Fee payments to UNISA

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Michael, Mar 23, 2001.

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  1. Michael

    Michael Member

    I have been invited to enroll in UNISA's Master of Theology program. May I pay the fee in U.S. currency? Also, are the currency converters on the internet accurate for present currency equivalents?

    Does anyone know if the fees quoted, R 4820--about $607--are per degree program or per year? That is, is the cost $607 whether I finish the degree in one year or three years, or is it $607 per year, every year until I finish the degree?

    One more thing: Do I need to have transcripts mailed directly from my colleges attended, or should I have those transcripts mailed to me first and then send them to UNISA with my registration form and fee payment?

    Help!
     
  2. humbug101

    humbug101 New Member

    Hi Michael,

    I'm enrolled in an Aussie program and I had transcripts sent to me collected them all and then sent them. Have them send a couple of "offical" sealed copies. That is what you send on to a school. To pay use a credit card(if you can) and the exchange rate is take care of for you. Much easier than trying to surf the exchange rates yourself.

    Hope it helps.
    BAH
     
  3. Mark A. Sykes

    Mark A. Sykes Member

    Michael,

    The cheapest, easiest way to pay Unisa student fees is to use Visa or Mastercard. After you register, you'll receive an email directing you to an online payment Web page and the transaction can be handled there. The currency converters you find in the Internet are accurate, but your credit card company may add a small foreign currency conversion fee.

    The figure you quoted is probably one year's tuition. I paid ZAR4400 for my five year-long undergraduate classes, those books supplied by Unisa (I had to buy two or three from Amazon), official stationary for submitting assignments, and a postage charge for foreign students.

    Unisa requests several documents and you can either have them sent in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing institution, or bundle them together and mail them yourself. I had ACT send certified results directly to Unisa and just recently received them back from Pretoria. Other documents, however, I mailed myself; either is acceptable.

    Congratulations on your choice of Unisa.

    Mark A. Sykes
     
  4. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Michael:

    Congratulations on your admission to UNISA's M.Th. program. I am enrolled in the Ph.D. in theology program at Potchefstroom University, also in South Africa. Both UNISA and PU have the same accredited status, are about the same age (130 years old), although UNISA does have more students. I know a guy who is enrolled in UNISA's Th.D. in theology program and he is well pleased.

    I called my credit card company today (VISA) and they stated that there is no conversion fee for a transaction from US Dollars to SA Rand. To get a cashier's check at Wachovia, the fee was $30.00. The currency converters on the net are accurate, usually updated daily, but it would be less hassle to pay by card.

    Also, official transcripts are usually sent from one's alma mater directly to the requesting institution. I have regionally accredited BA, MA and D.Min. degrees, and every single time I have been asked to forward transcripts, the requesting institution has asked that "official transcripts be sent directly from the institution." This may not be the case in every situation, but in was my experience.

    Best wishes in the M.Th. program!

    Russell
     
  5. Michael

    Michael Member

    Thanks to those who have answered thus far.

    I don't have a credit card--stopped using them years ago. So, can I send the fee in U.S. dollars by personal check?

    On the UNISA registration site it said to include transcripts and fees with the registration form--that's how I understood it, anyway. So, maybe I should get the schools to send the transcripts to me, and then I'll mail evrything together in one package. What do you think?
     
  6. Mark A. Sykes

    Mark A. Sykes Member

    Michael,

    During a phone call to clear up various small matters, I asked if I could make payments by a check drawn upon a US bank. The person I was talking to said no. I then applied to Standard Bank of South Africa for a personal checking account, and after two emails and several weeks they haven't gotten back to me. I wrote the South African Counsulate in Chicago asking how I can get money into their country, and they suggested the checking account.

    You can use a U.S. international postal money order, but the recipient must sign for and receive the money order at their post office - hence it will not be in the envelope with the registration and transcripts, and the two can become separated. Banks can issue international money orders, but according to my wife they can be fairly expensive. I tried finding out more about a bank IMO, and it quickly degenerated into transfers to different branches and departments and oh, that person isn't here, etc.

    For this reason, I use my Shell Mastercard (at one time, it was a lowly Shell gas card) for tuition and books - nothing else.

    If I may respectfully hazard a guess based upon your major in theology, your lack of a charge card is conscientious objection to one aspect or another to credit. If you feel you should owe no man, then perhaps you could consider either a checking account with a Visa/Mastercard debit card or a collateralized charge account, both of which would simply allow funds that you have already deposited to be available for Visa or Mastercard transactions.

    Hope this helps,

    Mark A. Sykes
     
  7. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    The way I handled this in 1996: I went to the bank and wrote UNISA a money order (or international check; I forget which) in Rand. They had the necessary forms on hand, and the whole process took about five minutes. It worked fine for the R60 registration fee. I'll probably go this route again when I do the GST/Potch thing.

    I sympathize with your distaste for credit cards; I only use a CheckCard myself, and never carry any other plastic.


    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     

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