Students use bursar bills as credit cards

Imagine going to the bookstore or anywhere on campus and purchasing something with a card or an ID number. You draw on money that you will have to pay back one day, but it's there like a campus credit card.\nThat's exactly what students can do now with their student ID card. The obvious list of items available for purchase includes books and school supplies. However, glasses at the School of Optometry and clothing at the IU Bookstore are just as attainable with the ID card.\nThrough bursar billing, students can charge not only textbooks but also other items, including vehicle and bicycle registration fees, Auditorium tickets, optional selections during registration, SRSC and HPER lockers, tickets (opera, theater, football, Little 500), Arbutus, bus passes, health center charges and replacement ID cards, said IU Associate Bursar Kim Kercheval. \n"Other items, such as fines for parking tickets and damages done to your dorm can also be paid through your Bursar account," she said.\nStudents say the best aspect of bursar billing is the ability to charge books, school supplies and other purchases straight to the Office of the Bursar without having to worry about it later. \n"I was able to buy textbooks when I didn't have any money," said sophomore Tom Wheeler. \nSome people believe that other purchases should be allowed, but the Office of Bursar keeps a tight seal on what is approved and what is not. \n"We monitor bookstore charges since these are to be limited to textbooks and not all miscellaneous purchases," Kercheval said.\nWith that assertion come misgivings from students like Wheeler.\n"They should allow us to buy certain random things that we need, such as toothpaste and other supplies," Wheeler said. "I know we can use our meal points, but they should allow us to put it on our bursar bill to pay back later."\nBecause the purchase goes to one bill, life becomes simple and easy for most students, Wheeler said. \n"Because a lot of my bill is covered by scholarships, it makes it easy just to put a charge on there and then make sure it gets paid back later," said junior David Rastall.\nAdditionally, students can purchase items such as Little 500 tickets through the Office of the Bursar, which freshman Laura Kapoun said she likes best.\n"You can also check out everything on the 'Net to make sure payments are being billed to them on time and how much you owe," Kapoun said. "That's another great thing about (this system."\nTo continue to serve students better, the Office of Bursar is always looking for ways to improve the system.\n"We continually review the kind of activity posted to the Bursar account, as well as requests from various entities which want to have the privilege of allowing charges," Kercheval said. "This allows us to have a reasonable handle on the kinds of transactions which may be of value to students and which are appropriate to place on the Bursar account." \nTo charge items to the bursar account, the purchase must cost a minimum of $5. Items such as clothing and books that are not purchased at the bookstore are not allowed to be purchased through bursar billing. This option might be available in the future, however, as the Office of the Bursar continues to examine the benefits to students.\n"I believe the ability to have certain items charged to the student's account provides some additional flexibility and convenience for the student," Kercheval said. "Sometimes this is due to a lack of funds immediately available to the student, sometimes because it is better to consolidate charges in one place and allow financial assistance to cover educational expenses."\nAnd one of the best aspects for students whose parents pick up the bill is just that: The student will not have to worry about having money to pay the bill.\n"And certainly many students like to have the charges paid by their parent(s) by having bursar bills sent home," Kercheval said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ryne Shadday at rshadday@indiana.edu.