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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Billing
Office | Business
Services | Cashiers | Central
Stores | Collections | Contracts
& Property 
Q. Why should I enroll in a payment plan? A. The purpose of having a payment plan is to help you budget and pay your educational expenses in convenient installments. It is a way to meet payment deadlines without having to pay registration/tuition fees in one lump sum. Q. What are the benefits of a payment plan? A. The benefits of a payment plan are:
Q. What are the requirements for enrollment in a payment plan? A. The requirements are:
Q. What if I cannot pay the required down payment or my past due amounts from prior quarters? A. You should contact the Billing Office at (805) 893-3756 for assistance. Q. What if I have a financial aid award that covers my total account balance but the aid is not on my BARC account? Can I enroll in a payment agreement? A. Yes, you can enroll in a BARC payment agreement. Aid is being updated weekly so check GOLD on-line before enrolling in the payment agreement. If aid is still not credited to your account and you want to meet the payment deadline, go to forms and instructions and fill out the BARC payment agreement. Send the completed form along with the $25.00 payment plan processing fee and a copy of your financial aid award letter to the Cashier's Office, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106. Q. Am I required to pay the down payment if my financial aid will cover my total BARC balance? A. If you have a copy of your financial aid award letter that indicates an award that will pay the total balance due on your BARC account, then the down payment will not be required. The $25.00 payment plan processing fee, however, must be sent along with the payment enrollment form and a copy of your award letter. Q. What if I owe more than my financial aid award will cover? A. You are required to pay any amount owed that will not be paid by your financial aid award. That will be the amount required as the down payment plus the $25.00 payment plan processing fee. Q. What if my financial aid, scholarships or agency awards exceed the amount of my bill? A. If you have enrolled in a payment agreement, once the award is applied to your BARC account, any outstanding obligations will be deducted from your aid credits. A refund will be issued to you if the aid results in a credit balance on your account. Q. What if my financial aid award is delayed or is credited to my account by the installment due date? A. You are responsible to pay your account balance if aid is delayed or you will be charged a late payment installment fee of $15.00. It will be your responsibility to follow-up with the Financial Aid Office. Q. What if I can't pay the $25.00 payment plan processing fee? Please contact the Billing Office at (805) 893-3756. Q. What if I am a Teaching or Research Assistant? A. If your registration fees are to be paid by your department, you may want to defer payment until the funding sources are available. (e.g., stipends, TA fellowships, etc.) Please note: If your graduate award does not include Health Insurance, you must pay it at the time of your payment plan enrollment. If you are paying your registration fees with your teaching assistant salary, you may set up a payment plan to correspond with receipt of your paychecks. Q. How will I know when payments are due? The Billing Office will send statements when installments are due. Payments are due the 15th of the month by 4PM. Q. What if payment agreement form doesn't arrive by the deadline? A. Unfortunately, it will be considered late and you may lose class space and be assessed a late payment fee. So please mail early, postmarks are not accepted. Q. Can I fax my payment agreement form? A. Please contact the Billing
Office at (805) 893-3756 for further information.  Q. What are your hours? A. The Cashier's Office hours of operation are 9:00-4:00. Yes we are open from 12:00-1:00! Q. Who do you make checks payable to? A. All checks are payable to The Regents of the University of California, or to the UC Regents. Q. Where do I send my payment? A. Please visit the Making Payments section of the Billing web site for your available options. Q. Do you accept credit or debit cards? A. The Cashiers Office does not accept any type of card at this time. Payments must be with cash, checks payable on a US bank or money orders. Q. What is the balance of my BARC account? A. BARC balances can be found by using the Gaucho On-line Data (GOLD) system or by calling the Billing Office at (805) 893-3756. Q. How do you access GOLD? A. Information is located at http://gnet.ucsb.edu/ . Information about GOLD is also available in the Schedule of Classes. Q. What are my fee payment options? A. The Billing Office offers payment plan options for all students. Click here for more information. Q. When are the payment deadlines? A. All balances must be paid by the 15th of each month. Postmarks are not acceptable. Undergraduate fee payment deadlines are September 15th for Fall, December 15th for Winter and March 15th for Spring. Fee payment deadlines are located at the Registrar's Office website, the Schedule of Classes, the Cashier's Office or the Billing Office. Graduate registration fee payment deadlines vary for each quarter, please refer to the schedule of classes or call the Billing Office at (805) 893-3756. For more information visit the Graduate Division website. Q. When will we receive our Financial Aid check? A. See Billing Office or Financial Aid Office website. Q. How do I get my ACCESS Card? A. ACCESS Cards can be obtained at the ACCESS Photo Center located in the UCen, mail level above the Hub. Hour information is available by calling 805-893-2464 or by looking in the Schedule of Classes. For more information about ACCESS Cards, click here. Q. When will I get my sticker? A. All registration stickers will be mailed by the Registrar's Office once they receive notice that your fees are paid, you have registered, and you do not have any registration blocks. Q. How do I order a transcript? A. Current students (students with an "active" BARC account) may order official transcripts using the GOLD system and have the fee billed to their BARC account. Other unofficial and official transcript ordering information is available on the Registrar's Office website .  Q. What's the difference between a stock order and a buyout order? A. The Storehouse warehouses about 1,200 common use items that are
