Too many given eviction notices:

Mix-up causes unnecessary concern For many students, now was supposed to be the time to pay up or move out. Last week, 380 University students received letters from Residential Living telling them either to settle all outstanding debts with Student Financial Services or prepare to move out of their dormitory rooms. "We have become aware that your account has been placed on financial hold because of an outstanding balance," the letter said. "Because students on financial hold are not able to register for classes, you are not eligible for University housing." The letter went on to say students must pay their bills by November 18. But not all recipients are actually candidates for imminent eviction and University officials are in the process of reassuring worried students. The letter was sent to all students who are currently on financial hold. That includes students who owe money for past semesters as well as students who owe for the current semester, Associate Vice President for Finance Frank Claus said. Before this year, the University policy on financial hold included only students who owed money for previous semesters. The policy was changed last month to include students who owed for the current semester as well. The policy on University housing eviction, however, still covers only those students who have longer-standing debts, Claus said. "The current policy is not to dislodge currently enrolled students," he said. "The letter from that standpoint is inaccurate." The list of students to whom the letter was sent was generated on October 25, he said, and many of those on the list have since settled debts with the University. To clarify the issue to students who may have panicked at the prospect of impending eviction, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said she and Claus will send them a follow-up letter. "The University's financial hold policy has changed dramatically," Simeone said. "We should have adjusted the letter." Simeone said the letter sent out this year was "pretty much identical" to the letter sent out each year by Residential Living's assignments and billing office. Although the letter "was stronger than it was intended to be," Claus said, students who do owe money should either settle their bill or contact Student Financial Services as soon as possible. "Any student who owes for a previous term should take some action immediately to visit SFS to figure out how to pay it," he said. And even though students who only owe for the current term are not in danger of eviction, their PARIS registration block is still in effect, in accordance with the new financial hold policy. "The hold was implemented so that students would tend to their financial problems," Claus said. "Any student owing money should attend to the matter."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.