CSUN Students to Pay Fees by Phone

In a step toward streamlining its payment system, Cal State Northridge is testing a pilot program that allows students to pay registration fees by telephone using a credit card.

Cash operations officer Diane Jensen said that about 8,000 randomly selected full-time students, about 25% of the total campus population, are eligible to use the new method during registration for the spring semester.

The goal of the system, called Cashnet Express, is “to make it easier for the students,” Jansen said.

Students participating in the program can call a special telephone number and enter their credit card numbers to pay their fees before they are issued an “appointment” to select classes in a second phone call several weeks later, Jensen said.

Full-time resident students currently pay $985 per semester to attend the university.

The program will conclude its test run Friday. If successful, it may be expanded to include payments for student housing and summer-session classes.

While convenience was the primary factor in developing the program, Jensen noted that it will keep out students whose bank accounts have insufficient funds.