Financial Aid - seems like we are being scammed.

Parents Forum
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<p>Daughter was awarded a partial scholarship to a local private college. Upon looking at the figures, they made it so that we would pay no more than the public college's she'd applied to. The public college's financial aid package offered no real assistance. Okay, sounded great at first. She's half way through her 3rd year now, and we've watched at the costs for the public college's have risen above and beyond what we had been paying for her private college. It has been a real challenge to pay our portion, but we've been making ends meet.</p>

<p>However, this last term, one of the instructor's did not turn in grades for her class. All the students were given F grades as a result. Because of this, all those student's (and maybe more, I don't know) financial aid, including scholarships, was revoked.</p>

<p>Okay - so it's a matter of the instructor doing her job and getting those grades in, right? Well, apparently not. Daughter finally met with a financial aid person who told her that their "hands are tied" unless the instructor turns in the grades, and even if she does, there is no money left to hand out because they awarded the funds to other students. I don't know how they find it acceptable for an instructor to not turn in grades, or for an entire class to get F grades.</p>

<p>This is so frustrating. They even revoked the Stafford loans. It's taken 5 weeks to get an appointment with Financial Aid, and my daughter has been trying to contact the instructor since before last Christmas (about 2 months now). This hasn't been the only problem with the money - the "lose" payments, "don't receive" checks mailed CERTIFIED, and overall it seems like they have monkeys doing their accounts receivable.</p>

<p>In total, her financial aid package has been revoked 3 times. The first two times were because of a "clerical error" and it was reinstated. But, they make it hard to talk to them - never return phone calls or answer e-mails. The only way to talk to them is to show up in person and make an appointment. Daughter says the line is always "a mile long" and can take over an hour just to make an appointment. </p>

<p>However, this time is different. I know their endowment fund is hurting because they call me all the time asking for donations (and have been since BEFORE she attended any classes). The last call I received, I was asked for a $15,000 donation, which is 10 TIMES what they've asked for before. I verified the amount with the person, thinking maybe they made a mistake, but no...that was the amount they were asking for. Needless to say, we can't afford a donation of that size, nor of the smaller amount of $1,500. I haven't say so, but if we could afford that - we wouldn't need the scholarship or stafford loan.</p>

<p>Honestly, I think they've simply run out of money and can't fulfill the obligations that they set out to honor. Instead of saying they don't have the money, I think they've come up with indirect ways to make it seem like it's anything but a finance problem (to save their reputation?).</p>

<p>The other thing that is frustrating is this: To the very extent that I can, I let my daughter take care of her own issues/problems at the school. I will only get involved when it is really necessary, and to this date, I have not. However, I am at the end of my rope with this situation and tried to contact the Financial Aid office myself. I was very bluntly told that they won't discuss any financial issues with me....even though daughter has given written authorization for them to discuss finances with me (a form that has been on file since she started).</p>

<p>I sincerely want an explanation about this instructor's actions and why they find it acceptable for her to not turn in grades, and to make the student's suffer because of it.</p>

<p>Any body have any ideas of where to go with this? The college just got a new president, who is cleaning house personnel-wise, so a lot of the "upper" people are brand new to the college and really don't know much - let alone each other.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>I think your focus is on the wrong people.</p>

<p>You need to bring this matter to the attention of - if you feel like going through the proper chain of command - the Chairperson of the instructor who failed to turn in the grades, then the responsible Dean, then the University Provost, who is typically the VP for Academic Affairs, and then the University President. If you want to short-circuit the route - contact the Provost - they are typically the ones who can get immediate results.</p>

<p>You may also consider contacting the head of alumni affairs (the ones who are often asking graduates for donations) to let them know that PR-wise, when news gets out that the college yanks financial aid from current students through no fault of their own, the lack of revenue generated by such bad press when potential students refuse to apply will far outweigh whatever current fiscal crisis they seem to be experiencing.</p>

<p>Since you pay the bills, I don’t think this is a FERPA issue (privacy rights surrounding your daughter’s academic performance). What you’ve described is an administrative malfunction the top administrators need to address – immediately.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>Boy, this sounds extremely frustrating, and I would be pretty suspicious as well. Was this course a required course for her degree? Because now in addition to losing scholarship funds, she has an F on her transcript and a course she might have to repeat - and would that extend her time there by any chance? My first thought - is there any way to get in contact with the families of the other students affected by this? There is strength in numbers. </p>

<p>Second, what about consulting a lawyer? It seems to me that if there is a contract of sorts that the student has to maintain a certain GPA and DD would/should have the required gpa if she received an actual valid grade in the course, that there is some kind of legal problem here. They are not holding up their end.</p>

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<p>Actually, it may very well be a FERPA issue. At my daughter’s school it doesn’t matter that we pay the bills - she is the student and the account is HERS. We cannot discuss billing or financial aid issues that may arise without her signed permission on file, which she completed upon her arrival freshman year.</p>

<p>Since she knew we were paying the lion’s share of her bills, she had no problem giving us the access.</p>

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<p>This sounds like a nightmare.
I don’t have any real advice, but if it were me/my D–and I’d made the attempts you’ve made…I’d seriously consider consulting an attorney. I wonder if they have violated their obligations to YOU…the teacher not turning in grades and that being used to penalize students seems unethical.</p>

