Procrastination can come in many different forms, but new deadlines and fees might cause Ohio State students to start planning further ahead for their tuition payments.

Starting this fall, the deadline for paying tuition at OSU will be one week before school starts instead of the first day of class.

“The primary reason for this is to move off the current payment deadline to get students to pay on time. It should also help students to remain in school,” said Nancy Wygle, the communications coordinator for OSU’s Student Consolidated Services Center.

There will be a $200 fee for anyone who does not pay tuition by the deadline. However, students will be able to add classes online through the first Friday of the quarter without a fine or without a permission slip from a professor unless notified otherwise.

After the second Friday of classes, there will be an additional $100 fee for every class added, and written permission will be required from the professor to add the class, Wygle said.

If a student has not paid tuition and all fees by the second Friday of classes, he or she will be dropped from enrollment for non-payment. To be re-enrolled, that student will have to pay a $300 fee, and any other late fees that apply.

“I don’t agree with it; if you have to pay a week in advance, and later have to drop a class, it may create problems,” said Alex Maicks, a second-year in business who said he usually pays tuition within one week of the first day of classes. “It might add a little additional stress to students that they don’t really need.”

Within the new policy, there is a refund schedule that might help students like Maicks. Wygle said students are eligible to receive a 100 percent tuition refund through the first Friday of class, a 75 percent refund through the second Friday of class, a 50 percent refund through the fourth Friday of class and no refund will be given after the fourth Friday of class.

Under the old policy, students could receive a 100 percent refund through the first Friday of class, 80 percent through the second Friday, 70 percent through the third Friday, 60 percent through the fourth Friday and 50 percent through the fifth Friday.

Andrew Cook, a third-year in civil engineering, said he thinks the new policy will not be a problem.

“I am surprised the university hasn’t already done this,” Cook said. “I don’t see it being a challenge for students, it’s just like moving up a credit card bill a week.”

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 11, 2011

An earlier version of this story stated that under the new tuition policy, students could receive a 50 percent refund through the third Friday. In fact, students can receive a 50 percent refund through the fourth Friday.