More often than overpaying, sometimes a student will underpay tuition. Naturally, you want the fees that are due you.

Sometimes the student/parent will notice this and will send a check for the balance to the next lesson. Obviously, it's been a mistake.

Sometimes it's a mistake but the check-writer doesn't catch it.

Now it's time to take action yourself. The easiest thing to do is to call the parent and say, "There are five Fridays this month, and you paid only for four."

Eight times out of ten the parent will say, "I'm so sorry! I'll send a check with Rodney to his next lesson" or "I'll drop a check in the mail to you today."

If the parent doesn't offer right away, you say, "Please send a check for __ to the next lesson," "You can just add it to next month's tuition," or "Would you put a check in the mail to me today or tomorrow?".

Sometimes parents will not respond to a phone call though they give every indication that they will take action. Again, it's not their intention to cheat you, it's just that more important things get in the way. This calls for an invoice.

For more information on this and other collection procedures, see my file on this.

copyright 2000, Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.
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