available for immediately delivery. A stock order is for one of these
items. A list of these may be seen in the recently updated Storehouse
catalog on the Central Stores website www.stores.ucsb.edu Q. Where is the order I submitted yesterday (or before)? A. Most stock orders are filled and delivered within 24 hours, often on the same day. Buyouts or special orders usually take one to two days. Occasionally we have an unusually heavy workload or a warehouse or delivery person is absent which may delay delivery. We strive for consistency, but cannot guarantee the same turnaround time on all orders throughout the year. Your order is probably on route to you, but if you feel an unreasonable period of time has elapsed, please call ext. 3596 to check on the status of your order. Please provide your blanket and requisition numbers and we will investigate your order. Q. I received the wrong items when I placed my order. How do I return them and get the right merchandise or a credit? A. Commodity items purchased from the Storehouse must meet your complete satisfaction. Any stock item in re-sellable condition may be returned for credit within 60 days of receipt. To return it, make a photocopy of your original order, indicate why you are returning it, and give the paperwork with the item to Central Receiving's delivery person the next time they come to your office. Returns may be expedited if you return items in their original packaging. A 10% restocking fee will be charged on stock items ordered in error by the department. A 15% restocking fee will be charged on buyout items ordered in error by the department. For additional information, call ext. 3596. Q. Does the Storehouse stock this particular form (such and such)? A. More and more forms are available on-line or directly from an on-campus administrative department, and in the case of many benefits type forms, are available from an off-campus vendor. The forms stocked by the Storehouse are listed in the Forms section of the Storehouse on-line catalog at www.stores.ucsb.edu. If you do not see the form you want in our list of forms, you may
want to look at the Accounting Services or Human Resources websites
for lists of their forms. Several benefit forms, such as the I-9,
are available from an off-campus provider, KP Corp. Their internet
address is http://apps.kpcorp.com/ucbenefits/login.asp. Q. How do I order business cards? A. A link to each of the printed products we provide is on the Storehouse home page. Click on Business Cards and you will see both a link to a PDF form and instructions and information on how to order. In addition to sending the business card layout form, you will need to send a Storehouse requisition to Central Stores. For additional information, call ext. 3481. Q. Can I get a volume discount on my order(s)? A. Storehouse prices are generally the same per unit regardless of the quantity purchased. Through bids, negotiated contracts and other cost reduction methods, the Storehouse sells both small and large quantities of products at very competitive, discounted prices. If you have an unusually large purchase, especially for a buyout item, better pricing may be possible. Please call ext. 3481 and the Central Stores buyer will attempt to negotiate better pricing. Q. I want to order more items than the on-line form has lines. Can I add lines to the on-line form? A. Sorry, but no. However, after you submit your 10-line order, you can simply press the Back button on your toolbar and return to the order form. You will have to delete the items you previously ordered and fill in the new ones, but you won't have to fill in the header information again. Q. There was an item in your old catalog that we need. Can I still get it? A. Probably, but some items have been completely discontinued by the manufacturer. Simply describe the item on your requisition and give us the old stock number in the Description column and we may be able to get it for you. If we cannot, we will let you know. To save time, you might want to find an alternative product, perhaps in the OfficeMax catalog, and order it as a buyout. Q. How do I order Rubber Stamps/Nameplates? A. A link to each of the printed products we provide is on the Storehouse home page. Click on Rubber Stamps/Nameplates and you will be linked to the on-line order site. You must become a member to order on-line. No Storehouse requisition is required. For additional information, call ext. 3481. Q. When must I start paying on my student loans? A. Your student loans will enter into a 9-month grace period from the date you graduate from UCSB or your class schedule drops below 50%. You will receive your first bill at the 9-month point with the first payment due at the 12-month point. You will continue to receive a bill every 3 months for the duration of the payment schedule. Q. Do I have to make payments if later I become a full time student? A. No. As long as you maintain a class schedule that is at least 50% of a full time student, you can apply for a student deferment. Remember to resubmit the deferment each year that you qualify. Q. Can my Perkins loan ever be canceled? A. Yes. There are several cancellation programs that are available. If you work as a schoolteacher, in law enforcement, or in the medical services, you may qualify to have some or all of your loan cancelled. A. You might want to consider signing up for Automatic Direct Draft (ADD). This program would simplify your budget by putting you on a monthly payment plan. If you are simply unable to make payments you may qualify for a hardship deferment or forbearance. The best thing to do is to come in or call us and let us help you. Remember, ignoring the problem is never a good idea. A. We are here to assist and guide you through the various options our loan programs have to offer. Our Account Analysts are very knowledgeable and can be contacted toll free at 1-800-283-8272. Our hours are 8:00-5:00, Mon-Fri, but you can call us anytime and leave a message. We will get back to you during our next business day. Topics that we can assist you with are as follows:
