorded as a self enrolment completion date. This date is set by the system.
Whenever the effective Student Status is up front, COFI will initiate debt collection and matching. The effective Student Status is either the default declaration or an applicable override declaration.
Payments received from the finance system will be matched to the Student Contribution Amount debt by COFI. If an override declaration is defined for the fee calendar period and the maximum payment limit is set, the total of payments to a Student Contribution Amount debt are constrained to this limit.
The discounts applied to part and full payment of Student Contribution Amount debts are managed by COFI.
At an appropriate time, the Maintain Student Status routine is run to derive the value of a Student's Status based on their debt and payment status. The value is recorded against a fee calendar period. (ref: STUDENT_CRS_HECS_OPTION_SNAPSHOT).
Debt deferred for taxation is reported on the basis of the derived Student Status value.
It is possible to repeatedly run the Maintain Student Status routine. Run in passive mode (no update) the routine will report on students missing a tax file number when a student appears on the basis of the payment behaviour to be deferring debt for taxation.
Run in update mode, a new STUDENT_CRS_HECS_OPTION_SNAPSHOT record will be recorded with the derived Student Status value for the calendar period.
At the time of creating a new snapshot record the system will logically delete an existing record in the same fee calendar period.
Existing Tables
STUDENT_COURSE_HECS_OPTION
The purpose of this database table is to capture each default Student Status declaration. The information captured pertains to a student course attempt.
Removed:
SAFETY_NET_IND
Added: ELECT_PAYMENT_OPTION_IND
This column is used to capture a student's desire to be considered for either direct payment to the university or to automatically defer to taxation.
New Tables
STUDENT_CRS_HECS_OPTION_OVERRIDE
The purpose of this database table is to capture the Student Status for specific fee calendar periods as override entries. The records entered will override the default declaration recorded in the STUDENT_COURSE_HECS_OPTION table whenever assessing fees or managing debt within the defined fee calendar period.
STUDENT_CRS_HECS_OPTION_SNAPSHOT
The purpose of this database table is to snapshot at key intervals Student Status details. The data is specific to a fee calendar period and is a derivative of their effective declaration for the period and their debt and payment status. When reporting on a Student's Contribution Amount liability to the Government the Student Status and differential Student Contribution Amount status are drawn from this table.
| Initial set up of STUDSTATUS as Enrolment step type | Go To ENRF0192, select WEB Enrolment Method and Add STUDSTATUS. Check Mandatory Step and Mandatory Confirm check boxes Enrolment Category = STANDARD |
| As above | Navigate to ENRF0193 in context, and set the Step Elements (lower block). Process
Type = Enrolment and Variation |
| Check Self Service Application | Go To SSFF1100. Ensure that PODF is included in SSFF1100. Self
Serve Application = EPODF-1System, Note: EPODF-1 decommissioned from Version 8 onwards. |
| Lodge Declaration for new student: | Log into Connect and ensure the HECS Option payment link is visible if the step type has been defined in ENRF0192. Student ID = 98874648, Enrolment Category = STANDARD with HECS Option defined. INTERNAT not defined |
| Mandatory Step and Mandatory Confirmation. | 1. On ENRF0192, ensure that the STUDSTATUS is set to mandatory. Try to omit step in Callista. 2. Remove Mandatory Step and Mandatory Confirm checks from check boxes. |
Last Modified on 14 May, 2005