Written by Mia Pollard.

This year, Debt Awareness Week is recognized nationally from March 18-24, 2024. The University Cashier’s Office has options available for former students who have a debt to the university. 

Students are first informed of an outstanding balance on their account when payment is beyond 90 days past due and a hold is placed on their account. If a balance goes unpaid for approximately 12 months, it is written off. 

A balance write-off does not relinquish the student of their responsibility to pay. A balance that remains unpaid for an additional 6-12 months is sent to a collections agency. At this point, NC State is no longer part of the process; the student must follow the collection agency’s protocol for making payments. 

To avoid having a balance sent to collections, students should stay up-to-date on billing due dates and contact our office immediately if they are unable to pay on schedule. 

If a balance is written off and the student does not plan to return to the university, a Repayment Agreement may be available to them. Students who owe a debt to the university and plan to return must pay their past due balance in full before their registration hold can be released. Students with written-off balances will have their state tax refund garnished until their balance is paid off, even if they are in a Repayment Agreement with the University Cashier’s Office. Students with past due balances are subject to a Cashier’s Hold prohibiting registration, schedule changes and receipt of their transcript and diploma.