Request to pay tuition after 5 years for dropped class in NC.

Question

I received a request to pay tuition to a community college in North Carolina, 5 years after I dropped the class. At the time, I did not realize that I owed 25% of the class costs. This is the first notice I have received about the balance since dropping the class. The college cannot explain why it took so long to contact me. Is it legal for them to request payment after such a long period?

James L. Arrasmith · Answer

In North Carolina, as in many other states, there are statutes of limitations that set a time limit on how long a creditor, including a school, can wait to collect a debt. Generally, for contracts or agreements, the statute of limitations is three years. This means that the school may not be legally able to request payment after five years if the statute of limitations has passed, but there are exceptions depending on the specific circumstances. 
 
The delay in notifying you about the balance could raise questions about the college’s practices, and it’s possible that the school violated its own internal policies or contractual terms regarding notification. It's also important to determine whether the college had made any prior attempts to contact you before the five-year mark. 
 
You may want to reach out to the college's billing department for clarification on why it took so long to notify you and inquire about any records of previous communications. If the college is insisting on payment despite the long delay, you might want to consult a legal professional to assess whether the statute of limitations has expired or if there are any other legal defenses you could raise.

Q: Request to pay tuition after 5 years for dropped class in NC.