010202

2001 Blackbaud, Inc. This publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an
information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Blackbaud, Inc.
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. Blackbaud, Inc.,
assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions in this manual. In no event will
Blackbaud, Inc., be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from
any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of damages.
In the interest of continuing product development, Blackbaud, Inc., reserves the right to make improvements
in this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notice or obligation.
The Raisers Edge, MatchFinder, ParaGon, RE:Alum, RE:Event, RE:Member, RE:Queue, RE:Tribute,
RE:Volunteer, RE:Zip, and Blackbaud are registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
All other products and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holder.

AFN-StudentBillingImplementationGuide-010202

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Contents
Step 1: Receive Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Step 2: Ensure Hardware and Network Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Step 3: Install the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Step 4: Develop and Execute Implementation Plan and Timeline . . . . . . . . .5
Analyzing Your Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Billing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Statement Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Conducting Prior System Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Student Billing Setup Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Balance Forward vs. Open Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Student Centric vs. Payer Centric Billing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Changing Billing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Creating Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Automatic Fee Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Manual Fee Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Miscellaneous Fee Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Quick Startup for Student Billing for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Establishing Billing Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Entering the Grade Code Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Entering Aging Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Entering Salutation codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Entering Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Entering Student, Parent and Organization Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Entering Relations for Students, Parents and Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Assigning Charges To Information For Paying Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Entering Bill Codes For Automatic Transaction Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Entering Charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Assessing Charges - Automatic Transaction Generation Or Manual . . . . . . .21
Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

CHAPTER 1

Cash Receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Entering Payments and Advanced Deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 5: Additional Implementation Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the Student Billing Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Welcome to the Student Billing Implementation Guide. This guide discusses the
implementation process, information regarding the conversion process, and setup
considerations that affect the performance of the software.
This information is separated into five steps, explained in detail in the following
sections:
Step 1: Receive Software
Step 2: Ensure that necessary hardware and network capabilities are in place
Step 3: Install the software
Step 4: Develop and execute your implementation plan and timeline
Step 5: Additional implementation considerations
We believe you have chosen an outstanding accounting program. At Blackbaud,
we are committed to producing a superior product and providing excellent
customer service. We are also committed to the success of your Student Billing
implementation.
Software training is essential to a successful system implementation. This guide is
not intended to replace training, but is offered to enhance the training experience
and improve the likelihood of a successful system implementation. We currently
offer Blackbaud University classes and on-site trainings covering the functionality
of the software.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding implementation issues, please
contact Customer Support at 1-800-468-8996 or visit our Web site at
www.blackbaud.com.

Step 1: Receive Software

Once you receive your software, you should ensure your shipment includes an
installation CD containing all of the programs and modules your organization
purchased.
You can access the help files and online documentation from the CD. You can
also order manuals. For example, the Administrators Guide documents
pre-installation, installation, post-installation, and product-specific information
and procedures. Your technical staff should use this guide to ensure the proper
installation and maintenance of your accounting system.
The Administrators Guide also includes documentation concerning the
configuration of multiple databases (i.e., The Raisers Edge) and the
configuration of multiple Accounting for Nonprofits databases.

Step 2: Ensure Hardware and

Network Capabilities
Hardware configuration is often overlooked in the implementation of an
accounting system. To view the latest documentation and information, such as
system requirements and recommendations, you can refer to our Web site at
www.blackbaud.com.

To view the latest

documentation and
information, such as system
requirements and
recommendations, you can
refer to our Web site at
www.blackbaud.com.

CHAPTER 1

The system recommendations made by Blackbaud represent only minimum

standards. System performance depends on many variables including the number
of system users, network specifications, the size of your database file, and other
various hardware and network considerations.
Blackbauds recommendations provide a generic guideline, and you should
examine your organizations situation to determine the correct hardware and
network configuration to suit your unique needs. Without the proper hardware
configuration, you may see diminished performance and encounter unnecessary
problems.
In many cases, it is beneficial or necessary to exceed the minimum system
requirements provided by Blackbaud. It may be prudent to exceed your current
system requirements so your organization can satisfy future needs, such as an
increased number of users or a large database file. Please discuss our system
recommendations with your technical staff to ensure that all hardware and
network issues are addressed.
In the event your organization does not have technical staff or additional
consultation is necessary, Blackbaud offers professional services provided by our
technical consulting staff. Our consultants are available to assist you in addressing
your hardware and network issues via phone or on-site consultation.

