Financial Aid Awards

<p>Does anyone know if financial aid packages for students accepted through the early decision process go out at the same time as the regular decision packages?</p>

<p>Has anyone else received an e-mail from the financial aid office that instructs you to login to see your award … but there was nothing there … ?</p>

<p>plumazul, that happened to me too! I emailed the admission office and will probably call them tomorrow; I’ll post on here what they say.</p>

<p>YES!! I received the email, but it does not show anything under Banner.</p>

<p>Same here for DS’s account. Banner is a big blank screen, essentially. Oh, well. Maybe tomorrow…?</p>

<p>I got the email, but my award was posted.</p>

<p>Rixs, did you log into myWM and click banner and have stuff on the screen?</p>

<p>Yeah. I’ve always had stuff under banner. </p>

<p>“Personal Information”</p>

<p>and</p>

<p>“Student and Financial Aid”</p>

<p>Up until I just checked, I would click on the second option, which would take me to a page with three tabs, “Personal Information,” “Student,” and “Financial Aid.”</p>

<p>I would click Fin Aid and it would give me a list of options.</p>

<p>I would click “My Award Information,” and then “Award by Year” out of the next list. </p>

<p>Up until I just checked a few minutes ago (as in, all the other times I’ve checked in the last few weeks), there was no 2010-2011 option. But now there is, and it takes me to a screen with four tabs: “General Information,” “Award Overview,” “Accept Award Offer,” and “Special Messages.”</p>

<p>Award Overview gives you the list of loans and grants (and I guess scholarships if you got one) and has a chart that compares it to the 2009-2010 prices. </p>

<p>Clicking on Accept Award Offer gives you some info like “the awards may be revised when the 2010-2011 prices are set” and links you to the Financial Aid Process .pdf and How to Apply for Loans.</p>

<p>So yeah…I’ve got a lot of stuff to look through. </p>

<p>Don’t know why you guys don’t have anything. O-o</p>

<p>what browser are you using?</p>

<p>Firefox 3.5.8</p>

<p>I assume you are all admitted students?</p>

<p>You don’t get your login information until you are admitted (it’s on your admit letter).</p>

<p>My D didn’t get hers until after they had received the deposit.</p>

<p>Wow. So you had to essentially commit to the school before she could log into her Financial Aid awards and welcome info!? That’s crazy!</p>

<p>She got the welcome packet which included her letter of acceptance and a card which was to be returned with deposit within two weeks. Once they received the deposit, she was provided with login information. I guess you aren’t “officially” a student until you sign that card and pay the deposit! Remember, this was for early decision. They cannot provide financial award information until after you have completed your 2009 taxes. As far as I know she has not heard anything about financial aid yet, but she’s in school today and I know she doesn’t check her W&M email regularly. I’m very curious about this email that you all received from the financial aid office. Did it go to the student’s W&M email address only and not to the parent’s email address?</p>

<p>Yes, it went to the student’s email address; I did not get a copy. Fortunately, DS is good about communicating with me about his college emails. Also, I haunt the forums here, so if there is something happening, I can ask him if he’s heard anything via email (when he’s busy with schoolwork, he doesn’t always check it).</p>

<p>As a complete aside: It has been driving me crazy that since kids communicate via text and Facebook, they think email is superfluous. I suggested at the beginning of the college process that my son check his email daily and he looked at me like I had two heads. I explained to him that Adults Who Matter will want to communicate with him via email and to get used to the idea. After that conversation, the transition was not so bad. Thanks for letting me ventilate. I feel so much better now.</p>

<p>So did he get accepted through early or regular decision, Vailsmom?</p>

<p>Yes, I agree that checking emails are not at the top of my D’s “to do” list. She even admitted that her current goal is to check her W&M emails every day, but that she doesn’t always remember. In fairness to them, they are very busy! However, they do seem to find the time to do the things they WANT to do:-)</p>

<p>Also since you vented, I will. I wish colleges would cc the parents on emails to the students. I know they are technically “adults” (most are already 18), but the financial matters really do involve the parents as well. I know when I went to college it never occurred to me how it was all getting paid for. They might be 18, but for the most part, heavily reliant on mom and dad!</p>

<p>He was accepted regular decision; just found out on Monday.</p>

<p>And I agree, my son is incredibly busy, but he also got a new laptop for Christmas, so he doesn’t have to wait 10 min. now for his email to download/upload. It just happens. That has helped as much as anything with him checking his mail. That, and actually getting mail he cares about, rather than Facebook updates.</p>

<p>I also agree that parents should be cc’ed on the student email. My son, for instance, ISN’T 18 (and won’t be until he’s moving into a dorm somewhere), so it is irksome that we are not included in the process. I feel lucky the he is happy to include me.</p>

<p>Be prepared to not see grades, either, when she gets to school unless she and the school set it up so that you can. my understanding is that some schools will give parents access if they get a release from the student, but others don’t. I realize when they are adults they have to agree to release information even to parents (this is also an issue with medical care), but I am not sure why/when some schools do and some do not. </p>

<p>We have friends who sent their son off to an esteemed LAC last year and didn’t find out until it was time to put him on an airplane back to school in January (the day before his flight) that he had flunked all of his classes and wasn’t going back. In fairness, he had severe depression and is still struggling with it. He didn’t just blow everything off. But they had not seen any grades and there was no telephone call or email indicating there might be a problem.</p>

<p>I emailed Financial Aid about the issue and just got a reply:</p>

<p>"I apologize for the difficulty you have had accessing the financial aid award we sent to you yesterday. This is our first time with electronic notification and we experienced unexpected problems.</p>

<p>We have been advised that the access problem will be corrected by 8 a.m tomorrow morning."</p>

<p>Thanks, Hirrary! I know I can stop haunting his myWM now… :-D</p>