FINF2860 - Define Payment Schedule

The following headings give access to specific information on Payment Schedules:

• Level Access
• Schedule Entries
• Setting Up Entries
• Combination Entries
• Levels and Overrides
• Student Contribution Amount and Institution Fees
• Student Contribution Amount
• Scenario 1,2,3
• Student Contribution Amount Example
• Possible Additional Entry

Level Access

The form is accessed:

• At FTCI Level, through (FINF2100), via the Fee Type Calendars button (bottom right) and then the Payment Schedule button (top, 2nd row from left).
• At FCCI Level, through (FINF2800), via the Payment Schedules button (bottom left).
• At FCFL Level, through (FINF2800), via the Fee Liabilities button (bottom right) and then the Payment Schedule button (or FTCI Payment Schedule button) (bottom left).

The FTCI Payment Schedule button is displayed when a schedule exists at FTCI Level. The form can still be accessed from FCFL Level, but only to display the existing FTCI schedule.

For a preliminary discussion of payment and other schedules, see Schedules in the Specialist Overview.

A Payment Schedule provides a 'template' that is the basis for determining when payment of an assessed fee is due - either in full or as a partial payment. Based on this schedule, individual schedules (Person Payment Schedules) are created for each student by running the Process Person Payment Schedules routine, FINJ6111. Dates stored in these individual schedules will appear on statements sent to students and sponsors requesting payment.

Schedule Entries

Each record in a schedule represents a date on or before which a payment is due. If there is only one entry, this signifies that full payment is required at a date calculated from information given in the entry. It is generally recommended that HECS Fees be confined to a single entry (see further details below).

However, some fees may be paid in instalments. An entry is set up for each instalment, giving the proportion of the full amount that is payable at a date determined by that entry.

An entry can include a discount and discount conditions that apply over the period represented by the entry. It is also possible to specify a minimum amount payable.

Setting Up Entries

Entries in a Payment Schedule can be set up in one of three ways:

• With 'Fixed Dates' only. These are selected from instances of one or more Date Aliases already defined in the Calendar Subsystem.
• As offsets signifying a number of days after a Notification Date supplied by the Process Person Payment Schedules routine (FINJ6111).
• With Fixed Dates and offsets used in combination in one entry.

If one Fixed Date is used, then all entries in the same schedule must include a Fixed Date.

Combination Entries

When actual dates are calculated in FINJ6111 using 'combination' Fixed Date and offset entries in the present schedule, the following applies:

• With a 'one entry' schedule, payment is due at whichever date is earliest. (Example: Scenario 1.)
• Where there are several entries, a date calculated by offset is used where possible. If this date is later than the Fixed Date, the current entry will be disregarded and a subsequent entry will apply, unless this would disadvantage the student. (Example: Scenarios 2 and 3.)

Levels and Overrides

Payment Schedules can be specified at any of the three levels, with implications as discussed in the Levels section of Special Topics. But they can only be at two levels concurrently, as follows:

• At FTCI Level and FCCI Level concurrently, in which case the schedule at the FTCI Level overrides that at the FCCI Level for the corresponding fee only.
• At FCCI Level and FCFL Level concurrently, in which case the schedule at the FCFL Level overrides that at the FCCI Level for the corresponding fee only.

In both these cases, fees without schedules at either FTCI or FCFL Level will normally be due according to the category schedule at FCCI Level, even if they are in a group with other fees where an override applies. However, note the important exception described under WARNING for HECS and institution fees.

If a fee is not covered by a schedule at any level, payment is due at the notification date - in other words, immediately.

Student Contribution Amounts and Institution Fees

For fees with a System Fee Type of COMSUPPORT (HECS) or a System Fee Trigger Category of INSTITUTN, Payment Schedules must be at FTCI Level.

WARNING: For these two cases, the person Payment Schedule routine takes no account of schedules at any other level. Lack of a schedule at the FTCI Level is taken to mean that no schedule exists, and therefore that the payment is due at the notification date. This is so even where a category which includes the corresponding fees as liabilities has a schedule attached.

