<p>So this is a bit strange, but if anybody has any advice it would be much appreciated! </p>
<p>My sister is deposited and enrolled at NU, but in the past two weeks, extreme circumstances have made it so that unless she receives a significant scholarship from NU, she will no longer be able to attend. She has been calling the financial aid department to see what they can do, but her FAFSA was randomly selected for a check, so she can't receive any exact answers until she presents my parents official IRS papers. My parents weren't planning on filing until late September, so they will not have things ready until basically the start of school. My question is, does anyone have contact information that I can use to get in touch with someone specific my sister can talk to? Right now she's just calling the financial aid office and speaking to a different person every day, so there's not much point in that. I'm thinking the Admissions Dean would be the best bet, but I may be wrong. I am just trying to get in contact with one person that I can explain the situation to, who would then have all the information once my sister's paperwork comes through to then make a decision. Even if it's a case of my sister entering a semester or a year later, a scholarship is one of the only ways this can happen, so I would like to help her as much as I can. </p>
<p>If this helps in any way, my sister is First-Generation African-American, her GPA was above average for NU, test scores a little below, and very active in sports and extra curricular, including being team captains and presidents of clubs, as well as participating in military leadership programs and TONS of community service. She was REALLY looking forward to starting at Northwestern (of course!) and I would like to do anything and everything in my power to make sure that stays a possibility for her. </p>
<p>Any advice, tips, or contact information is super appreciated, through this board or private messaging!</p>
<p>OP, it’s good of you to try to help your sister with this. At least NU’s later start gives you some extra time. The payment for first quarter will be due September 1, even though school does not start until mid-September.
NU financial aid is outstanding, but it is almost entirely need based. That means that the financial aid office is in control of the situation. Talking with Admissions may not help until she resolves things with Financial Aid.
When your sister calls the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office, she needs to ask to talk with a Financial Aid Assistant/Associate Director. NU does not assign a specific aid person to specific students like some schools, alphabetically, by major, etc., so she will get whomever is available that day. She may have to be a bit insistent to get past the phone answering person. She then should tell that director that she has a problem that may keep her from entering school, and ask how to resolve it.<br>
I’m not clear about the nature of the “extreme circumstances” that you mention in your post. If the “extreme circumstances” are the required FAFSA verification, then the solution is to provide the tax forms, and whatever else they request. NU has very clearly spelled out requirements for applying for financial aid. All of the documentation was due by early March for entering students. Since aid is need-based, need has to be documented with completed CSS Profile, FAFSA and all supporting documents before aid will be released. Those are the rules.
If the “extreme circumstances” are a change in financial situation, then your sister can file an appeal. On the undergraduate financial aid website, there is a “forms” link. In the “forms” section, there is an appeal form. It has all the information about how to file an appeal for various reasons. It lists the documentation that is required. Copies of your parents’ tax returns will be required for the appeal, also.
Talking to the Financial Aid Office can be stressful and confusing. I find that it helps to make notes ahead of time. Describe the problem clearly and briefly, and state the help that you need and the questions that you need answered. Don’t just say “I need more aid”.
If your sister is unable to resolve the problem with Financial Aid, then she could talk to the Admissions Office about deferring her admission to next year. But, even if she delays entering, financial aid applications and supporting documents will still be due in spring - not September - of every year she is in college. As many parents on this board know, tax returns have to be filed early during the college years if need based aid is required.</p>
<p>Thank you for the help! My parents actually didn’t even tell me what was going on as I’m starting law school and they didn’t want to stress me I guess, but my little sister let it slip. But the extreme circumstances is a change in financial situation. My sister said she filed the FAFSA in March, but it was marked in about April. Basically, I’m hoping to reach someone at Northwestern and see what could be done about deferring even a semester, because I do know that we are very quickly running out of time. </p>
<p>I’m still a bit confused, but are you saying that I should call the admissions office (I was given some other contact info, like a Caralyn Lindly, Director of Financial Aid, should I call her?), tell her the problem, and then ask for whatever help she can give me in coming to a solution? I don’t think this issue will be resolved in time for the first semester (or trimester?), should I ask her what to do about my sister starting maybe a semester later? I think this is the first time FAFSA has asked my parents to file by a certain time, as it didn’t happen with me or my older sister, so they might be a bit confused as well. </p>
<p>If my parents don’t file until the end of the month (which is what my sister says it sounds like is the earliest they can do it, and they do own a business), is there anything I can ask that will tell me what to do regarding a late start? I mean, obviously there won’t be a lot of aid left at this date, but without anything, I don’t think my sister will be able to attend, and it’s too late to even enter one of our state schools, and I feel terrible for her. Thanks everyone for the help (on both boards I asked this) and any further advice is much appreciated!</p>