Mid-South Community College

Fees paid for tuition payment plan not being refunded. School feels justified in this decision.I spoke with [redacted] as well as her boss regarding my Fiancee' [redacted]'s tuition and a payment plan for such tuition. During this discussion, I brought up the fact that the class would possibly cancel due to not having enough students. I was told that if the class was cancelled, my money would be refunded by the school. I waited until the last day possible, which was August 19th, to make the payment in hopes they would cancel the class before this if it were to be cancelled. On August 25th, the class was cancelled and the process for reimbursing the tuition began. I agreed to a "non-refundable" $25 fee for collecting the tuition in payments, and also a fee of $7.66 for processing my credit card for said payments. I am being refunded the full amount, minus those two fees from the school. The school is saying that the other fees are not being refunded as they were from this 3rd party company that they hired to process their payments, and were a requirement to setup the payment plan. The school also says that they will not refund the difference in the amount as the amount is non-refundable. My problem is that we were stuck in signing up for this option premature to class cancellation due to school policy, and that same policy is what is not allowing for these funds to be refunded. I was also told that this company was being paid by the school to act as a "conduit" to process their payments, so I had no reason to believe that the amounts would not be refunded by the school since this was the arrangement discussed. Desired SettlementSince there are NO services being delivered for these "fees," I expect a full refund from the school, including the $32.66 in fees. If the school does not want to credit the fees, I expect the $32.66 be applied to a school credit for [redacted] for her returning in the spring semester to take the class that the school cancelled this semester. Since the service delivery "theoretically" could occur in the spring for what's been paid, I should not have to pay the fees twice. This whole thing is completely unethical and the school is supportive of this entire practice.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Fin/AdmContact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted] prides itself in customer service and offers our students several options in which to pay for tuition and fees. Options offered include cash, check, credit card and a tuition payment plan handled through a 3rd party vendor. If a student elects to pay for charges with a credit card, a service fee is charged and if he/she elects to set up a tuition payment plan for the charges a $25 non-refundable fee is assessed b the 3rd party vendor. Mr. [redacted] was told by an [redacted] employee these fees would be charged and was notified on the website when initiating the payment plan that if he didn't want to be assessed the credit card service fee to switch to a checking or savings account. Regrettable, the course in which his fiancée was enrolled was cancelled due to low enrollment. Tuition and fees assessed by the college were refunded less fees assessed by 3rd party vendor for setting up the payment plan and the use of a credit card. Although I understand Mr. [redacted]'s concern, he was told on the front end the fees would be assessed and he elected to use the services. Respectfully yours,