The Business Office

Business Office

• Office Locations
• Methods of Payment
• Payment Policy
• Refund Policy
• Returned Check Policy
• Transcript Policy

Sponsorship Office

• Office Location
• Sponsored Student Policies
• Sponsored Student Procedures

Collections Office

• Office Location
• Collection Policy

Tuition Payment Plans

• Office Location
• FACTS Tuition Payment Plan
• Deferred Payment Plan

Staff Contacts

Office Hours

• Dallas Campus
• Lincoln Campus

Business Office

Office Locations:

Dallas Campus
Myers Center, First Floor
Main Phone: (704) 922-6414
Main Fax: (704) 922-4187

Lincoln Campus
Second Floor
Main Phone: (704) 748-1052
Main Fax: (704) 748-1076

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Methods of Payment:

Tuition and Fee payments can be made in person by cash, check, money order, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express. If paying by check, the person whose name appears on the check must be present. Payments by check or money order can be mailed to the Gaston College Business Office, 201 Highway 321 South, Box 4, Dallas, NC 28034, or paid using the drop box located at the Dallas Campus Business Office window. Payments mailed or dropped off are not considered received until posted to your account. You may also make your payment through your Web-Advisor account.

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Payment Policy:

Payments for tuition and fees are due to the Business Office and must be received by the stated deadline (day and time) for each semester in order to be officially registered. If you register during late registration, tuition and fee payments are due the day you register. Failure to pay by the stated deadline will result in you being dropped from your class, and you will be ineligible to attend class or receive grades. You must pay by the stated deadline to be officially registered.

You are considered officially registered if you have:

• Paid in full (account balance is $0)
• Pending Financial Aid (as shown on your student account)
• Enrolled in a Payment Plan

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Refund Policy:

Curriculum Programs:
Any amount posted to your student account, in excess of the amount due, will be refunded directly to you via check.

Financial Aid is not posted and Financial Aid refunds are not processed until after the stated add/drop period for the semester ends.  Once your aid is posted to your student account, you should receive your refund within 14 days if you have a credit balance.

If a class fails to materialize, refunds are automatically processed.

Once you register, you must complete the procedure to officially drop/withdraw if you do not plan to attend.

• A 100% refund of tuition and fees will be made if you officially withdraw prior to the first day of the semester.
• A 75% refund of tuition will be made if you officially withdraw between the first day of the semester and the stated last day to drop for the semester.
• No refund will be made if you officially withdraw after the stated last day to drop. 

Regardless of when you officially withdraw, you are still responsible for any fees and/or balance remaining on your account.

Continuing Education Courses:

Refunds will not be made, except in the following circumstances:

• For classes that are scheduled to meet four times or less, a full refund shall be made upon the request of the student if the student officially withdraws prior to or on the first day of the class.
• For classes that are scheduled to meet five or more times, a 75% refund shall be made upon the request of the student if the student officially withdraws prior to or at the official 10% point of the class.
• Fees for self-supporting courses will not be refunded unless the course is canceled, or in the case of documented extenuating circumstances.

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Returned Check Policy:
If a check is returned by your financial institution for any reason, a $25 charge will be added to your account. Gaston College will not accept a check from anyone who has previously presented a check that was returned for any reason.

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Transcript Policy:

• Unofficial transcripts are available free of charge.
• Official transcripts are available for $5 each.
• Official transcripts will not be given to any student with a past-due balance.           
• Payments for official transcripts can be made by cash, money order, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express. 

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Sponsorship Office

Office Location:

Dallas Campus
Myers Center, First Floor
Main Phone: (704) 922-6410
Main Fax: (704) 922-4193

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Sponsored Student Policies:

Gaston College will accept sponsorship agreements in lieu of payment, but the student will be responsible for all amounts owed if sponsoring agency does not remit payment in full.

Sponsor letter of authorization must be on company letterhead and include the student's name, Social Security and/or Student ID number, sponsors billing address, contact person, phone number, what charges are covered and any limits on amounts allowed.

** You must submit a new letter of authorization each semester. **

Employer sponsor may fax this information to the Sponsorship Office.  Please also fax a recent pay stub for the employee if you use this option.  Sponsors are invoiced approximately 4 weeks after the stated last day to add/drop classes.  NC Employers and state agencies are invoiced at the in-state rate.  In order to receive in-state rate, the sponsor must be the student's employer.  Employment must be verifiable with a pay stub showing North Carolina State taxes paid.

Volunteers and contract workers are not considered employees for invoicing situations. Sponsor invoices must be paid with company checks.  Personal checks are not acceptable. Books, if authorized, can be charged to your sponsor or sponsorship.  Dates for book permits are posted and available at the Sponsorship Office for each semester.

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Sponsored Student Procedures:

1. Ask the Sponsor to fax the authorization letter to (704) 922-4193.  We cannot process your sponsorship without a letter from your Sponsor.  It is the student's responsibility to make sure the Sponsorship Office receives the letter by the payment deadline.  Any student whose sponsorship is not secured by the payment due date will have their registered courses automatically dropped from the system.  You will then need to re-register for classes.
2. It is your responsibility to pay any amounts not covered by the sponsor when you register.

If you must pay a portion of your tuition and fees (perhaps your sponsor only authorized a certain amount or you may be taking a class that is not being paid by your sponsor), you may pay the remaining balance at the Business Office by the payment due date for each semester.

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Collections Office

Office Location:

Dallas Campus
Myers Center, First Floor
Main Phone: (704) 922-6414
Main Fax: (704) 922-4187

 

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Collection Policy:

You are responsible for any and all amounts due on your account. Failure to pay any balance in full may result in:

• not being able to register for classes,
• not receiving grades or official transcripts,
• your account being turned over to a collection agency where your credit may be adversely affected.

