Collections / Delinquent Accounts Policies

Collections Policy

Accounts that remain unpaid are deemed delinquent and students will be notified by University’s Collection Department. Upon receipt of this notification their payment must be made immediately. Students will first have the opportunity to make payment directly to the University before further action is taken on their account. All delinquent balances must be paid in full and funds must be cleared before students are eligible to register for classes. Grades, transcripts, and diplomas will be withheld as well.

If students do not respond to NJCU’s attempts to collect the delinquent balance, their account will be referred to an outside collection agency. Should this occur, the student will be responsible to pay all outstanding balances (plus all collection costs and legal fees when applicable) directly to the third party agency. Additional further action on the student’s account may include but is not limited to:

• Late fees
• Credit Bureau reporting
• Litigation
• Assessment of additional collections fees/costs

The University utilizes the following outside collection agencies for the collection of past due accounts:

Please contact Shelli Sims at 201-200-2042 or SSims@NJCU.edu with any questions you may have or if you have received a delinquent account notice from NJCU. All inquiries relating to notifications received from outside agencies should be directed to the agencies listed above.

Federal Perkins Loans

The Federal Perkins Loan is a need-based, federally funded low-interest student loan awarded only to undergraduate students who reside on the New Jersey City University campus. NJCU is the lender for this loan and the funds are combined from the federal government and payments collected by NJCU from previous Perkins Loan borrowers. NJCU utilizes Heartland ECSI as the billing service provider to handle all Perkins loan accounts. This service allows you to make on-line payments, apply for deferments/cancellations, consolidate your loans and obtain other benefit information. Borrowers may also manage their account on-line at https://borrower.ecsi.net/.

***The Federal Perkins Loan program ended on September 30, 2017 and no new loans can be awarded after that date. At this time, no new Perkins Loans will be available for the 2018-2019 award year and beyond.

Perkins Repayment

After you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time status as a student, you will have a nine-month (9) Grace Period before you begin repayment of your Perkins Loan. You will have up to ten (10) years to repay the loan.

Perkins Cancellation and Discharge

As of Oct. 7, 1998, all Perkins Loan borrowers are eligible for cancellation benefits regardless of when the loan was made or the terms of the borrower's promissory note. However, this benefit is not retroactive to services performed before Oct. 7, 1998. A borrower may have all or part of his or her loan (including interest) cancelled for engaging in teaching, public service, service in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps*VISTA, or service in the military. In addition, loans may be discharged if the borrower becomes disabled or dies, or in certain cases involving bankruptcy. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Accounts.

Perkins Loan Default

It is important to repay your student loans, as maintaining a good payment history will help with your credit. For students that are having problems repaying their loans, there are other options available. Those who choose to ignore their obligation and fail to repay, there account will be submitted to an outside Collection Agency and will be unable to register, obtain your transcript, diploma and/or receive current and/or future financial aid. Loans that remain in default may be assigned to the State of New Jersey or the Federal Government who will pursue collection action indefinitely. State and Federal tax refunds will be withheld to clear up the defaulted loan.

Perkins Loan Billing Servicer
Heartland ECSI
3330 Healy Drive, Suite 105
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Phone Number: 1-800-334-8609
https://borrower.ecsi.net/

SOIL (Set-Off of Individual Liability)

The SOIL Program withholds personal NJ Gross Income Tax Refunds, Saver Rebates and Homestead Rebates from taxpayers who owe debt to a state agencies and/or to the Federal Treasury. The Office of Student Accounts at New Jersey City University can submit a student’s account to the SOIL program for a debt in excess of $25. If the funds are withheld, the NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) will send a notice to the taxpayer after a 35-45 day waiting period to inform them of the government agency that is seeking to withhold funds and how to contact that agency. These past due accounts can be submitted to SOIL either monthly or yearly until the debt has been satisfied.