Northern says tuition error won't affect student enrollment

After a bookkeeping mix-up earlier this semester, Montana State University-Northern's Student Senate is holding a town hall meeting next week — in the second-floor Crowley Conference Room at 4 p. m. Monday — to clear up what happened and how it affects Northern students.

Northern's head of business services, Sue Ost, said that a tuition hike passed by the Board of Regents last spring was not applied to this semester.

"About two months ago we discovered an error with the assessment, where some students got charged last year's rate, " Ost said.

Ost said they had sent out two emails to students explaining how to fix the error. Students could either pay the difference immediately, pay it with next semester's fees, sign up for a payment plan or, if they qualify, receive additional financial aid to cover the discrepancy.

Although money owed for any other reason affects a student's ability to enroll in classes, Ost said that these payments will not get in anyone's way.

"This error has not caused anyone's registration to be held up, or any other negative repercussions, " Ost said.

"There seems to be a lot of confusion, " Ost said. "Although, for the students who come in here, we explain it and they're fine. "

That confusion is the reason the Student Senate has scheduled the 4 p. m. Monday Town Hall.