OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – A billing mistake has led some University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh graduates to be undercharged, and they are required to pay the balance post-graduation, according to a statement from UW Oshkosh chief of staff Alex Hummel.

“A coding error resulted in inaccurate billing statements sent to several students,” Hummel said.

The error only affected billing statements sent to the most recent group of executive masters of business students, according to Hummel. Not all of those students have paid their balances.

The students received an email in January that they had paid their final bill and received a separate confirmation that it was correct and paid in full, according to EMBA graduate Stuart Kuzik.

Kuzik said in June he received a letter after his correspondence with university staff in January that explained the billing error and that he now owes UW Oshkosh for this billing error.

“Holding others accountable for their mistake is just wrong and not in alignment with the business principles that we were taught by UW Oshkosh’s professorial staff,” Kuzik said in an email to Local 5 News.

“The cost of the EMBA program is clearly communicated to students when they enroll in the program,” Hummel said. “The error does not change the cost of the program nor the amounts owed by the graduates.”

The total cost of the UW Oshkosh MBA-Executive is $59,500, according to the program’s website. That sum includes tuition and fees, textbooks, classroom materials, supplies, and events, among other items listed.

Below is the full statement from UW Oshkosh provided to Local 5 News:

UW Oshkosh discovered that a coding error resulted in inaccurate billing statements sent to several students in the most recent Executive MBA (EMBA) cohort.   

Shortly after the mistake was confirmed by UWO finance and administration staff, students were notified of the error, which included one-on-one meetings with the MBA Executive program director. Some students in the cohort subsequently paid their balances. 

This is a regrettable situation, but the cost of the EMBA program is clearly communicated to students when they enroll in the program. The error does not change the cost of the program nor the amounts owed by the graduates. UW Oshkosh has an obligation to recover the costs from the students for the education they were provided.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH CHIEF OF STAFF ALEX HUMMEL