This page answers common questions students, parents and third parties might have about third-party or sponsor billing client payments. Click on the links in the sidebar to view common questions and answers about other payment-related topics.
What types of payments does Aims accept?
Cashier’s Office locations accept cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express for all sponsor invoice payments. Agencies and businesses can call our office to pay with a credit/debit card over the phone or mail in a check.
What does “third party” or "sponsor" mean?
Third-party/Sponsor means that a company, business, federal, state or county entity is requesting Aims Community College to invoice them for a student's tuition/fees and/or other fees tied to registration.
How can I contact the Cashier’s office?
The Cashier’s Office can be contacted by phone, mail, or email. Please refer to our website or current schedule publication for the current contact information. Our general email address for all third-party/sponsor client questions about your client account is sponsor.billing@aims.edu.
How can a Client/Company submit sponsor billing authorization paperwork?
Clients/Companies can submit third-party authorization paperwork by mail, email or send it with the student.
Our email address for sponsor billing is sponsor.billing@aims.edu.
Will the student be dropped from all classes if covered by a sponsor(third party)?
No, students are not dropped from classes unless the student owes a balance greater than $200.00 from the prior semester, even if paperwork is on file for the new semester. Students are sent email notifications.
All paperwork is due by the posted deadlines to avoid service fees, registration holds and billing notices.
What is a Sponsor (third-party) authorization?
A third-party authorization is a document that states the following
- Student's name, Aims ID#
- Semester to be covered
- What the company is requesting to be invoiced for: such as Tuition and/or fees, books
- Any special conditions: such as maximum amount to be billed, only certain tuition classification rates, specific classes, etc.
- Billing address for invoicing
- Contact information with company or entity
Does the Bookstore require a separate authorization for books?
Yes, please contact the bookstore for further information on the proper procedures for that office. Invoices are produced and sent out by Barnes and Noble.
When is the company/entity sent an invoice?
Generally, the company/entity will see an invoice mailed to them 30-60 days after the drop deadline for that semester for tuition and/or fees. Typically, all billing to entities is complete shortly after the mid-term of that semester.
What documentation is sent with the invoice to the entity?
Invoices are sent via email or USPS depending on how the entity prefers to receive invoices. Any additional paperwork to be included with the invoice is also dependent on the entity. If you need copies of additional documentation, please be sure to state that on your authorization.
When is the sponsor (third-party) authorization applied to the student’s account so they are not accountable for the bill for their tuition?
The Student Accounts office starts processing the sponsor (third-party) authorizations after the full-term drop deadline has passed. Within the next 30-60 days after the drop period ends, we process the authorization for that student, Our system posts a payment to the student account paying them an amount equal to the authorization and at the same time puts a charge on the client's/entity's account equal to the authorization. The student account is paid and the company/entity is now responsible for those charges. An invoice is then sent to the company/entity.
If we have a question on the invoice, who do we contact?
For questions on your invoice, you are welcome to contact the Student Accounts/Cashier's Office by phone at 970-339-6349 or by email at sponsor.billing@aims.edu.
Can the company/entity cancel an authorization once it’s submitted to Aims Community College?
Yes, the authorization can be canceled by contacting our office by phone at 970-339-6349 or by emailing sponsor.billing@aims.edu. If we haven’t invoiced the company yet, we can cancel the authorization so that the students’ charges are not invoiced to the company. If we have already invoiced the company/entity, we can still cancel the authorization and the student’s account will be adjusted appropriately. The student will then be billed for their tuition charges according to Aims Community College billing processes.
Can the company/entity change the authorization after being submitted to Aims Community College?
Yes, the revised authorization must be submitted to Aims Community College as soon as possible. We will void the previous authorization and process the revised authorizations per sponsor (third-party) billing procedures.
Can we pay by credit card over the phone?
Yes, you are welcome to call 970-339-6349 to pay your invoice by credit card. Please identify that you are a sponsor (third-party) entity requesting to pay for your invoice by credit card. Please give the staff member the name of your company/entity, the entity's Aims account number, and the invoice number. Our staff will then pull your invoice from our files and then proceed to take your payment. We can email the company a copy of the receipt if you wish.
Can we mail in our payment for the invoice?
Yes, please include a copy of the invoice and the company check payable to Aims Community College. We also recommend that on the check stub or in the memo area of the check, please note the invoice number you are paying. This will help Aims Community College process your payment quickly and properly.
Does Aims Community College accept EFT, ACH or wire transfers?
It depends on the entity. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and can be emailed to sponsor.billing@aims.edu and will be reviewed by the Student Accounts Manager.
What are the deadlines for submitting sponsor (third-party) authorizations to the college?
Tuition authorizations are due by the full-term drop deadline for each semester to ensure timely processing. Tuition authorizations are accepted at any time once the student registers for the semester.