Student Contribution Amounts

It is generally recommended that a Student Contribution Amount be confined to a single schedule entry, and a warning is given if more than one entry is recorded. (But see the example below for a possible exception).

Discount information must be set up to cater for Government Student Statuses 110/201 (deferred payment) and 111/202 (up front payment with discount) where:

• If the fee is assessed at $666 or more, a partial payment of $500 or more attracts a discount of 20% (i.e. a minimum payment of $500 is required).
• If the assessed amount is less than $666, then full payment (less discount) attracts the discount of 20%.

The example given below reflects the current policy. An check box in the Maintain Government Student Status form (ENRF0161) specifies the payment options that attract discount. Under current policy, this allows Option 12 to be excluded from discount calculations, while still operating under the same schedule as Options 110 and 111, which would both have the check box set.

For example, in a Payment Schedule, Date Alias Instances (Fixed Dates) represent the end of a period during which details in that entry apply. The following scenarios illustrate the Payment Procedures.

Scenario 1:

Notification date = 26/1/2005
Single entry: Date Alias Instance =31/1/2005, Offset days = 10, Charge % = 100%

Payment here is required by 31/1/2005, because an entry representing full payment (i.e. 100% due) always uses the Date Alias Instance as the absolute cut-off.

Scenario 2:

Notification date = 26/1/2005
First^t entry: Date Alias Instance =31/1/2005, Offset days = 10, Charge % = 50%
Second entry: Date Alias Instance = 31/3/2005, Offset days = no entry, Charge % = 100%

For the first entry, the student should have 10 days to pay the first instalment (50% of the fee) after notification. However, this takes the Due Date (26/1/2005 + 10 days = Due Date of 5/2/2005) past the Date Alias Instance of 31/1/2005 specified for this entry. Therefore the instalment entry is ignored, and the student is just asked to pay the full amount (100%) by 31/3/2005.

Scenario 3:

Notification date = 25/1/2005
First entry: Date Alias Instance =31/1/2005, Offset days = 10, Charge % = 50%
Second entry: Date Alias Instance = 31/3/2005, Offset days = 5, Charge % = 100%

For the first entry, the student should have 10 days to pay the first instalment after notification. However, this takes the Due Date (25/1/2005 + 10 days = Due Date of 4/2/2005) past the Date Alias Instance of 31/1/2005 specified for this entry. The next entry is tested. But here, the student would have to pay even earlier (25/1/2005 + 5 days = Due Date of 30/1/2005). So the first entry Fixed Date of 31/1/2005 is used as the Due Date for the first instalment. The balance is due 5 days after the start of the period represented by the second entry - i.e. on 6/2/2005.

Student Contribution Amount Example

This is an example of setting up a single entry schedule to cater for discount on Student Contribution Amount:

Date Alias Instance (Census Date) = 31/3/2005
Offset = 14 days
Charge % = 100%
Discount % = 25%
Discount Full Payment = check box set
Discount Min Payment = 500.00
All other fields blank.

This indicates that the full fee - less discount where applicable - should be paid 14 days after notification or by the Census Date (100% by 31/3/2005), whichever is sooner.

If the full amount assessed - less discount - is paid (Discount Full Payment check box set), discount applies to any amount.

If only a partial payment is made, the payment must be over $500 to benefit from the discount. This means that the assessed amount must be $666 or over ($666 less 25% discount = $500).

To rectify an error, a student may exceptionally be assessed for Commonwealth Support Places (HECS), or their existing HECS liability may be re-assessed (up or down), after the Census Date. With a single entry, the discount applicable at the Census Date still applies. (Note that this is only true for Student Contribution Amount. For other fees, discounts will not apply if assessment falls outside the period(s) covered by the entry or entries.). The fee will be payable immediately.

To allow a future payment Due Date in these circumstances, institutions may chose to record an additional schedule entry after the Census Date entry. It is recommended that this entry takes the same form as the first, with both a Date Alias Instance and offset days recorded. Without a Date Alias Instance as a final cutoff, the Due Date could potentially fall after the End Date recorded for processing in the Fee Period.

Even if two Commonwealth Supported Place entries are recorded in this schedule, a student will only ever have one person Payment Schedule for Commonwealth Supported Places. Adjustments will be made to that record as necessary.