Step 3: Install the Software

After hardware and network issues are resolved, install the software. You have the
option to choose either a network or standalone installation. Initially, you want to
install the software with a sample database so you can test the functionality of the
system. The sample data set included with the software is for an organization
named Lowcountry Preservation Society. You can add records and test the data in
the system to gain a better understanding of the functions of Student Billing.
After sample data testing is complete, reinstall a blank database to enter your
organizations data. For assistance in reinstalling a blank database, please contact
Customer Support at 1-800-468-8996. During the installation of your blank
database, you need to answer some important questions.
Number of Accounting Periods. Blackbauds Accounting for Nonprofits
package allows organizations to choose 12 or 13 accounting periods. If your
General Ledger is already established, you need to select the same accounting
period structure as reflected in General Ledger.
Open item or Balance Forward. Student Billing offers two different types of
payment/credit application procedures. You can choose from Open Item or
Balance Forward. The difference between the two is how payments and
credits are applied to charges.
The Balance Forward method automatically applies payments/credits to the
oldest charges first. With this choice the program does all of the work of apply
payment/credits. The Open Item method is more detailed and requires the
extra step of applying when you add a payment/credit. Each payment/credit
needs to be applied to a particular charge.
To help speed data entry time, Blackbaud has built in features to automate the
application process. You can set the program default to have the program
apply payments/credits to the oldest charges first or the newest charges first.
If you want to override the default for specific cases, you can do so on the
Payment/Credit record.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

These decisions as well as others are discussed in detail in the Student Billing
Setup Considerations section.
Additional questions regarding connecting in a network installation and the
configuration issues involved in running multiple Accounting for Nonprofits
databases or utilizing both an Accounting for Nonprofits product and the Raisers
Edge may need to be covered by your technical staff. Details concerning those
issues and others are in the Accounting for Nonprofits Administrators Guide.
After installation, ensure all modules are installed correctly. For instructions on
how to access each module, please consult the Student Billing for Windows Users
Guide.
If you have any questions about installation, please contact Customer Support at
800-468-8996.

Step 4: Develop and Execute

Implementation Plan and
Timeline
A well-defined and developed plan facilitates a successful implementation. The
following section is designed to help your organization establish a detailed
implementation plan. The time it takes to fully implement Student Billing
depends on several issues:
Organization size and complexity
Training plan selected
Historical data plan chosen
Organizational resources available for your implementation
It is important that your organization develop a realistic implementation timeline.
Set a realistic time period for the project, considering issues such as billing year
and peak organizational periods. The essential steps to successful system
implementation include:
Analyzing Your Organization
Conducting Prior System Analysis
Reviewing the Student Billing Setup Considerations
Conducting the Conversion Process
Setting up the Student Billing System
Testing Implementation Results
Conducting Day-to-Day Operations Using the New System

Analyzing Your Organization

Examine and understand your organizations processes and billing needs to
establish an effective implementation plan. Without first understanding the
business of the organization, implementing Student Billing can be more difficult
to accomplish and increasingly inefficient.

CHAPTER 1

Billing Requirements
The implementation of a new system often allows organizations to change their
structure and practices to better accomplish their goals.
Prior to beginning work within the software, determine the billing needs of your
organization. Would it be beneficial to have several automatic fees that you can
run for all students requiring the charge, or do you have fees that need manual
entry due to the individual needs of students? What about open item or balance
forward? Does your organization need to track what charge each payment/credit
pays or will paying the oldest charge first be sufficient? The answer to these
questions will determine how you configure Student Billing.
Additional billing requirement questions include:
What type of billing fees should you use?
When does your billing year start and end?
How to configure your promotion schedule?
How many days do your aging periods contain?
Do you want to age based on transaction date or due date?
Do you want a payer or student centric billing system?
What salutation codes should you use?

