KU News Release

KU waives late payment charge for students from Kansas counties hit by storms, floods

Updated July 31: The Kansas Board of Regents has expanded KU’s policy to all regents institutions and from 10 counties to include students from 43 counties affected by natural disasters in recent months: Allen, Anderson, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Greenwood, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth Linn, Lyon, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Saline, Shawnee, Smith, Stafford, Wilson and Woodson.

LAWRENCE — To assist students from 10 Kansas counties hit by natural disasters this spring and summer, the University of Kansas announced today it will offer those students the option to defer tuition and fee payments normally due in August.

Under the offer, the university will waive late payment penalties and work out individual deferred payment plans, said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Lariviere.

“When your family home or business has been flooded out, you have more immediate concerns than a tuition due date. We hope this will give those students under hardship some time and flexibility to focus on recovery and getting their lives back to normal,” Lariviere said.

KU students will begin receiving bills for fall semester tuition and fees late next week, with the first payment due Aug. 15. Ordinarily, an initial $100 penalty is assessed after that deadline and additional penalties are applied each month the bill is overdue.

To qualify for the waiver and payment extension, affected students can complete a form on the University Bursar's Web site. For more information, students may contact the bursar’s office at (785) 864-3322 or e-mail bursar@ku.edu by Aug. 15. Affected students who need additional assistance with emergency or unanticipated financial issues may also contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at (785) 864-4700.

Students at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., are also eligible. These students should complete the form on the Office of Student Financial Accounting Web site or contact the office at (913) 588-2594. Questions can also be directed to the financial aid office at (913) 588-5170.

The policy presently applies to residents in five flooded Kansas counties (Elk, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson) and residents in five storm-damaged counties (Edwards, Kiowa, Osage, Pratt and Stafford) who were declared eligible for individual federal assistance. This includes Greensburg, which was hit by a devastating tornado in May, and Coffeyville, which was inundated by flood waters late last month and a large oil spill on July 1. More counties may still be added to that list because of the June floods, according to the state adjutant general’s office.

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