The Fee Calendar Instance block contains:

• Calendar Type
• Start Date
• End Date
• Fee Type
• Fee Category
• Currency
• Chg Method

The Fee Payment Schedule block contains:

• Date Alias
• Date Value
• Offset Days
• Charge %
• Discount %
• Discount Amount
• Discount Full Payment check box
• Discount Min Payment
• Start Date
• End Date
• Minimum Amount Due

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Rules/Notes:

Validations include:

• Only one Fee Payment Schedule record should be defined when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’ (already exists for ‘HECS’).
• The Charge Percentage value in the Fee Payment Schedule record must be 100% when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’ (already exists for ‘HECS’).
• Discounts cannot be defined for fee types with a system fee type of VET-TUIT or TUITION and a specified loan scheme.
• Discounts cannot be defined for fee types with a system fee type of TUITION and a specified loan scheme.
• Discounts cannot be defined for fee types with a system fee type of OTHER and a specified loan scheme.
• For Payment Schedules defined at the Fee Type, the system is configured to use the Designated Payment model of COFI. Discount details can only be defined for fees associated with a loan scheme.
• For Payment Schedules defined at the Fee Category, the system is configured to use the Designated Payment model of COFI. Discounts will not be processed in COFI for fee types with no associated loan scheme.

The Fee Calendar Instance block identifies the Fee Period and level for which the schedule is relevant. For a schedule at FTCI Level, the Fee Category is blank. At FCCI Level, the Fee Type is blank. At FCFL Level, there are entries in both Fee Type and Fee Category fields.

The currency and the charge method are displayed if available to the calling form.

Use the Fee Payment Schedule block to record one or more entries representing payment Due Dates.

Records can be entered as

• All based on Date Aliases, with or without offsets, or
• All based on offset days from the Notification Date, with no Date Aliases.

A charge % must be entered, but all other fields are optional.

Where a discount applies, the discount can either be entered as a percentage of the assessed amount using the discount % field; or as a fixed currency amount whatever the assessment, using the Discount Amount field. (Note that tax is calculated on the discounted amount, not the assessed amount).

If the Discount Full Payment check box is selected, a discount will apply on receipt of the total expected payment for each entry. Alternatively, a Discount Minimum Payment value gives the least amount needed (inclusive of tax, where applicable) to secure a discount.

The intention of the Minimum Amount Due field is to avoid the payment of small amounts in instalments. For each entry, if the amount to be paid is less than the value of this field, the entry is ignored and the next entry becomes applicable.

The Start Date and End Date for each entry are supplied by the System and indicates the inclusive period during which the entry applies. For the first entry in the schedule, the Start Date is set to the Start Date Alias Instance attached to the Calendar Instance for the schedule. For subsequent entries, the Start Date is the day after the previous entry ends.

Rules/Notes:

The schedule for fees with a System Fee Type of COMSUPPORT (HECS) or a System Fee Trigger Category of INSTITUTN must be specified at FTCI Level.

Where several records comprise the schedule, entries in Charge % must be progressive (e.g. first record, 40%; second record, 70%; third record 100%).

The last record (whether the only one, or last in the series) must have a Charge % of 100.00. More than one entry can be set up for 100%.

If one Date Alias Instance (Fixed Date) is used, all records must use Date Alias Instances, but these can be combined with offsets.

A Date Alias can be used more than once. An instance can be used more than once in combination with different offsets.

Suggested 'minimum payment' strategy - an example:
For a payment in three instalments, set a minimum amount of $10 for the first two entries, with the third entry minimum amount left blank. This would mean that the first payment would not be due until either:

• The date when the calculated instalment amount for the schedule entry was $10 or more, or
• The last entry was reached.

Warning 'lamps' advising that exceptions exist at another level are shown at FCCI Level if, for any fee in the category:

• A schedule exists at any other level, overriding the FCCI schedule for a particular fee.
• A Student Contribution Amount or institution fee is included in the category (see HECS and institution fees above).

A warning is given if more than one entry is recorded for a Student Contribution Amount.