If you are having difficulties keeping your University student account current, here is information to help . . .

Students enrolled in a budget payment plan are assessed a $25 late payment fee each month a late payment is received, a partial payment is made, or no payment is received. Students not enrolled in a payment plan are assessed a late payment fee of $50 each month their account is unpaid. After multiple late or partial payments, your student account will be assessed an additional collection fee which is based on the outstanding balance of your student account: Students with a past due balance on their account cannot purchase a transcript.

• $50 if your account balance is equal to or under $500
• $100 if your account balance is over $500, but equal to or less than $1,000
• $200 if your account balance is over $1,000

Your student account may also be assigned to one of three collection units.

CSU's In-House Collections

Effective with the Spring 2011 semester, if your student account balance is delinquent but under $200, your account will remain with the University's Student Receivables staff until the balance is paid in full. If your delinquent account balance is $200 or more, we encourage you to enter into a payment agreement with the University's In-House Collections Office. We will help determine a reasonable payment schedule up to six months, interest free. Once your account balance under is under $1,000, you will be permitted to register for an upcoming semester. However, failure to make a scheduled payment based on the payment terms will immediately escalate your account to ECSI for additional billing activities.

Third Party Billing and Credit Bureau Reporting

Cleveland State utilizes an outside billing service, ECSI, to assist in our collection efforts. After multiple late or partial payments, your student account will be forwarded to ECSI, for further action unless you sign a payment agreement with the in-house collections staff. An additional fee of $25 is added to your student account to cover administrative costs. ECSI reports all unpaid debts over $1,000 to the four national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, Trans Union and Innovis).

All payments, questions and other correspondence should be sent to their attention once their billing begins. Your first bill from ECSI will include login information to allow secure payments to be made online. ECSI can be reached at 1-888-549-3274 or www.ecsi.net.Once your delinquent student account has been forwarded to ECSI, payment arrangements must be made through their office. Students are not permitted to register or purchase a transcript until their account with ECSI is paid in full. An account that remains unpaid with ECSI for 18 months will be automatically forwarded to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Ohio Attorney General's Office

Delinquent accounts that are not resolved with the University's in-house Collections staff or our third party billing designees must be assigned, as required by state statute, to the Ohio Attorney General's Office. The Attorney General's Office will apply the full range of collection efforts to resolve the debt, including but not limited to withholding state tax refunds and legal action. Attorney fees and collection costs based on a percentage of your outstanding debt, will be assessed to your student account. The Ohio Attorney General's Office can be reached at 1-888-665-5440. Students are not permitted to register or purchase a transcript until their account is paid in full with the Attorney General's Office. Students whose accounts have been forwarded to the Ohio Attorney General's Office must contact them to make payments.