Students expecting to make UA tuition payments to any local Bank One branch must now drop their checks off at any Bank of America branch.

As of yesterday, the University of Arizona switched to Bank of America, making it the UA's official bank. Bank of America beat out Bank One in a competitive bid process in December to meet the university's needs, said Jean Johnson, associate controller in the UA's Bursar's office.

"It's not like we were seeing poor service (with Bank One)," she said, explaining that Bank of America had the best proposal overall.

Johnson said the UA has been contracting with financial institutions for packaged banking services for 10 years, first with Valley National Bank and then with Bank One which merged with the Arizona institution.

Whether students are cashing their checks or making tuition payments, they should not notice a difference in service and no major problems should surface, she said.

"We aren't expecting anything too exciting," Johnson said.

The services Bank of America will provide the UA include checking, savings and investment services, said David Howell, the bank's vice president of corporate communications. They are the same services offered by Bank One, but at a better price.

Howell said there are several branches near the university and UA customers should not have any problem getting their needs met.

The closest branch, he said, is the Wildcat Express on Speedway Boulevard east of Cherry Avenue. Howell said that for now the branch will be able to handle UA customer demands, but the bank will watch to see how things develop. He said he was not sure whether the branch will expand or if a new branch in the university area will be added.

"We will evaluate those needs as the relationship grows," Howell said. "If it proves to be more, we will look at expanding the Wildcat Express branch or possibly doing more."

Ron Mumford, manager of the Marshall Foundation's East University Boulevard office, said the foundation has been talking to Bank of America but that there are no plans in the works to add Bank of America to the University Square area.

"Until this point, nobody has signed a lease," Mumford said. "Right now there's no place to rent. I don't know where they would go."

Mumford said the foundation does not plan on adding a Bank of America branch to University Square area for at least six months to one year, but plans can change on a one day notice.

"Could it change tomorrow? Sure," Mumford said. "Will it? I don't think so."

Nancy Hanson, Bursar's office cashiering manager, said students can access other area Bank of America branches, such as the one at East Adelaide Drive and North Campbell Avenue. Other branches include the East Second Street and North Stone Avenue office and the El Con Mall branch.

Hanson said Bank of America will honor students' checks with two pieces of identification, "even though they do not have an account with B of A."

Students who mail tuition payments should note the change of address, Hanson said. Students must now send payments to the UA, P.O. Box 28820, Tucson, AZ 85726-8820. Also, Johnson said, students should take note that information contained in the payment options of next fall's class schedule lists Bank One.