Statement Requirements
If you document your billing needs and address the setup during the physical
implementation of the software, most billing requirements can be met. However,
it is important that you examine all billing requirements during the early stages of
the implementation, regardless of how basic or advanced those requirements may
seem.
Questions to answer regarding statement requirements include:
Will statements be addressed to students or payers?
Do payers need to receive a separate statement?
Do payers need to receive a separate copy?
Do you need payers to receive statements reflecting the person and charges for
which they are responsible?
Do you want to combine all students in a family on one statement?
How much detail do you want to show on statements?
For which students do you want to run statements?

Conducting Prior System Analysis

Evaluate your previous billing system. You cannot guarantee the accuracy and
viability of your new system without making sure the data in the prior billing
system is accurate.
Some of the items to check for accuracy prior to implementing the new system
are:
Student and Payer Balances
Student Billing Statements

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Aging Reports
Ungenerated Financial Aid and Advanced Deposits
Unapplied payments and credits
System functionality
Evaluate how your current system works and compare it to Student Billing. If
your current system possesses any unique function, be sure those needs are
addressed in your move to Student Billing. In most cases any unique function
should be available from the Blackbaud system. If there are any special features
that need additional attention, these should be covered during the implementation
process.

Student Billing Setup Considerations

As discussed earlier, the implementation of any student billing system requires a
great deal of forethought and consideration. The following sections explain some
of the features of Student Billing that may be new to your billing environment.
Before using the program, carefully consider each item below. In some cases, the
decisions made can have substantial and possibly irreversible consequences in the
functionality and billing ability of the system.

Balance Forward vs. Open Item

When Student Billing is first installed, you have the option to choose between
Balance Forward and Open Item. The difference between the two is how
payments and credits are applied to charges. The option to choose between
Balance Forward and Open Item allows you to further customize the software to
fit the needs of your organization. However, the decision should be carefully
weighed before installation, since it has far reaching effects on how you use the
software.

Balance Forward
The Balance Forward method automatically applies Payments/Credits to the
oldest charges first. If you choose a Balance Forward configuration, the program
does all payment/credit application behind the scenes.

CHAPTER 1

On the Payment/Credit record, the second tab is the Distributions tab, as shown
below. This tab is used to apply the payment/credit to the person who is
responsible for the charges. You do not apply the payment/credit to the charge
itself.

Open Item
The Open Item method is more detailed than Balance Forward and requires an
extra step when adding a payment/credit. Each payment/credit needs to be applied
to a particular charge on the Applications tab shown below.

If you chose the Open Item configuration, you are required to apply each payment
and credit; however, you have the additional flexibility of being able to leave
older charges unpaid, while applying payments/credits to newer charges. This is
very useful when you receive payments for specific charges. For example, a check
strictly intended for room and board rather than for library fees.
To help speed data entry time, we provide features to automate the application
process. You can set the system default to apply payments/credits to the oldest
charges or the newest charges first. If you want to override the default for specific
cases, you can do so on the Payment/Credit record.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

There are some additional options available when printing statements with an
Open Item system. You can choose to print the statements in either date order or
apply to sequence, so the charges appear right next to the payment/credit which is
used to offset the charge.

Student Centric vs. Payer Centric Billing Options

With the release of Student Billing version 6.21 and higher, you have the option
to set your student records up either as Student Centric, Payer Centric, or a
mixture of both.
For those who are familiar with Blackbauds Student Billing for DOS, Student
Centric reflects this format. All charges are tracked via the student record and
anyone can pay on the charges.
Payer Centric is similar to the Split Fees option in the DOS program. Student
charges appear on the student record, but are assigned to a specific payee. That
payee is responsible for only the balance reflecting from those charges.
These options, combined with the Balance Forward or Open Item options, help
you customize Student Billing in a variety of ways to simplify billing procedures
or create very detailed records.

