Problems with online fee payment to the University Registrar left some students scrambling to get their fees paid on time and created some congestion in the Office of the Registrar at the start of the quarter.

Coordinators handed out envelopes Monday for students who had exact payments and no questions to ask.

“We did this to shorten the lines,” said associate treasurer Al Rodack.

Checks submitted to the fees coordinators have not been posted yet. According to the Office of Fees and Deposits, the problem should be taken care of by the end of the week.

No student that turned in money will be penalized.

The university registrar’s office is now sending out tuition bills online. Bills will no longer be sent by mail.

A power outage on Lane Avenue that lasted from 1 a.m. to noon on Saturday caused the server to go down from time to time, said Guy Flora, coordinator for Fees and Deposits. This led to many students bringing in their payments rather than mailing them.

“People were unable to access their accounts during this time, but most had already paid,” Flora said.

“There have been a few people that have made (online billing) difficult, but the majority of people sign up for classes online, so they just print out the bill and give it to their parents,” Flora said.

The Office of Fees and Deposits received more than 43,000 payments by Thursday. The office was receiving up to 1,100 payments a day and an estimated 8,000 students paid Monday.

Many students have taken advantage of online paying. They are able to pay using a checking or savings account online.

“By not accepting credit cards, the university saves about $2 million a year in merchant fees,” Flora said.

There are many safeguards in place to ensure privacy is maintained during online transactions so people are unable to go through.

“Your money is as safe as if it were in a bank,” Rodack said.

Some financial aid does not come through until the first day of classes. By printing the bill offline, students must factor in anticipated scholarships and pay the difference.

Bills paid after midnight on the first day of classes automatically were assessed a $100 late fee. If paid after the second Friday of the quarter, a $300 late fee will be assessed.

If there is a problem with a bill beyond a student’s control — such as a banking error — they are advised to go to the registrar’s office at once.

“If we know a student has done everything they were supposed to do … we’ll recommend to the registrar the late fees should be waived,” Flora said.