By Kary Patron/Managing Editor

The Missouri Valley College Business Office sent emails and letters to dozens of students last week regarding their outstanding balance and the possibility of suspension if they did not pay. 

Dick Gozia, Missouri Valley’s chief financial officer, declined to be interviewed but emailed comments to the Delta. Gozias also declined to give specific details on the number of students who received this letter or the average outstanding balance. 

In his response to the inquiry about the emails, Gozia quoted MVC’s 2023-2024 College Catalog in his email which states:

“Students must meet all financial obligations to the College in order to qualify for continued enrollment or graduation. Each semester or term, each student must pay all money due to the College, including tuition, fees, library fines, and any other financial obligations.

The students who received this email are said to have receivable balances significantly past due. 

Students with delinquent accounts can expect the following:

• Late fees may be assessed on all past-due balances each month.
• Registration for a succeeding term will be denied.
• An official transcript and/or diploma will not be issued.
• Students with delinquent balances may be dropped from class, meal plans and housing.

This policy is actually not new and has been around for years. In fact, the MVC 2019-2020 catalog, the oldest catalog on the MVC website, shows this policy.

“We communicate with students about their payment status regularly and encourage payment plans,” Gozia said. “It is always our intent to assist our students in finding ways to pay for their college experience, but communication is a two-way street. We regard suspension from the college as a last resort.”

While some students who declined to comment on the record raised their concerns about this email, others think emails like this are justified.

“When I got [the email] I wasn’t concerned cause I just forgot to pay it,” MVC student Demetrice Lenoir said.

Lenoir also said the email just pushed him to pay and only served as a reminder.

For international students, suspension would mean they have to leave the country since they would violate their F-1 visa requirements, which involve enrolling in an academic education program.