Student Centric
The Student Centric format focuses totally on the student. A student centric record
allows you to add all charges, credits, and payments directly on a students record.
There is no need to even add parent/guardian records unless you want to address
statements to the parents.
When adding a payment, you can type in anyones name as the payer, whether
that payer has a record set up in the system or not. There is not an option to print
statements with specific charges to a particular payer, such as may be required
with divorced parents. All payers who are set up in the system can only receive a
copy of the same statement.

To tell if a record is Student Centric or Payer Centric check the Billing Options
frame in the lower right corner of the Bio 1 tab on the students record.

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CHAPTER 1

Payer Centric
Payer Centric allows you to produce split bills and/or family statements. Charges
are still added to the student record, but the responsibility for these charges must
be assigned to a particular payer (parent, guardian, or organization).
Advance deposits and payments are added through the payers record and
assigned or distributed to the student. Statements are printed to show only the
charges the payer is responsible for and/or a copy of any other payers statement.
Family statements are printed to show the combined transactions for multiple
students.

A Payer Centric record has an Assign Charges To tab where default payment
responsibility is set up on the student record.
To summarize, Student Centric allows for basic statements to be produced and
mailed out. Payer Centric is required for more complex statements to be produced.

Changing Billing Options

The utility to change from Student Centric to Payer Centric is located in Utilities
and Housekeeping on the File menu.

The utility can move all of the payments from several payers to one student. It
cannot reverse the process because it does not know whom to assign responsibility
for charges.
Before you decide to switch, please be sure this is the option you want and always
backup before making significant changes in your database. The utility can be run
for one student or for selected students using a query.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Creating Fees
In Configuration on the Billing Fees tab, you define your fees for each of your
billing years. A billing fee is a record that contains default information regarding
amounts, general ledger account distributions, and/or schedules. These fees are
used to create transactions that either charge or credit the payers in your system.
When adding these fees, the available types are grouped under three categories:
automatic, manual, and miscellaneous.

Automatic Fee Types

Automatic fees are defined for specific amounts or percentages, and are subject to
specified schedules defined for all or selected grade levels. Automatic fees are
added to the payee/students account on the Fee Schedules portion of the Activity
tab.

Vary Amount by Grade

The amount for this fee is determined by the students grade level. Using this fee
type, you can create one fee for items such as Tuition, but vary the amount
charged for each student by grade level.

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Vary Amount and Schedule by Grade

Using this fee, you will be able to create one fee with separate amounts and
separate distribution schedules for each grade. For example, you would be able to
set the fee to charge first graders $200 distributed in July, October, January, and
April. Then charge second graders $220 distributed in August, November,
February, and May.

Same Amount and Schedule for All Grades

This fee is based on a common amount for each grade and has the same
distribution for each grade. Since this fee is the same for all grades, this is the only
fee that can be assigned to either the payer or the payee.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

13

Bill Codes
Bill codes should not be confused with fee codes. Bill codes are the filter that
links certain students to the automatic fees you establish in your system.
Basically, a bill code allows you to filter out which fees a certain person should
receive during a particular year. Bill codes can save the time of having to go to
each record and physically add a fee schedule to the record. As mentioned earlier,
fee codes are focused on an amount and/or a schedule by grade. If there was a
particular fee that a client needed or did not need for a student/payee to receive,
they could limit that transaction based upon a bill code.
If a bill code has been added to an automatic fee when set up in Configuration,
then any student/payee that needs the fee would also need the corresponding bill
code. If there is an automatic fee you need everyone to receive, then you do not
need to add a bill code to the fee because the program gives everyone a transaction
based upon that fee. Again, it is important to see bill codes as filters that determine
who is to receive or not to receive a charge or credit.
Bill codes are only for automatic fees. If the bill codes are set up properly on the
fee itself and on the student, then when you generate the transactions
automatically for the first time, the bill code indicates to the program to add the
fees schedule to the payee/students account (on the Fee Schedules portion of the
Activity tab). Also, the first transaction from the schedule is generated.
Remember, bill codes tie the student to a particular fee.

