Process Student Refunds - FINJ6430

This process updates the database

Subsystem

Student Finance

Purpose

To create refund records of students' available credit from fees, for transfer to an external financial system for payment.

Normally Run By

A fees administrator

Anticipated Frequency

At the end of a fee period or financial year, or as determined by institution policy

Update Process(es)

Creation of pending or approved refund records

Parameter Sample

 

Related/Dependent Jobs

Refund records created in this job are available for review or authorisation in FINF6420, and, once authorised, for transfer to an external financial system. 

   

Update Process

This process initiates checking of available credit for all students fulfilling the parameter criteria. For selected students, their total fees history is examined. Any credit accrues to the person, irrespective of course attempt, fee period or specific fee. (Note, however, that this process does not consider that part of a student's fees for which a sponsor is liable. Sponsor refunds must be initiated in FINF6420.)

A credit amount always relates to the currency in which the debt was paid. It is possible that a student may have more than one credit amount, if different currencies are involved.

Credit amounts are determined by an examination of –

  • the student's balance in core Callista, arrived at by calculating total 'payment' transactions less total 'debt' transactions;
  • and, where applicable, their finance interface (COFI) balance, arrived at by calculating total unapplied payments less pending refunds.

Where a credit amount for a particular currency exists for a student, a refund record is normally created. A second record is not created if a PENDING refund record already exists for the same student in the same currency. A second record can be created for additional credit when an approved record exists.

Pending / approved records

Parameter selection determines whether this process automatically approves these refunds (status equivalent to the system refund status APPROVED is recorded) or whether the records are created as pending refunds to be authorised in FINF6420. Pending refunds are set to a status equivalent to the system status PENDING.

With automatic approval, the current date is written to the record as the date of authorisation.

 

Run Details

Method

The job can only run in batch mode, through the Job Control & Scheduling subsystem.

Automatic approval

It is anticipated that this facility will be used with a low ceiling on the refund amount (see refund range parameters, below). Parameter selection also allows accurate targeting of specific student groups. All students selected will have all available credit approved for refund, with no further system validation.

If student refunds are approved in error, these records can be individually cancelled in FINF6420, as long as they have not already been notified to an external financial system (i.e. their status has changed to an equivalent of APPLIED).

Viewing/authorising refunds

After successfully running the job, the refund records created for students can be seen in the form FINF6420, Maintain Refunds.

In order to identify newly created records in that form, it is advisable to note the refund group number assigned to all records created by a single run of this job. This number is given in the JBS job log file (form JBSF5301, accessed via JBSF5300).

Note that refunds for sponsors can only be created in FINF6420.

 

Job Parameters

NOTE: If a parameter label is in blue typeface, the parameter can either be typed in or selected from the list of values.

Required parameters
  • Select a refund status equating to either the system status PENDING or APPROVED. All refund records created will have their status set to the selected value.
  • Select the payment type (default is CHEQUE).
  • If an APPROVED status has been selected, an authorising person ID is mandatory. Although the ID defaults to that of the person initiating the job, it is not a specific requirement for pending refunds.
Optional parameters

Wherever possible, use parameters to control the numbers of students examined. With no parameters set, every person on the database is checked.

  • Entering a refund range means that only students with credit within the range will be selected for a refund. This parameter might usefully be set for runs granting automatic approval, with the currency also specified. One or both of a lower and upper limit (inclusive) may be set.
  • Selecting any of the financial period, fee assessment period, fee category and/or course code will narrow the range of students examined for potential refunds. However, for those students with fee assessment activity in the periods selected, or enrolled in the category and/or course selected, any refund amount will be calculated on their overall credit, not just the credit earned in the period or enrolment selected.
  • If both a financial and fee period are selected, the fee period must be a subordinate of the financial period.
  • Enter a person ID if the job is to be run for a single student (an alternative to using FINF6420). The student's available credit in all currencies is reported.
  • Enter a person ID group to limit potential refund recipients to known students. This is a recommended option when granting automatic refund approval. Student candidates for refund can be constituted as members of a specific group using the form IDGF1100.
  • Selecting a currency code restricts refund recipients to those with credit in the specified currency. Use this parameter with a refund range to ensure that a single currency is being targeted by the range. The currency of the available credit is determined by the currency of the amount overpaid.
  • Any comments relating to the run can be recorded.

 Last Modified on 11 March 2002