October 19, 2000
 

Dear Lehigh Parents,

As you are probably aware from some earlier correspondence, the university is in the process of installing and implementing a new software information system called LEWIS (Lehigh Enterprise-Wide Information System).  We are excited about the many new features that will be available, particularly for students---course registration on the Web, online transcripts, and enhanced student advising.  As with any new system, however, there are a certain number of transition issues or "growing pains" as part of the implementation.  Some of you have raised questions about aspects of our processing in LEWIS, and therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify several points and update you.
 

• Student loan processing:  Staff are still learning LEWIS and some processes are handled differently than before.  Nonetheless, we anticipate that the majority of loans will be out by the beginning of November.  Our goal is a 1-2 week turnaround for loan processing.  We are aware of the issues facing students living off campus, and the Bursar's Office has a provision for emergency assistance.

• Calling the Financial Aid office:  The implementation of the new system has also resulted in a greater number of calls to the financial aid office.  We have instituted a new call routing policy which we hope will help.  If you are still forced to leave us a message, we will do our very best to get back to you within 2 business days.  We are also planning to cross train staff in Financial Aid and the Bursar's office so that, no matter which office you call, we can better answer your questions.

• "Missing information" letters:  Financial Aid has an internal tracking system to monitor receipt of the necessary forms and information. We are trying to streamline our requests so that you get fewer “missing information” letters.  If you do receive a request for an item that you have already sent us, please just write a note to that effect, on the form, and return it to us.  Our letters are meant as friendly reminders. All information requested is needed for processing and audit purposes.

• Scholarships:  Many students receive notice that they have been given a “named” scholarship to replace the “Lehigh Grant” on their initial award notification.  This results in any subsequent bill showing a series of debits and credits reflecting the movement of their award from one funding source to another.  We realize that this can cause some confusion in interpreting the bill, but it cannot be avoided. Typically, there is no change in the amount of aid, only the source.

• Amount owed:  The "total due" on the term bill from the Bursar's Office represents the total funds needed to pay your account.  It may not, however, reflect scholarships or loans that have been approved through the Financial Aid Office, but are not yet credited to your account. (This can happen if there are missing documents, or incomplete information on the aid applications, that Financial Aid must have on file to meet required conditions before disbursement can be made to the Bursar.)  Since many forms of financial aid, Stafford Loans, Parent Plus Loans, CitiAssist Loans, etc. do not reach the "authorized" stage (the point at which they are deducted from the "total due" balance) until after billing due dates, you are permitted to subtract such amounts ahead of time from the "total due" in order to calculate the appropriate payment for that month.  For example, your total bill may state that you owe $5,000, but if you are expecting to receive $2,000 in scholarships or loans, the actual amount of money you need to pay on this bill is $3,000.  We anticipate the introduction of a more user-friendly bill in the near future which we hope will make doing this step repeatedly unnecessary.

• Lehigh undergraduate payment plan:  It is possible to spread out each semester's educational expenses over four equal monthly installments for a $45 fee per semester.  You must submit an application along with the first payment due for the semester (applications for spring will be mailed in November to the student home address and the first payment is due December 1st).  The monthly installment takes into consideration anticipated credits for loans, grants, and scholarships, but may vary each month due to any additional charges incurred by the student.  Due dates for the remaining 3 installments for the spring semester are:  January 1, 2001, February 1st, and March 1st.

• Full-time undergraduate tuition rate:  If your son or daughter fails to pre-register for the necessary number of courses to be classified as fulltime (i.e., 12 credit hours), then he or she will not be billed the fulltime tuition rate of $12,000.  This usually happens when a course a student wishes to take is already full and the student does not select an alternative course.  This situation may lead to complications in the registration process and continuity of fulltime student status.

• Spring pre-registration:  In early November, students will be pre-registering via the Web for the first time for their Spring 2001 courses.  Registration will be in priority order by  class (senior, junior, etc.). It is imperative that students register in a timely fashion in order to have the best chance of getting the courses they desire.  If a student is waitlisted for a course that is required for graduation, there is a procedure for petitioning to be able to take the course.

We hope that the above information about some of the most commonly asked questions is helpful.  If you have additional questions about billing, financial aid, or course registration, feel free to call these offices directly (Bursar (610) 758-3160; Financial Aid (610) 758-3181; Registrar (610) 758-3200).
 

Sincerely,

Roland K. Yoshida
Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs

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