Manual Fee Types

Manual charges are added directly on the Activity tab of the record. They are
usually used for one-time or low use charges such as damage and library fines.
Once the fee is established in Configuration, it can be used to apply charges or
credits. In either case, the manual fee transactions are added on the Activity tab of
the person.

Fixed Amount
This fee is used to charge or credit individuals based on the set amount. The fee is
not dependent upon a distribution or grade.

Bill codes are only for

automatic fees. If the
bill codes are set up properly
on the fee itself and on the
student, then when you
generate the transactions
automatically for the first
time, the bill code indicates
to the program to add the
fees schedule to the
payee/students account (on
the Fee Schedules portion of
the Activity tab).

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CHAPTER 1

Per Usage
You will use this fee to create credit or charge transactions on individual records
based on a set amount per unit. The unit can be hours, days, events, or
occurrences.

Refund
Refunds are used to credit individuals for overpayments. This transaction uses the
Cash Account and Accounts Receivable Account defined in Bank Accounts.This
fee is created like the other fees in Configuration and does not have an amount
defined. This is defined on the individual record at the time of the refund.

Miscellaneous Fee Types

The five types of miscellaneous fees are: Financial Aid, Advance Deposits,
Finance Charges, TRP, and Sales Tax. The financial aid and advance deposits are
added to the fee schedules portion of the activity tab.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Financial Aid
This fee is created to produce a credit on a students account with funds from
sources other that a Payers funds. It is based on the amount entered on the student
record and on the fee distribution created in Configuration.

Advance Deposits
This fee credits a students account for an advance deposit. Again, dollar amounts
received are entered on the student record and the distribution is created in
Configuration.

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CHAPTER 1

Finance Charge
This fee assesses an additional charge to accounts with an overdue balance. When
you run the Calculate Finance/Late Charge program in the Students module, the
program uses the finance charge fee set up in Configuration. You can also create
charges and credits manually for finance charges using this fee.

TRP Fee
The TRP (Tuition Refund Plan) fee defines the tuition refund plan percentage
charge your school has established. This fee will take the percentage that you have
defined and pull this percentage from all the fees you have set up in Configuration
that are marked as to be included in the TRP calculation.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Sales Tax
The Student Billing program uses the sales tax fees you create to automatically
assess sales tax charges for transactions that use these fees. You have the ability to
create multiple sales tax fees in the Configuration module for each billing year
you have defined.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Im in the process of converting from another accounting package and
would like to know how to create my beginning balances in Student Billing.
How can I do this?
You will need to create a Fixed Amount manual fee in Configuration. You will
then use this fee to create a credit or charge balance for the amount of the
beginning balance on each student record.
2. How can I add a discount to a students record?
The most common way to do this is to use a Financial Aid fee. The fee is a
schedule of credits, which can act as a discount. By using this fee you have the
ability to schedule the credits over time. If you only want to add the discount one
time you can do this by adding a manual credit.
3. I need to charge each student, a one-time PTA charge. What is the best
way to do this?
You would use the automatic fee, Same amount and schedule for all grades, to
apply this charge all records. You would not give this fee a bill code and then you
would run the Automatic Transaction Generation option in Students to add this
fee.
4. I have several kids that work for tuition credit after school. How can I
apply this credit in Student Billing?
If you were paying the student by the hour, you would simply create a Per Usage
fee in Configuration. You would then go to the students record and add a credit
to the students account using this fee code.