Q. What if the service provider (i.e. speaker or trainer) I want to hire is a UC employee? A. You must contact Purchasing, Human Resources and/or Academic Personnel to discuss whether this employment is allowed. CA Public Contract Codes place very strict restrictions on the hiring of former UC employees. Refer to CA Public Contract Code Sections 10515-10518 Conflict of Interest for details about this legislation. You may also want to refer to the HR web page at www.hr.ucsb.edu. Q. What if the service provider I want to hire is related to a UC employee? A. UC policy states that the purchase of goods or services from any officer or employee of the University or from a near relative of any officer or employee is strictly prohibited unless a specific determination has been made that such goods or services are not available from other commercial sources or from the University's own facilities. Please write a memo to the Purchasing Manager addressing the extenuating circumstances that require the use of an employee's near relative rather than using a commercial source or the University's own facilities. Refer to the Conflict of Interest section of the Purchasing web page to understand what procedures need to be followed and what questions need to be addressed in your memo. Please note that each request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Do not make any commitments before obtaining Purchasing's approval, as approval is not automatic. Upon approval of the Conflict of Interest form, the process to obtain the goods or services will be continued by Contracts or Purchasing. Q. How do I access REX? A. You must first obtain a Complete and ALLN01 account through IS&C, then call Lisa Klock in Purchasing (x 4073) to set up training. See the Purchasing web page for complete instructions on accessing REX. The REX manual is also available on-line by clicking here. Q. The speaker I want to hire is charging me <$1,500 but I still want to do a contract. Is this ok? A. Yes, by all means. Submit a purchase requisition through Requisition Express (REX) and mail us a completed "Request for Services" form. Q. The person I'm hiring isn't really a speaker or a trainer-what do I do? A. Complete a "Request for Services" form. You may also want to visit Contracts and Property for additional information. Call us at x4670 if you still have questions. Please begin this process as soon as you can. Q. How long does it take to complete these procedures? A. We ask that you give us a minimum of 30 days advance notice,
though if you can't, please call us immediately (x 4670) to discuss
your situation and how we can help. Q. Why didn't I get a property tag for my new (computer)? A. Not all (computers) are inventorial equipment: their value must be at least $5,000 if they are to receive a property tag. Q. Why are there still items on my physical inventory when their value is less than $5,000? A. The University does not
hold title to these items (or, in fewer cases, they are firearms). When the inventorial equipment threshold was increased to
$5,000, it was decided that only active items worth $5,000 had to be
physically inventoried. Active items worth less than $5,000 did not have Q. Why was the maintenance agreement portion of my (computer) purchase not included as part of the equipment value? A. Per University policy (BUS-29), the cost of maintenance agreements is not included in equipment value and is split off onto object code 7260 (usually on sub 3). Q. When is the value of software included as part of equipment value? A. When software is purchased
at the same time as the piece of equipment with which it is to be used,
and its purchase is required for the functioning of the piece of equipment,
its value is included in the total value of the equipment. If software
is purchased for an existing piece of equipment, upgrading its programming,
the purchase is considered to be a replacement/supply and is placed on
sub 3. Q. How do I order furniture and ergonomic products? A. Visit How to Place an Order on the Furniture & Ergonomics web page for a complete explanation. Sending an authorized Storehouse requisition on-line or by fax (ext. 4314) listing the stock number(s) of the item(s) you want is all that is required. Q. What furniture and ergonomic products do you have in stock? A. Visit www.busserv.ucsb.edu/stores/furn-ergo.htm to see the selection of products in stock or available overnight. Q. Where can I see the furniture? A. The Storehouse has a showroom displaying all furniture items in stock. This is a self-help showroom, thus an appointment is not required. The showroom is located at the Central Stores building on Mesa Road near Los Carneros Road. Q. How quickly can it be delivered? A. Furniture will generally take one to four working days after receipt of order. The department may also pick it up, if so desired. Note that the Storehouse may occasionally be back ordered on certain items and they will be delivered as soon as received from the vendor. Q. What is the cost? A. Prices are listed without sales tax in the Seating, Files/Bookcases, and Ergonomics (Workrite button) web pages. Other ergonomic products prices are listed in the on-line Storehouse catalog or Office Max's on-line order system. There is no additional cost for delivery. Q. What do I do if I need to return something I ordered? A. Call ext. 3596 and make arrangements to return the item(s). A restocking fee will be assessed ($20) for the cost to send a truck and crew to your department and bring it back and return to inventory. Note: Only items in resalable condition purchased within the past 30 days may be returned. 