<p>Since it is local, before calling a lawyer I’d probably take a stab at going down to school with or without your D and camping out in FA, demanding to see someone. Take notes, get names. Even if you are denied access, record the time you went, how long you waited, name of administrator, etc. </p>

<p>It sounds like you are right–they are steamrolling people b/c they’ve gotten in financial trouble.</p>

<p>Good luck–let us know what happens.</p>

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<p>The students (and other interested parties) should ask why the registrar’s office recorded the grades as F (failure) for the fall instead of I (incomplete). An instructor neglecting to turn in any grades at all should not have triggered Fs for everyone. This should have triggered (at most) Is, and it should have sent someone from the registrar’s office down to bang on the instructor’s door.</p>

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<p>What school is this, so we can avoid it like the plague???</p>

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<p>

[FPCO</a> Frequently Asked Questions](<a href=“http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/faq.html]FPCO”>http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/faq.html)</p>

<p>Many parents are not aware of this.</p>

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<p>Their student has the form on file saying they can talk to her, so they are making it an issue when it is not. At best, they have poor recordkeeping. At worst, they are hiding something–the whole picture sounds very dicey to me.</p>

<p>It sounds like they are purposefully trying to avoid giving answers. That’s why I’d go in person to the FA dept WITH the student–then that eliminates that possible reason. Find a day you can show up first thing–and wait as long as needed.</p>

<p>I agree about trying to rustle up similarly impacted students/parents.</p>

<p>This sounds like an institution in trouble…my experience w/ FA at D’s large, state university has been answers via phone or email within 24 hours of my question. Often within the hour.</p>

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<p>We had our kids sign forms before they stepped foot onto their U that said we had full access to their college info–grades, medical, billing, etc., which has made it much easier for us to help with administrative issues.</p>

<p>That sounds very awful and unfair. I’d definitely start moving up the chain, beginning with the chair of the department that the bad instructor was working under and his dean after that. I’d insist on a prompt appointment or consider taking this to the investigative news reporters in the community where the school is located.</p>

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<p>D1 never signed any form. I have talked to quite a few people at her school - professor, bursar, housing - never an issue.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, the wording that oldfort cited is “may” and not “must.” So schools can still refuse to disclose information to parents, even if the student is a tax depedent of the parent.</p>

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<p>No one has ever asked us for the form, but we know it is signed & in their files, in case we ever have hassles about getting info. It was an issue raised at orientation when I attended with S, so we decided it was best to be proactive rather than having one more barrier if we needed to help sort through administrative issues.</p>

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<p>I had the same experience as oldfort–access to bursar, FA, advisor–no form needed signing. I also became aware of the information that she posted above, which is different from how many believe FERPa works.</p>

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<p>I don’t understand the caveat of “must” or “may”. “May” I think clearly means, “is allowed” as in: parents are allowed access. If it is not prohibited, then the allowance of access is not blocked by FERPA–ie, no longer a FERPA issue.</p>

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<p>I have NEVER heard of anything like this. The college may be bound by federal rules, but then it needs to make every effort to rectify the situation caused by one of its employees. </p>

<p>I admire that you are resisting the urge to helicopter, but I think it’s time to stop resisting that urge! Even as adults, we bring in the “big guns” when something is too big for us to handle. It is way too easy for a disorganized financial aid department to keep passing the buck and to avoid actually dealing with the issue, especially when the complaining party is a young kid.</p>

<p>A couple thoughts:</p>

<p>(1) The college has the power to change the grades - they do it all the time. It’s a matter of entering a new grade into the system. At the very least they can change all the grades to an “I”. </p>

<p>(2) Is the professor still at the college? If I were you, I might make a visit to her office. Be calm and collected, and take with you copies of your daughter’s graded assignments. Insist that a grade be filed immediately. If that doesn’t work, I’d wander up to the department chair and say the same thing. At many colleges, the department chair can override the instructor’s grades. If you show him/her a copy of the syllabus and your daughter’s graded work, you don’t need the actual professor to submit a grade.</p>

<p>(3) Band together with other parents of kids in the class. If the entire class failed, then there is a posse of parents in your boat - you just need to find them to gain more leverage.</p>

<p>Good luck, and keep us updated!</p>

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It is really REALLY necessary. And I agree with the suggestions to start with the dean of the offending teacher and threats of going to the press (and following up with those threats if needed - often does a world of good).</p>

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<p>I was wondering about this as well.</p>

<p>I know this is out of left field, but is it possible that your daughter flunked the class and doesn’t want you to know? </p>

<p>I ask because it seems nearly impossible to me that an entire class could get an “F” and no irate parents showed up demanding that be changed. I try to stay out of my son’s life but when it comes to my money? I’d be on the first flight to Boston and would not leave the campus until it had been solved to my satisfaction.</p>

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<p>Yes, I believe Is are much more common than Fs–I have gotten an I, as have my kiddos each, tho fortunately none of us have gotten Fs. It is really very odd to have an entire class get Fs because of a failure by a teacher to turn in grades–would talk with registrar as well.</p>

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<p>Agreed. If a professor doesn’t turn in grades where I work, it does not turn into F’s. The registrar goes after the professor to get the grades, and does not record anything in the meanwhile.</p>