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CHAPTER 1

5. A student has changed the payment plan that they will be on this year. I
need to change the Advance Deposit Fee number to be associated with it. I
have already generated the first payment from this. The system wont let me
change the fee number. What do I do?
If you need to change an Advance Deposit fee and you have already generated
part of the amount, then you can void the receipt (open the receipt, from the menu
choose Receipt, Void). You can then add a new receipt in with the new fee code.
If the fee is fully generated, then you cannot void the receipt. If there are no
generations, then you can make the change on the record.
6. Im trying to generate transactions automatically and some students are
not showing their charges, what should I review?
Make sure that if the fees associated have bill codes defined on them that the bill
code is defined on the students record for the appropriate billing year. Make sure
that you are running the automatic transaction generation for the correct year and
billing period. Make sure that someone is designated to be responsible for the
students charges. Review the Assign Charges to tab on the students record.
7. When I try to add a Payment or Advanced Deposit to a Students record
through the Activity tab, these options are grayed out and cannot be selected.
When I try to add a Charge, Credit or Financial Aid a Parent/Guardians
record through the Activity tab, these options are grayed out and cannot be
selected. Why?
Student Billing for Windows (prior to version 6.21) is a payer-based system. This
means that Charges, Credits, and Financial Aid are entered onto the Students
record and then distributed to the payers (parent/guardian or organization).
Payments and Advanced
Deposits are entered on the Parent/Guardian or Organization record and then
distributed to the Students. A student cannot make Payments or Advanced
Deposits unless the student is marked as Pays Bills in the Student's Bio2 tab.
Parents/Guardians cannot receive charges or credits unless they are marked as
Assign charges directly to the parent/guardian on the Parent/Guardians Bio1
tab.
8. I created a charge for $500.00 that should have been $450 and it has been
posted. Is there any way I can go back and change the transaction without
creating a credit for the student?
Open the charge record, and from the Transaction menu choose to add an
adjustment. Here you will add the adjustment date, the new amount, the
adjustment post date, and the GL account. There is also a place to enter the reason
for the adjustment and any additional notes. When the transaction is saved, the
transaction is immediately updated with the latest information.
9. I have a student who I gave a $25 charge for a field trip, which has been
paid, and now that student cannot go. What do I do?
First, if you do not have a refund fee created in Configuration, you will need to
create one. Then you will need to add a $25 refund fee to the record, which will
reverse out the payment. You will then need to delete the charge to get rid of the
revenue generated by the charge.
10. I am getting ready to begin my fiscal year. Do I have to create all my fees
again for the next year?
Yes, but dont think that you have to type everything over. You can go into
Utilities and Housekeeping and copy all the fees from one year to another. You
must have this next year defined on the billing years tab in Configuration. When
you copy the fees you can either increase or decrease them by a specific amount or
a percentage.

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Quick Startup for Student

Billing for Windows
This summary outlines the critical steps you should perform to get your Student
Billing established as soon as possible. It can also be used as a guide to ensure all
the critical steps are covered prior to system implementation. For more detailed
instructions on each of these steps, please refer to the detailed chapters in the
Student Billing Users Guide.

Configuration
From the General tab in Configuration, you can establish information specific to
your organization such as address, telephone information, and EFT ID. You can
determine what billing option to use (Payer Centric or Student Centric) when
adding a new payment. Please refer to the Student Billing Setup Considerations
section of this guide for further information on this subject.
You can also choose how payments will be distributed, how payments will be
applied, and if the program will automatically generate ID numbers.

Establishing Billing Years

The first step in establishing your schools billing procedures is to define the
billing years. In Configuration, on the Billing Years tab, you can define date
ranges in which you can group fees and transaction activity. You can establish
separate sets of fees for each billing year.
Keep in mind, you need to make sure your first period affords you the ability to
bill ahead so there is ample time to collect the advanced deposits, registration
payments, etc. and enter them into your system.

Entering the Grade Code Table

Tables allow you to group related data entries into a standard format. They
increase data entry speed and help ensure that field entries remain consistent from
user to user. The Tables tab contains all the lookup tables. Certain tables are
shared by all of the Blackbaud programs present in your database. Other tables are
specific to Student Billing.
One table that must be defined is your Grade Code Table. You will use these table
entries to create your promotion schedule, on the Promotion Schedule tab and
define the current grade status on each students record. Certain automatic fees,
Vary Amount by Grade and Vary Amount and Schedule by Grade, use the
current grade status in order to generate the fee automatically.

