March 26, 2020
Dear Students:
Thank you for your patience as we face these unprecedented times. COVID-19 has required rapid and consequential decision-making, most of which has been dedicated to protecting our University community and our neighbors while sustaining our academic mission. We recognize that our students’ financial concerns are also of utmost importance. The decision to adjust Housing and Food charges was an initial step toward ensuring that students’ bursar charges adequately reflect services rendered for the spring 2020 semester.
We are working on an adjustment of fees and other charges for currently enrolled students, and we expect that information to be released in detail in the coming days.
Many students who utilize our University payment plan have experienced personal, unexpected financial change in a matter of weeks. Due to this unanticipated disruption to their financial plan, the University is implementing measures to soften the consequences of lessened or missing payments for the spring 2020 semester.
OU will not assess the normal 1.5% service charge for outstanding bursar balances on March 26. Knowing that housing and meal plan fees will be adjusted in the coming weeks and with the potential of additional fee adjustments in the future, allowing our normal service charge to be suppressed will help reflect a truer final balance, and not add an additional financial burden.
Understanding that current financial situations may be uncertain for students and families, we will also not place registration holds for students who will miss their minimum payment in March. With fall 2020 enrollment windows opening in late March and April, we hope this delay will give students time to focus instead on their continuing courses and enroll in necessary coursework for next fall. The Student Financial Center will continue to work with students who had registration holds placed in previous months to help them find financial solutions.
More information on any potential additional adjustments to bursar charges will be communicated as appropriate. Future suppression/removal of service charges will be reassessed in the coming months.
Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate this fast-moving and complex public health crisis.
Bursar Services
