unresponsive fin aid departments

Parents Forum
1

<p>OK... a little rant... If you were paying a company $220K for their "products", wouldn't you expect that company to answer the phone? At least call you back?</p>

<p>Essentially $220K is my estimate of how much we will pay out of pocket for our kid's education. With an outlay akin to a house mortgage, I expect to at least have somebody pick up the phone. Specifically, I wish we had never filled out the FASFA and Profile because now we are in a bureaucratic morass that should be simply to address. Yes, I have emailed several times (no response) and called many times... the only option is to leave a voice mail that doesn't get returned. Seriously...?!</p>

<p>The only university department which shows us "the love" is the fabulous university bookstore suggesting we buy more swag for every special occasion. "The first Friday of June is here, time to buy more marketing products". please....</p>

<p>OK, I am done. We will probably get the love when the tuition bill arrives sometime in July but until then, I will see what fabulous bookstore items are being showcased...Maybe they have a t-shirt with some direct university phone numbers... peace out.</p>

2

<p>Is the school dismissed for the summer?
Perhaps it isn’t clear what kind of answers you are looking for, although you would think they would let you know.
How were they before he sent in his acceptance?</p>

3

<p>Sunny, what do you want to know from the financial aid department? If you are paying in excess of $200,000 for your child’s college education, it is likely you received NO need based financial aid. The financial aid department right now is likely dealing with those eligible for and receiving need based aid, not those who are not eligible for need based financial aid.</p>

4

<p>It does seem odd that no one - even the assistant to the assistant who’s covering the office while everyone else is on vacation or something - is responding to either phone calls or emails. Are you certain you have the right number?</p>

<p>Try (1) going through the school’s switchboard and have the operator connect you (maybe the number has changed or something), (2) going through the admissions office, or (3) calling a related office that may be located near the FA office such as the registrar, or card services or something like that and ask the person to either transfer you or walk over to FA with a phone. Or call the bookstore and tell them you can’t buy anything else until they connect you with Financial Aid!</p>

5

<p>I second thumper1’s post, what do you need from them. I just emailed D2’s school asking them to re-send D2’s acceptance letter to a new address to show proof new residence, I received a response next day.</p>

6

<p>You are not being treated well. We’ve had one kid at an east coast private college and one at a Washington public (Western WA) and neither financial aid office was or is unresponsive. </p>

<p>Colleges are overwhelmed in April/May as they work through the packages for the fall freshmen. Many will be families working through the process the first time and will be having heart failure at the numbers – so the staff can be on the receiving end of anything from tears to rage – still, they do work through the calls and emails – usually rather briskly. </p>

<p>A couple of things that may help:

  1. if you can go, physically, that could help
  2. Read the college website as carefully as possible because the information you need may already be up
  3. Ditto read carefully all the material you’ve been sent
  4. Use email (gives you a track record of your efforts)
  5. Be as polite and as professional as possible (if you were an overworked fin aid officer, who would you do the most for? Ms. Ugly or Ms. Decent?)
  6. Be open to the possibility of a disaster having happened (given that you’ve gotten no response, that would be my thought – it really is unusual). You might nicely call the university chancellor’s office or Dean of Students and politely describe your efforts and inquire if there has been a fire or other calamity. If they cheerfully tell you it’s always this way, I might reconsider school choice. </p>

<p>We saved thousands of dollars via the CSS Profile and FAFSA. It is a very challenging process, but worth it in the long run (IMHO). </p>

<p>Meanwhile, go for a (wet) walk (we’re in Western WA too – what a week) and then try again. With the state of the economy, being a fin aid officer has gone from being a tough job to being ghastly – so do work to be as kind (and persistent) as you can be.
Good luck!</p>

7

<p>The OP says that his estimate of how much he will be paying is in the $200,000 range. That being the case, what does he want to know from the financial aid department? Yes , they should be responding but at this point in the year one would think that the first priority would be to address those eligible for need based aid.</p>