The university could do students a great service by pushing back the due date for tuition bills.

A month before classes begin for the spring semester, students have already received their tuition bills and are expected to pay up, one of the earliest billing cycles in the Big Ten.

At other schools such as The Ohio State University or Purdue University, students are not expected to pay until about Jan. 7, when classes begin.

The University of Michigan even gives students a full three weeks after classes are in session, although this might be a bit much.

While officials say the reason for such an early billing cycle is to accommodate processing for all the bills, and to avoid mailing over the holiday, it would be a fairly simple matter to give some students a little extra time.

And some students find their bills arrive before their financial aid is processed, which makes the bill-paying procedure that much more harrowing.

The cycle has seemed to work since the university changed to the semester system in 1992, and it makes life easier for those who want to drop and add classes sooner - but that is inconsequential when it comes down to whether a student is able to make the payment as soon as required to do so.

Some students feel being able to invest their money longer, or to be able to work over the Christmas holiday would make paying the bills less painful.

For students who have to pay their way entirely, the difference of a few weeks can be a great relief. Receiving the bill before final exams of the previous semester even begin is too early for students, and sometimes makes it hard to make ends meet.

MSU would lose little by pushing the due date back, and many students would benefit greatly. It would be a good way to make some lives easier.