Entering Aging Periods

Aging periods determine the overdue status of transactions. The aging
information allows you to define your default aging buckets for aging-based
reports and for the activity summary available for parent/guardians, organizations,
and student responsible for paying. Aging information can be calculated based on
the Transaction date (date the transaction was added) or the Due date (date
payment is due on the transaction). Aging periods must be sequential and they
cannot overlap.

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Entering Salutation codes

You may further customize your Student Billing program by defining the way
your statements, letters, and notes are addressed to Parent/Guardians and
Students. You can create various salutation formats to use, depending on the
occasion or need.

Entering Fees
Student Billing has 11 fee types. Fees are defined for specific billing years. A
billing fee is a record that contains default information regarding amounts and
general ledger account distributions. You use billing fees to create transactions
that charge or credit payers.
When adding a fee, the available fee types are grouped under tree categories:
automatic, manual, and miscellaneous. Please refer to the Student Billing Setup
Considerations section of this manual for more information on billing fees.

Students
After you have completed the preliminary setup of your system, you will spend
most of your time working in the Students module. You can create and maintain
information about families, students, parent/guardians, and organizations.

Entering Student, Parent and Organization

Information
Of the eleven types of records stored in Student Billing, the Student record is the
core of all functions incorporated into the system. Careful definition of the student
record is essential. This will ensure the smooth operation of the program and a
seamless transfer of data among all records related to the student.
Parent/Guardian records, created in students, are based on the student record. A
student record must be associated with a parent/guardian record when the
parent/guardian is designated as a payer of fees generated for the student.
Organization records can be added to your Student Billing program using screen
and procedures similar to those used to add a parent/guardian record or student
record. As payers, organizations are defined in much the same way as
parents/guardians.
Organizations may be added to your system because they provide scholarships,
employ students, employ parents/guardians, or provide other types of support.
Much like parent/guardians, organizations are linked to student records on the
Relationships tab, and are further defined by the fees they are responsible for.
Typically organizations that are payers are scholarship providers, parent
employers, corporate payers, or sponsoring organizations.

Entering Relations for Students, Parents and

Organizations
On the Relationships tab, you can define relationships between the student and
other individuals and organizations with have records in the system. You can
define the relationship and reciprocal codes (i.e., father/son), and allow
parents/guardians and organizations the right to pay bills for the student.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

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Assigning Charges To Information For Paying

Records
The Assign Charges To tab is only available on student records when the student
is setup as Payer Centric, because each parent/guardian or organization is
responsible for paying all charges added directly to their records. If the student is
student centric they will not have an Assign Charges To tab. The distributions
established on this tab determine who will have responsibility for paying fees and
charges for the student.
Responsibility may be assigned as a percentage of the total amount, however the
assignments must total 100 percent. One exception can be created for each fee.
Creating an exception for a fee causes the default distribution to be ignored.
Changing the information on this tab does not affect any existing credits or
charges. Responsibility for existing transactions must be changes manually for
each transaction.

Entering Bill Codes For Automatic Transaction

Generation
The Bill Codes tab is only available on students records. Bill codes are optional,
and are primarily used by the Automatic Transaction Generation program to
determine which fees to create for each student. Once automatic generation
creates a fee schedule for an individual, based on a bill code, deleting that bill
code will not prevent additional transactions from being created from the fee
schedule.
Bill codes are defined and assigned by billing year. This allows bill codes for
future years to be added to a record, before billing for the current year has been
completed. Student Billing allows for bill codes to be copied from one billing
year to another, or from one student to another.

Entering Charges
Once you have established a financial aid fee, you can create the fee schedule for
the students. Using the Add Transactions to Group allows you to enter transaction
details once, and then apply this transaction to multiple student records. This
procedure allows you also add charges and credits to a group of individuals.

Assessing Charges - Automatic Transaction

Generation Or Manual
As stated previously, there are two types of charges: automatic and manual.
Automatic charges are created either through the Automatic Transaction
Generation process, or when you generate a fee schedule directly from the
individuals Activity tab. Manual charges are those charges you create through the
Add process from the individual or organizations Activity tab.

