Noticing another bill reaching your mailbox?

NIU made the decision to send out paper bills as opposed to online-only bills. The paper option was always available for students, but they had to choose it, said NIU Bursar Kinga Mauger.

The system previously in place of NIU’s website did not have the option to let students pay bills online, nor did it give students the access to their bills and financial information any time they desired it, Mauger said.

The decision to switch back to paper bills came very simply.

“With freshman and other undergrads, often the bills go to mom and dad,” Mauger said. “There became an issue of timeliness for bills getting out. Also some of our graduate students have jobs where the employers pay for their courses, and they simply didn’t accept a print out [of an online] bill.”

Costs for stamps, paper and envelopes does not seem to be more expensive. Mauger said going electronic didn’t save the Bursar any money.

“In the long run, with delayed payments and time, it [cost] more,” Mauger said.

Mauger said there were mainly issues with students not noticing all of the information available to them online, and they would not notice when all charges were due.

“I’ve checked into other schools with similar electronic systems and they all have similar issues,” Mauger said. “We have thought of texting to students about their bill, but then some students would have to pay for the texts, and we don’t want to do that.”

Mauger said students are paying more attention to the paper bill even though it has the same information as online.

“Your parents can sit down together and look at the bill all in front of you instead of trying to figure out where to look for it online,” Mauger said. “It definitely keeps finances in check.”

Mauger said the Bursar office already received a number of positive calls from parents and students in response to the paper bills.

“I think that it is more convenient [to receive a paper bill] because you can see how things are broken down into and what costs are what,” said junior psychology major Mike Gish.

Elizabeth Brandt, freshman speech pathology major, said she prefers the online bills, but her parents do not.

“I prefer the online bills, but since the bill goes to my dad he likes it; he doesn’t like computers,” Brandt said.

Devan Delorme, freshmen physical education major, said he appreciates the ease of paper bills.

“It’s less of a hassle,” Delorme said. “My brother went [to NIU], and it was a hassle for him and my parents to go online to see the bill.”