Any account over ninety (90) days past due may be turned over to the N.C. Set-Off Debt Unit, to collect from your N.C. State Tax Refund until your account is paid in full.  This is in accordance with G.S. 105A of the North Carolina General Statutes, Set-Off Debt Collection Act.

Any account over ninety (90) days past due may be turned over to a collection agency where your credit may be adversely affected.

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Tuition Payment Plans

Office Location:

Dallas Campus
Myers Center, First Floor
Main Phone: (704) 922-2259
Main Fax: (704) 922-4187

 

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FACTS Tuition Payment Plan:

To help you meet your educational expenses, Gaston College is proud to offer Nelnet's FACTS Tuition Payment Plan as a convenient monthly payment plan. This is not a loan program or financial aid.  There are no interest or finance charges assessed, and there is no credit check.

The cost to budget your interest-free monthly payment plan is a $25 per semester nonrefundable FACTS Enrollment Fee that is charged by FACTS to use their service.

You may finance your tuition, fees, and books using Automatic Bank Payment (ACH).  ACH payments are those payments you have authorized FACTS to process directly with your financial institution. It is simply a bank-to-bank transfer of funds that you have pre-approved for your expenses at Gaston College.

Payments may be made from either your checking or savings account. Payments are processed on the 5th or 20th of each month and will continue until the balance is paid in full.

Enrollment in FACTS is done entirely online.  To enroll you must have a checking or savings account, an email account, and your student ID number. 

To enroll, visit the FACTS Website.  Please read the terms carefully before proceeding.  The $25 enrollment fee and any required down payment are processed immediately.

FACTS to Remember:

• FACTS agreements are valid only for one semester.  You must enroll in FACTS each semester.
• You must notify the Business Office to stop your payments.  Your agreement will NOT be automatically terminated or adjusted if you drop/withdraw or receive financial aid after you enroll in FACTS.
• You must be enrolled in FACTS by the stated last day to pay, or you will be dropped from your classes and need to re-register.  Please be aware of payment deadlines.
• FACTS accounts are adjusted to reflect your actual amount due after the add/drop period ends.  You will receive an email from FACTS once your account is adjusted showing your new monthly payment amount.
• FACTS payments take approximately 10 days from the time drawn on your account before they are posted to your student account.
• The cost of books can be financed through FACTS.  (Except during Summer terms) To purchase books using your FACTS account, you will need a book permit.  The cost of the books will be added to your student and FACTS account, thereby increasing or decreasing your monthly payment, not the number of payments.  If you need to return a book, you will need a return book permit.  Book permit dates are posted and are available at the Business Office. 
• Returned payments are subject to a $30 returned payment fee assessed by FACTS. 
• Down payments or enrollment fees retuned for any reason will result in FACTS terminating your agreement, you will need to re-register for FACTs before the payment deadline.  Please plan accordingly.
• Any FACTS agreements that are terminated will need to be paid at the Business Office window. 
• All collection policies apply to past-due FACTS accounts.

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Deferred Payment Plan

For students in extraordinary circumstances, deferred payments are available.  To receive a deferred payment, you must apply and be approved.  Deferred payments will not be given for past due accounts.

To apply for a deferred payment, please see the Business Office or Tuition Payment Plans.  You will need to complete a Promissory Note.  Incomplete Notes will not be honored. 

With a deferred payment, you can extend your tuition due date one time, by a maximum of 10 business days past the tuition due date.  Before the expiration of your deferment agreement, you must pay your tuition in full, have financial aid pending on your account, or enroll in the monthly payment plan.  Failure to do so will result in you being deregistered from your classes.

Staff Contacts

Dallas Campus:

Bruce Cole
Controller
(704) 922-6309
Cole.Bruce@gaston.edu

Bill Sturmer
Business Office Accountant
(704) 922-6413
Sturmer.Bill@gaston.edu

Shelly Alman
Assistant Controller
(704) 922-6208
Alman.Shelly@gaston.edu

Teresa Griffin
Collections Office
Accounts Receivable Specialist
(704) 922-2372
Griffin.teresa@gaston.edu

Dotty Price
Business Office
Accounts Receivable Specialist / Payment Plan Coordinator
(704) 922-2259
Price.dotty@gaston.edu

Eric Johnson
Business Office
Accounts Receivable Specialist
(704) 922-2356
Johnson.eric@gaston.edu

Cindy Brooks
Sponsorship Office
Accounts Receivable Specialist
(704) 922-6411
Brooks.cindy@gaston.edu

Sandy McClure
Sponsorship Office
Accounts Receivable Specialist
(704) 922-6410
Mcclure.sandy@gaston.edu

 

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Lincoln Campus:

Sherry Smith
Lincoln Campus
Business Office Manager
(704) 748-1052
Smith.sherry@gaston.edu

Margaret Turner
Lincoln Campus
Business Office Cashier
(704) 748-1053
Turner.margaret@gaston.edu

 

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Office Hours

Dallas Campus Office Hours:

Fall & Spring Semester:
8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Monday thru Thursday
8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Friday

Summer Semester:
8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Monday thru Thursday
Closed. - Friday

Student and Faculty Break:
8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Monday thru Friday

 

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Lincoln Campus Office Hours:

Fall & Spring Semester:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Thursday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday

Summer Semester:
8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Monday thru Thursday
Closed - Friday

Student and Faculty Break:
8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Monday thru Friday

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