• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Manager, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services
• Assistant Director, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services
• Vice-President, Finance and Resources
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To outline the responsibilities associated with the management, collection and processing of sponsorship owing to the University. To ensure that sponsorship debts are recovered in an efficient and timely manner in accordance with the University’s Student Sponsorship Management Policy.

Scope

(2) This Procedure requires actions by the following:

1. Assistant Director, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services (OFS);
2. Vice-President, Finance and Resources; and
3. Manager, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services.

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Refer to the Student Sponsorship Management Policy.

Section 3 - Procedures

Responsibilities and Required Actions

(4) The following steps must be taken for each Sponsored Student:

1. receive a signed financial guarantee from their Sponsor on the Sponsor’s letterhead;
2. set up the Sponsor in the Student System;
3. review Sponsors’ aged debtors report on a regular basis to ensure that University Fees Rules clause 24 is applied to all Sponsored Students;
4. consult relevant University office / department before referring the indebted External Sponsor to the University debt collector for further recovery; and
5. write off bad debts.

Manager, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services

Set Up New Sponsor

(5) Receive and process the letter of guarantee from the Sponsor, confirming the acceptance of financial liability for the Sponsored Student(s) and the specified period.

(6) Enter details of the Sponsor in the Student System. For a new Sponsor, update the relevant student records. For an existing Sponsor, check and update the forwarding address, contact personnel and email details.

(7) Associate Sponsored Student to the relevant Sponsor in the Student System.

Invoice and Collect Fees and Charges

(8) Send invoice and supporting documents to the address nominated by the Sponsor. This includes a statement of charges for all outstanding debts, an invoice for each Sponsored Student. Invoices will be sent in the University’s standard billing times:

1. 1 April for First Half Year; and
2. 1 September for Second Half Year.

(9) Review and analyse monthly aged Sponsor debt report.

(10) Send reminder email notices for all debts outstanding two (2) weeks past the due date stated on the statement of charge notice. Send a copy to relevant office / department for information and advice.

(11) If the Sponsor fails to respond within fourteen (14) days of the reminder email being sent, advise the respective Sponsored Student of the consequences of non-payment by the Sponsor.

(12) If after twenty-one (21) days from the date of the original reminder email there is no response from the Sponsor, sanction the respective Sponsored Student in accordance with Fees Rules clause 24, after consultation with relevant office / department.

Recover Debts

(13) As a last resort, the University may engage its debt collector for recovery of its debts owed by External Sponsors.

Engage Debt Collector

(14) Forward debts equal to or greater than $100 to the University’s debt collector for recovery after assessment by Assistant Director, Revenue Services, OFS in consultation with relevant University office / department.

Take Legal Collection Option

(15) Review debts equal to or greater than $1,000 with the Assistant Director, Revenue Services, OFS, and in consultation with relevant office / department, to determine if the debt is to be pursued through the courts as a last opportunity for recovery.

Write Off Bad Debts

(16) Once approval is received from the Vice-President, Finance and Resources, write off the bad debt.

(17) Process write-off sanction in the Student System.

Assistant Director, Revenue Services, Office of Financial Services

Obtain Debt Write-Off Approval

(18) Make all reasonable attempts to recover the debt. Only then forward a request to write off the debt to the Vice-President, Finance and Resources for approval.

Report to Finance and Facilities Committee

(19) Report all bad debts that have been written off to the Finance and Facilities Committee:

1. amounts less than $5,000 –  twice a year in summary form; and
2. amounts of $5,000 or more  – to the next Finance and Facilities Committee meeting and each subsequent Finance and Facilities Committee meeting in detail until the debt is paid or written off.

Vice-President, Finance and Resources

(20) Consider, and if appropriate, approve the proposal to write off bad debt.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(21) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(22) Definitions specific to this Procedure are contained in the Student Sponsorship Management Policy.