I have had several complications with registering for school. Finally I got everything completed shortly before the December break. I thought I was in the clear but I never received my welcome letter and I had no idea I had to do additional paperwork for my financial aid.
I scrambled to turn in the documents before the break but since I am out state there was an error. Then I had to go in to sign up for the AB540 so that had to be processed too. I just got an email from FAFSA saying my correction was processed today and it was sent to my school.
I emailed the financial aid office asking a few questions like how much my aid will be delayed and they ignored every question and said my advisor was working on my file and my award letter will be uploaded when it’s ready.
I start classes next Tuesday. I am broke and my parents are broke so we have no money to even begin to buy the things I need for school or my books (my EFC is 500 and honestly I’m surprised it’s even that high).
Has anyone been in a similar situation? I don’t know what to do. I know it’s my fault for filling out the paperwork late but I had no idea there was even more paperwork to do. I have been lost during this entire process and despite calling and emailing the office several times they have given me little to no information. I feel like I am going to be sick from stress.
You obviously have internet access. Go to your school’s financial aid web page. Find the requirments and deadlines for applying for financial aid. Make sure you understand them and have complied with all of them. Really, the excuse that you had no idea that there was even more paperwork to do is hard to believe in this day and age when so much information is so readily available. Unless your school has a terrible web site and and is really poor at communicating its policies.
My school does have a terrible website. I found out I needed to do additional paperwork from a student aid handbook on a page that doesn’t even have a link from their main website (I found it through google).
I completed all of the steps needed, which seems clear from my original post. The website has no pages listing the paperwork deadlines or anything of the sort. I already said I never received the letter telling me what I needed to do and it said nothing in the online orientation (which I read three times).
It is a small community college in a tiny farm town. The website is not very updated.
Why even reply to my post if you have no intention of helping?
I would prefer not to disclose that information online - small school, small city.
I was simply wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if it will greatly delay my aid. My school is not very on top of things. Part of the reason my registration was delayed is because I had to go in five different times to do my planning and counseling since they were always in a “meeting” when I went and they only allow walk ins. I did my FAFSA and signed up back in September so I wasn’t purposefully trying to wait until the last minute.
How much does the CC cost for this semester and how much aid do you need? Are you living with your parents and commuting to the school?
Sounds like you need the refund from a Pell grant? The school by law cannot aplly your aid until 10 days before the term starts. Then when they process refunds, that is up to them. Some wait until after the add/drop deadline.
Ask them if you can charge the books to your student account. If not, rent or buy books used online for much less than new.
It sounds like this was a last minute decision? You applied for FAFSA in September, maybe you needed to provide verification paperwork which delays things. Did the school try to email you about this?
this is an OOS CC? Why are you going to an OOS CC?
Likely the cost will be MORE than your aid.
Another issue is that you’re starting in the spring, so maybe they’ll apply a full year’s loan towards the one semester. If so, that will give you a false idea of how next year will go.
Next year, your loan will be split in two…and you’ll get a LOT less for fall semester.
I grew up here. I moved away and worked, then came back. I qualify for the AB540 which means since I went to high school here I am not paying out of state tuition.
For some reason everyone on this board seems more intent on judging my situation and giving unwarranted advice rather than answering my questions.