Q. How much advance notice do you need for my job? A. It is important to try to give Furniture Services at least a week's notice before the date of your job, as we are a very busy department, particularly during September and June of each year. If you can't give a week's notice, please call Jeff Goldmann, x2732, and he will do everything he can to accommodate your request. Q. What will my job cost and how long will it take? A. To obtain an estimate for your job's cost and length of time, please contact Jeff Goldmann at x2732 or jeff.goldmann@stores.ucsb.edu. Jeff will do his best to give you an accurate estimate, however, this is not a formal bid and charges could exceed this figure for a variety of reasons. The more accurate the information we receive from you, the more accurately we can estimate the cost. Click here to view our current Recharge Rates. Q. Is Furniture Services able to do my job on a certain date and can we specify the time? A. Furniture Services will attempt to accommodate your request, including the date and time you would like the job done. We work on a first-come, first-serve basis, however, so the earlier you make your request, the better. If for some reason we cannot guarantee a specific date and/or time, we will notify you immediately. Q. Do you provide service on weekends? A. Yes, but we work with customers to see if there are other alternatives. For instance, if you need rental equipment on a weekend, we will ascertain if we can deliver the equipment on Friday and pick it up on Monday to avoid overtime costs for our staff. Though the rental rates are the same, any labor costs that may be incurred would be billed at 1.5 times the normal rate. Q. Do you have a forklift available? A. Yes. You may request our forklift and driver by calling Jeff Goldmann at x2732. As we do not let other departments use our forklift, we must provide the driver. Click here to request for services.
 Q. Do you have a (you name it) in your surplus inventory? A. For questions regarding specific items, please call Jeff Goldmann at x2732 or e-mail jeff.goldmann@stores.ucsb.edu. We do not have a computer database of items on hand that you can review, but you are welcome to visit our building on Mesa Road Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm to view what we have on hand. For a general list of the types of items sold, please click here. Q. What is the process for having our surplus equipment picked up? How long does it take? A. The process is described in the Information for UCSB Departments section of our web pages. You should allow at least two weeks for pickup, but please indicate if there are special circumstances that necessitate an earlier pickup. Furniture Services staff will do their best to accommodate this, however, other commitments and priorities may conflict. Remember that Equipment Management must first review each Excess and Surplus Property Disposal form for correctness before Furniture Services can schedule pickup. Q. What is an inventorial item? A. At present, an item is considered inventorial if the original acquisition value exceeded $1,500. Q. Do you have any working computers and how much do they cost? A. Yes, some of the computers we receive are in good working condition. Central Stores does not warranty any of our surplus items, nor do we check each computer to determine if it works. The buyer must be willing to buy equipment "as is". Costs for older computers could run as low as $25 and more recent models go for about $150. Note: Central Stores typically receives computers that are about 5-6 years old; we seldom have newer computers for sale. Q. Do you have any used furniture that is nice enough to place in my office until my new furniture arrives? A. Yes, although the quality of our used furniture can vary quite a bit from time to time. You may view the used furniture by calling x2732 and later have it delivered for a fee. Q. Are donations permitted? A. Yes, in some circumstances. The donee is required to be a non-profit agency and the value of the item must not exceed what it would cost the University to dispose of it. In other words, the current market value of the item must be fairly low, as it does not cost very much money to dispose of most surplus items. A newer computer with a market value of $100 or more may not be a good candidate. The Assistant Director of Business Services must approve all donations. Q. Can I have or buy an item from my department that is surplus? A. No. UC Business and Finance Bulletin Bus-38 states "No one employed in a department originating excess material, or a near relative of such employee, may buy any excess material originating in that department directly from the University." Billing Office | Business Services | Cashiers | Central Stores | Collections | Contracts & Property |
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