.100 General

This section provides guidelines to assist departments in developing procedures to properly manage receivables.

.200 Responsibilities

.210 University Business Office

• Prescribe accounts receivable policy and procedure guidelines.
• Provide information and technical assistance to departments regarding receivables.
• Assist departments in establishing meaningful receivable allowance accounts and in determining past-due accounts to be written off.
• Submit lists of delinquent accounts to the State Department of Taxation to insure University participation in the state Debt Set-Off program.
• Coordinate collection activity of outside collection agents.

.220 Financial Reporting

• Prepare a quarterly report of the University's receivables for submission to the state comptroller.

.230 Department

• Provide services or makes assessments and prepares billing forms to be sent to the debtor and University cashier, using the standard JMU Invoice. Exceptions must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Finance for use of alternate billing forms. The standard JMU Invoice is located on the UBO website.
• Post a notice at all payment collection points stating "A $50 fee will be assessed for any check returned by the bank."  In the case of a payment activity marketed primarily online, the website for the activity is to include the text above.
• Assess a $50 fee if a check is returned by the bank and deposit the $50 fee once collected, to 100000 - 010570.
• Monitor individual receivables of the departments and provide written confirmation of monthly Accounts Receivable reconciliation to University Business Office.
• Use the appropriate Equipment Loan Agreement template(s) when loaning university materials and/or equipment to community members, employees or students.  If loaned items are not returned as agreed, use the standard JMU Invoice to bill the named borrower for the replacement costs per the completed Equipment Loan Agreement.  Use only the standard equipment loan agreement template located in the JMU FPM Forms Index unless written authorization is received from the Associate Vice President for Finance and kept on file.
• Maintain adequate collection procedures for department receivables.
• Provide accountability and aging of accounts receivable to aid in preparation of annual financial report.
• Determine if outstanding receivables are collectible, to assist in meaningful reduction of past-due receivables.
• Refer accounts 90 days past due to external collection agents, or to University Business Office for inclusion in the state Debt Set-Off program, as appropriate.

.300 Definitions

.400 Operating Procedures

.410 Department

• Provides goods or services or assesses fines or penalties at approved rates.
• Prepares, within 5 working days of providing the goods or services, a pre-numbered invoice addressed to the customer. See subsection .810 for form preparation instructions.
• Transmits the original invoice to the payee, one copy to the Cashier's Office, and retains the departmental copy.
• Transmits completed corresponding Deposit Transmittal Form(s) with a copy of the Invoice(s) to the Cashier's Office.

.420 University Business Office

• Records the receivable by posting the invoice to the department's account in the Financial Information System (FIS).

.430 Financial Reporting

• Compile accounts receivable information, prepares a quarterly report of the University’ receivables, and submits it to the state comptroller. (see section .700)

.440 Departments

• Maintain accurate records of unpaid invoices for continued accurate, timely billing on a monthly basis.

.450 Cashier

• Deposit remittance for departments, posts the payment to the department's account, and transmits a copy of the receipted deposit transmittal to the department.

.460 Departments

• Reconciles monthly accounts receivable printout received from the Cashier's Office to the department’ receivable records.
• Provides written confirmation of reconciliation and reports rebates and adjustments other than timing differences to the Cashier's Office within 10 days of printout receipt.

.500 Control of Receivables

Although the Associate Vice President for Finance has ultimate responsibility for University receivables, applicable departments are responsible for maintaining a system to adequately manage their receivables.

The departments receivable system should:

• Bill accounts on a timely basis, whether the receivables are due from private entities, the federal government, or state agencies and institutions. Accounts should be billed no later than five (5) working days after the date goods are provided or services rendered, unless contractual requirements specify other billing terms or billing terms are in accordance with industry standards. Payment terms should be 30 days after billing unless contractual requirements specify otherwise or payment terms are in accordance with industry standards. Provisions should be made for billing uncollected items on a monthly basis.
• Maintain an accurate record of transactions affecting each account receivable with a control account summarizing each type of receivable.
• Provide an aged trial balance of receivables including realistic estimates of doubtful accounts; information relative to the collection of past-due accounts; and properly accounting for receivables written off. This information should be available to management upon request.
• Maintain a record of year-end receivable balances, presenting receivable information comparable with prior year's reports.
• Recognize and report receivables in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles by establishing adequate internal controls to maintain the integrity of the accounts receivable system.