Mail
From the Mail module, you can print statements to reflect the generated charges.

If you do not use bill

codes, the program will
create a fee schedule for all
student that qualify by
grade.

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Cash Receipts
Cash Receipts is where you create the deposits required to receive payments and
advance deposits. Payments and advance deposits can be entered from both
Students and Cash Receipts.

Entering Payments and Advanced Deposits

Cash Receipts enables you to add all deposits and receipts. You can enter deposit
records, payments, and advanced deposits. Before you can add any receipts you
must first create the deposit. Once the deposit has been created you can add a
payment by adding a receipt to the deposit. You can add your advanced deposits
in the same way in the same way you added a payment.

Security
An important consideration in setting up any system is to ensure that proper
restrictions have been placed on its users. The restrictions should be designed to
limit the users of the software to their particular roles in the billing process. An
analysis of the roles played by each of the users of the billing system should be
conducted prior to creating users in the system to ensure that proper internal
controls are maintained at all times. This decreases the likelihood of inadvertent
errors or omissions to the billing data.

Step 5: Additional
Implementation Considerations
Ordering Statements for Use with Student Billing for Windows
If you are using Student Billing you must either:
Purchase the statements to be used in the system from Blackbaud.
Obtain the statement specifications and/or template from Blackbaud, which
allows a printer in your area to produce statements that meet the necessary
specifications.
Purchase the Forms module, which allows you to print your own statements
including lines, shading, and crest. For further information regarding your
forms options, please consult the form information included in the welcome
packet or contact Blackbauds Business Forms department or Customer
Support.

Understanding the Student Billing

Program
Student Billing is a very versatile and powerful system. Understanding the design
and functional aspects of Student Billing will ensure a successful implementation.
Training, testing sample data, and generating sample reports will help you
understand your new system.

STUDENT BILLING I MPLEMENTATION GUI DE

Training
Blackbaud strongly recommends that training be completed prior to implementing
the software. We offer several training alternatives including:
Blackbaud University. Offers a variety of classes in historic Charleston,
South Carolina. By leaving the distractions of the office behind, clients can
devote their energy to effectively learning the software. Attendees agree that a
key benefit of Blackbaud University is sharing knowledge and ideas with
other students from a diverse range of nonprofit organizations.
On-site Training. On-site Training is similar in structure to Blackbaud
University training but can be tailored to the specific needs of the
organization.
Computer Based Training. Employs CD-ROMs to provide a self-paced
interactive learning experience. Comprehensive lessons walk users through
tasks, and they can demonstrate their proficiency on tests that follow each
section. The CDs will serve as a permanent resource for training new
employees and helping staff members review concepts when necessary.
Testing Sample Data. When installing the software, you can install a sample
database. Testing sample data allows you to apply the knowledge gained in
training to a data set that is not relied upon to produce billing statements. For
instance, users could execute the student billing process from entry of a
student, to adding transactions, to running billing statements, to posting to the
General Ledger. This testing ensures a smooth transition to the new system
by allowing you to master the processes you will use in the future.
Generating Sample Billing Statements. Generating statements is another
way to gain an understanding of the new system. This testing will familiarize
you with the billing statements that exist in the Student Billing package. It
will also allow you to examine the systems capabilities and provide an
opportunity to compare those capabilities to your organizations needs. If
there are major differences between the capabilities and requirements, early
testing allows you to address them in the setup phase of your implementation.
After attending training and otherwise familiarizing yourself with Student
Billing, you should begin to finalize your implementation plan. Refer to all
documentation, including your Users Guides, BBU workbooks, and the Student
Billing Setup Considerations section of this guide, for help.
We hope that this guide has been informative and will prove to be a useful
resource in your system implementation. Blackbaud understands that your system
implementation is an important process and would like to offer its services and
knowledge to facilitate that process. If issues or concerns arise, please contact us
or visit our Web site at www.blackbaud.com so that we may assist you.

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