<p>So, I am gearing up for my last semester at my community college. The school has been changing lenders every semester, so I decided to use my credit union. I didn't want my financial information all over the place, and I was tired of having to fill out new promissory notes every semester. </p>
<p>Anyway, today is the day when funds are disbursed through the school and they still haven't even certified my loan. I've been trying to get an idea when the certification will happen and I can't find out anything. I keep getting the same runaround, they take my name and number and say that the loan officer will call me, and no one ever calls. </p>
<p>Shouldn't this be standardized? Shouldn't there just be a date when loans get certified?</p>
<p>“they take my name and number and say that the loan officer will call me, and no one ever calls.”</p>
<p>This is a credit union, not a bank. Credit unions exist to serve their members. They like to keep the members happy. If you can’t get to the main branch, go to the one closest to you and sit (very politely, cheerfully, and calmly) down with the customer service officer on duty until a live human being gives you an answer to your face. Chances are the answer will be along the lines of: “We’re terribly sorry about the delays, we’ve been overwhelmed with applications in the last week. Ms. X has your file on her desk and she will call you tomorrow about this.” Get Ms. X’s extension so that you can speak directly with her if you need to.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m sorry, I wasn’t clear. The credit union hasn’t been a problem. Whenever I call them they give me information quickly and easily. Where I am having a problem is with my school.</p>
<p>My loan still hasn’t been certified. Class starts a week from Monday. Federal funds through the school were disbursed yesterday. I’ve been trying to find out when the school will certify my loan. I thought this was an easy question, but I have been asking it for over a month and no one will answer me. All I am looking for is an approximate date. Every time I call my school I am put on hold or sent to voice mail and no one ever calls me back. I went in in person during “drop in hours,” they only time they see students, and was told the loan officer was in a meeting and would call me back, and, once again, she didn’t call me.</p>
<p>I don’t feel like I am asking them a difficult question or one that even requires much effort to answer. I filed my FAFSA in January. I filled out my loan application with Navy Federal in June (the very same day they informed me I needed to switch lenders again). I don’t know exactly what is involved in certifying a loan, but shouldn’t it just involve sending whatever forms they would already have to the new lender? I just don’t see why they won’t give me a date or even let me talk to the loan officer.</p>
<p>The saga continues. I really hate my financial aid office right now. On Friday I received a call from the office. At first I thought the loan officer was finally calling me back, but nope. This was another lady wondering why I hadn’t signed a promissory note with Salli Mae. I told her I wasn’t using Salli Mae. And said, “oh you are using Navy Federal.” Then she said that Great Lakes hadn’t contacted them “at all.” </p>
<p>Okay, so two things here. One, I called the school two months ago to tell them I was going with my credit union. Two, if Great Lakes hadn’t contacted them at all, like she said, how did she know where I was getting the loan? </p>
<p>She claimed that the problem was with Great Lakes not contacting them and not the school. I have a REALLY hard time believing this since I have personally contacted the school five times in the last two months, both on the phone and in-person, and the loan officer (they only have one) has NEVER called me back. She took my information and said she would have the loan officer call me, and not surprisingly she still hasn’t called me.</p>
<p>Half the time, when I call, the phones are set to roll directly to voice mail, not even a receptionist or student worker answers. You get two “Are you REALLY sure you need to talk to someone?” messages and then bam, voice mail.</p>
<p>I understand that they are really busy, which is why I have been really patient and polite to the student workers that they’ve stuck out front to cockblock students, but they were not busy like this in JUNE when I first started trying to get information. I feel like it is time to go over the loan officer’s head. I’ve given her plenty of chances to contact me at her convenience and she has ignored every message, even ones coming from within her own department.</p>
<p>At what point do you quit being patient and start being a **tch?</p>
<p>Start with the credit union and make sure they have contacted the school for the certification. Let them know that the school claims they’re waiting on them. They may not have done whatever they’re supposed to or it may have been lost. It sounds like they need to resubmit the certification request.</p>
<p>Great Lakes says they sent an electronic request on July 10th. I asked them to send another one and I’m going to call the school again.</p>
<p>Great Lakes is really good. Asking for help from them is a good move. </p>
<p>And yes, now IS the time. You are within your rights to complain at this point. Gather your facts. Make a list of the dates on which you completed your requirements related to the loan, the dates on which you attempted to contact the loan officer, copies of any unanswered emails, etc. Go over the loan manager’s head. Either the loan manager is way overworked (and the boss needs to know he/she can’t get everything done without help) or the loan manager needs a lesson in customer service (or the loan manager needs to be reminded that you have every right to use any lender you choose … and the school shouldn’t make it difficult to do that).</p>
<p>Yes, financial aid offices are extremely busy. But to be ignored as you have been is wrong. You don’t need to put up with that.</p>
<p>Things definitely can fall through the cracks, get overlooked, or get lost. LOTS of paperwork comes into the office every single day (and at night & on the weekends). However, it really sounds like you have tried & tried to make sure this all goes smoothly. The fact that you have tried so hard to no avail is what bothers me. The office needs to be aware of how very hard it is for a student to do the right thing. Try to put your focus on how hard you have tried to make sure all goes smoothly - and your disappointment that you can’t seem to get anywhere.</p>