Business Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 30: Finance

BPPM 30.57

For more information contact:
   Bursar’s Office
   509-335-9651

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Policy

Non-Grant Receivables

University departments and service centers may process non-grant-related charge transactions of non-University clients through the University’s Student Financial System in myWSU. This section (BPPM 30.57) provides procedures applicable to processing non-grant charge transactions.

Grant Receivables

Departments and service centers are to use Workday to process grant-related charge transactions of non-University clients. See the applicable Workday reference guides (Contracts and Receivable; Revenue) for instructions.

Administration

The Enterprise Systems Group administers the Student Financial System. For questions, contact the Enterprise Systems Group through the Information Technology Services Help Desk; telephone 509-335-4357 (509-335-HELP).

General Procedures

For general accounts receivable procedures applying to all University receivables systems (including myWSU and Workday), see BPPM 30.56.

Requesting Access to Student Financial System

University employees with a demonstrated “need-to-know” may access online accounts receivable information. For access instructions, e-mail the Enterprise Systems Group.

Using the Accounts Receivable System

Note: Due to paperwork costs of billing, goods and services costing less than $5.00 will not be processed through MyWSU. Clients should pay for small purchases at the time of the sale. The Controller may grant exceptions to this requirement.

WSU Invoice

Complete a WSU Invoice to document each client transaction. A series of invoice numbers is available from Policies, Records, and Forms (PR&F) for use when completing automated invoice forms.

Automated invoice form databases embedded with assigned series of invoice numbers are available from PR&F.

Alternative Invoice Forms

A service center may use an alternative prenumbered invoice form if the form is approved in advance by the Bursar’s Office. Contact the Bursar’s Office before printing the invoice form to make sure the planned form meets the requirements of the University and myWSU.

When an alternative invoice is used, the department is responsible for retaining a copy as an Official Public Record (OPR) for the retention period indicated on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01). (Note: An OPR must be retained for a minimum of six years.) In such cases, copies are not sent to the Bursar’s Office.

Completing the WSU Invoice

The following completion instructions are numerically keyed to the sample in Fig. 1. Form sections without instructions are considered self-explanatory.

Invoice Date (1)

Enter the transaction date.

Customer Number (2)

The Bursar’s Office creates the customer WSU ID number and e-mails the customer number to the requesting department or service center.

WSU ID numbers for customers are maintained in the University Name and Address File in myWSU. WSU ID number through myWSU by using the online name search function. If the customer has not yet been assigned a customer ID number, e-mail the customer name, address, telephone number, and either a tax ID number or social security number to the Bursar’s Office.

The Bursar’s Office creates a customer WSU ID number using this information and e-mails the customer number to the requesting department or service center.

Tax ID Number (3)

When the merchandise or service being sold is generally subject to sales tax and if the customer is exempt from paying sales tax, enter the customer’s tax identification number. This number is assigned by the customer’s state government.

Purchase Order Number (4)

Enter this number if it is required by the customer.

Item Type (5)

Enter the appropriate item type (also referred to as subcode) assigned by the Bursar’s Office. Entering the correct item type ensures that revenue from the transaction goes to the correct University account.

Distributing the WSU Invoice

How the WSU Invoice is distributed depends upon whether the data is input into myWSU by the department or by the Bursar’s Office.

Customer Copy

In either case, mail or give the customer a copy.

Departmental Input

Use a copy for online input into myWSU. Retain this copy in departmental files in numerical sequence.

Route collected copies to the Bursar’s Office at least weekly.

The Bursar’s Office and the department are to retain the WSU Invoice copies in accordance with the retention periods on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Departmental Input for Invoices Issued by PR&F
Input the invoice data into myWSU.

Retain the automated copy of the WSU Invoice in the departmental files in numerical sequence in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Bursar’s Office Input

Route copies to the Bursar’s Office for online input.

Retain copies in numerical sequence in the departmental files in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Voided Invoices

All WSU Invoices must be used or otherwise accounted for. Return unused forms to the Bursar’s Office marked “void.” If a copy was given to the customer prior to the void, include an explanation on the Bursar’s Office copy. Retain and file the voided copies in sequence with other copies.

Merchandise Credit Memorandum

Complete a Merchandise Credit Memorandum when a customer returns a purchased item or to otherwise credit a customer’s account. Obtain supplies of the Merchandise Credit Memorandum form from the Bursar’s Office.

Completion

Use the instructions for completing the WSU Invoice to complete the Merchandise Credit Memorandum. Enter the original WSU Invoice number in the Invoice Number block. (Merchandise Credit Memorandum forms are not prenumbered.)

After completion, a supervisor must sign the credit memorandum prior to online input of the credit into myWSU.

Note on the yellow copy of the original WSU Invoice the date and the amount of the Merchandise Credit Memorandum.

Distribution

How the Merchandise Credit Memorandum is distributed depends upon whether the data is input into myWSU by the department or by the Bursar’s Office.

Yellow Original

Give the yellow original to the customer.

Departmental Input

Green Copy

Use the green copy for online input. Retain this copy in a separate departmental file for Merchandise Credit Memorandums. Retain the green copies in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Pink Copy

Route collected pink copies to the Bursar’s Office with the copies of the WSU Invoice.

The Bursar’s Office retains the pink copies in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Bursar’s Office Input

Pink Copy

Send the pink copy to the Bursar’s Office for online input with the copies of the WSU Invoice.

The Bursar’s Office retains the pink copies in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Green Copy

File the green copy in a separate departmental file for Merchandise Credit Memorandums. Retain the green copies in accordance with retention period on the All-University Records Retention Schedule (see BPPM 90.01).

Billing

The Bursar’s Office sends a monthly statement to nonstudent customers who owe the University. The statement includes all charges outstanding and may be itemized by service center, type of charge, and/or invoice number.

Aging Reports

Aging reports are available by category code through the Control-D Web Access application. To request access to such reports, e-mail: prdctrl@lists.wsu.edu.

Collection Procedures

When University customers do not pay bills within a reasonable period, the Bursar’s Office initiates bill collection procedures which may include any of the following:

• Direct contact with the customer
• Hiring a bill collection agency
• Seeking redress through the court system
• Reporting delinquent accounts to credit bureaus

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Revisions:  Jan. 2021 (Rev. 560); May 2015 (Rev. 449); Feb. 2009 (Rev. 336); Oct. 2002 (Rev. 220); Feb. 2001 (Rev. 177); Oct. 1989 – new policy (Rev. 78).