.600 Collection of Past Due Receivables

Collection procedures, as outlined in the billing instructions in subsection .500, should be followed during the first 60 days after payment due date or until previous payment arrangements have been dishonored. Where the department has other procedures to secure payment (such as refusal to allow course registration, refusal to issue diplomas or refusal to issue licenses), it may elect to retain the account pending the results of such procedures. After this period collection procedures should continue as follows:

.610 Refer Accounts to Private Collection Agency

After 60 days past the payment due date, if satisfactory payment arrangements have not been made with the debtor, an account less than $3,000 should be referred to a private collection agency under contract with the University. The debtor must be notified in writing that the account will be referred for outside collection.

The collection costs charged by the collection agency should be added to the balance submitted to the agency. The University Business Office can supply the name and address of each collection agency.

.620 Refer Accounts to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)

After 60 days past the payment due date, if satisfactory payment arrangements have not been made with the debtor, an account greater than $3,000 should be referred to the Claims Section of the OAG. Copies of all information available on the account should be included. The collection costs charged by the OAG should be added to the balance submitted. The University Business Office can supply the address and referral information for the OAG.

.630 State Debt Set-Off Program

The Commonwealth has instituted a program under which amounts owed by delinquent debtors to state agencies may be claimed through the debtor's state tax refund. Departments should submit a list, to the University Business Office, of accounts receivables, which are 60 days past due and do not have satisfactory payment arrangements. The list should provide the debtor's name, social security number, and amount due. Accounts referred to collection agencies should be included unless regular payments are being made on the account. University Business Office will report amounts collected under this program to the department after notification has been received from the Department of Taxation. The department should forward documentation of amounts collected under this program to any outside collection agent that is also handling the debt.

.640 Vendor Debt Set-Off Program

This program allows state agencies to claim vendor payments of one state agency to satisfy debt owed by the vendor to another agency. Debts may be sent to the Department of Accounts at any time during the year in which they become delinquent. Debtor information should include; debtor name, social security number or vendor ID, and amount owed. Documentation of amounts collected through this program should be forwarded to any outside collection agent that is also handling the debt.

.700 Reporting of Receivables

Departments shall prepare a summary report of receivables as of June 30. University Business Office will send the Financial Reporting office reports listing the department's receivables as they appear on the University subsidiary ledger to the department by July 15 of each year. The department is responsible for verifying the accuracy of these receivables by comparing the accounting reports to departmental records. The department should then prepare and submit a summary report, which agrees to the adjusted total arrived at above, to University Business Office by August 1. This summary report should include an aging schedule which presents "receivables not past due" and "past due receivables". Receivables not past due are those receivables that are not presently due for collection or are currently due but have not passed the payment due date. Past-due receivables are those receivables that have not been paid by the due date. For reporting purposes these should be broken down as "1-30 days", "31-60 days", "91-120 days", "121-180" days, "181 days-1 year" and "over 1 year" past due.

.800 Forms Preparation and Submission

.810 JMU Invoice

.811 Required:

This form is used by departments to bill customers for goods provided/services rendered. Requests to use alternative invoice forms must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Finance prior to use.

.812 Where to Obtain Blank Forms:

Form is available ONLINE.

.813 Where to Send Completed Forms: Distribute the invoice as follows:

Original - Person/agency billed

Copy - University cashier

Copy - Departmental use

.814 Forms Preparation Instructions:

Following are detailed instructions for the preparation of the JMU Invoice. Enter only the following information listed below.

DO NOT alter information in the "Remit Payment to" section.