<p>I am 17 years old. Fresh from Hs. It's my first time in applying for financial aid. I am in a community college. I have sent all the documents as early as May. I received Cal Grant letter last March. I told them about it and they said to wait for the letter.</p>
<p>The problem, I haven't gotten any. Although when I check online it says that I was awarded some money. I did read something about disbursing on August 25th. Also in the award letter online, they haven't mentioned about Cal grant. Please tell me what's next.</p>
<p>I am really confused. The financial aid people are not helpful, maybe because most of them are also students. I don't really know whats happening. They keep on saying we are going to send you a mail, so wait. So please.. I don't k now what to do...</p>
<p>Call the financial aid office and ask to speak to the director or assistant director. Another option: Go in person to the financial aid office and politely stay until someone explains to you what's going on with your aid. Take a book with you. More than likely, you'll find a long line of other students with similar questions.</p>
<p>So, you mean I am not alone? Is it usually like that?
What is your experience? Like, I mean what should have happened? How do you get the money, anyway?. I just want more details. Hope you don't mind. I'll go tomorrow and it's also my first day in class. Thanks, anyway.</p>
<p>At the school where I used to teach, financial aid was messed up every year, and therefore, every year, students had to line up and spend hours at the financial aid office to get things straightened out. </p>
<p>It typically took until Oct. for the problems to be straighted out, and by then some students would have been threatened with being kicked out of school for nonpayment of fees that financial aid should have paid! The upperclassmen from long experience knew about these longstanding problems, so were prepared, and also knew to go in person to the office to straighten things out. It was the freshmen who expected the financial aid office to respond to phone calls and e-mails and to actually do things as schedueld (Which, of course, they should have been doing!). </p>
<p>I don't know about your college, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same there. There are some colleges that are wonderfully efficent, but IMO any student who has run into the kind of problems you're running into probably is at a very inefficent college when it comes to financial aid. The fact that students are answering your questions when you call, adds to my perception that it's not an efficiently run place.</p>
<p>"I am really confused. The financial aid people are not helpful, maybe because most of them are also students. I don't really know whats happening. They keep on saying we are going to send you a mail, so wait. So please.. I don't k now what to do..."</p>
<p>Pardon my rudeness, but do not have one of your fellow students tell you anything about your financial aid. Work study does not carry that sort of responsibility at all. I would be darned to have any of my fellow students tell me diddly squat about something as important as the financial aspects of funding schooling.</p>
<p>Make an appointment with the HEAD of the financial aid office ASAP. Bring all of your paper work with you and all of that good stuff. </p>
<p>I am sorry for sounding like a mean girl, but there is no way you have to even acknowledge one of your own fellow students telling you a blessed thing about your important school funding issues just because they have a little work study job. You are under no obligation to have a student tell you a blessed thing. Go to the top and figure this stuff out:)</p>
<p>sorry for sounding mean.</p>
<p>Oh thats exactly what i need.
Yeah, I guess it is inefficient. Well, I already bought half of my books and I got a waiver of my enrollment fees until spring. But still.. I need to sort this out.</p>
<p>The reason why I stopped going to the financial aid was because I keep on going there before. They just say "We will mail the checks starting August 1". I am not sure if the guy who said that was a student. Can't tell, but yeah most of them are. I never thought it would be this confusing. Anyway, thanks. </p>
<p>I just hope</p>
<p>colorpurple</p>
<p>Don't make like your fin aid office is like Danny Glover's character in the Color Purple. </p>
<p>gosh...</p>
<p>Work things hard, dear. Make an appointment and speak with the HEAD of the fin aid department. </p>
<p>go on...</p>
<p>do it now...</p>
<p>work it and own it, colorpurple</p>
<p>I already did, merlin. I did it first thing in the morning.
I just hope everything goes well and I will get it by next week. It was not that serious. They just printed me my award letter and they told me the dates that they are going to send the checks. </p>
<p>Thanks, anyways.</p>
<p>Well colorpurple you are on your way then, dear.</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>One thing bugs me, I only got 3000. 1500 for fall and 1500 for spring. they will give me 750 first then 750 later.</p>
<p>My other friend got 2200. Why? I mean, I submitted everything earlier than her. She just did hers a month ago.
Is the cal grant included with the Pell Grant? I forgot to ask that.</p>