The financial aid office has begun implementing steps to address issues raised by students at the recent town hall meeting in the administration building. Among the many concerns highlighted in the meeting were bad customer service, slow processing and lost paper- work.
According to financial aid director Tracie Matthews, these three issues were among the most important that she addressed at the meeting and since then, she has developed solutions.
“There are now comment cards at the customer service counter that can be filled out, and I will also sit at the counter at times to listen to student issues and see how matters are being resolved,” Matthews said.
The financial aid director said that many times processing and the awarding of funds can be delayed due to students not knowing how to fill out the FAFSA correctly and paperwork being lost.
“Dr. Kelvin Kirby has instructed me to talk to Mr. Ransom [director of student activities] so I can form a student advisory committee that will inform students of loan debt as well as have workshops that will teach students how to fill out the FAFSA correctly,” Matthews said. “I am also in the process of having technology put in place that will help minimize paperwork being lost.”
Matthews admitted that the awarding delays are not always the fault of the students or financial aid, but the lenders.
“I have recognized that loans fall through at the lending institutions and will work with these institutions to prevent this from happening,” Matthews said.
Matthews confirmed that as of Sept. 20 only 212 students have been dropped and the rumors of 1,300 were not true.
Matthews said that students who still have not received their monies “are just now submitting documents, are having loan issues and denied monies are currently in the process of being approved.”
On Wed., Sept. 27, students gathered in the administration building to get questions answered concerning financial aid and student employment problems. The panel, consisting of Don Byars, associate provost for enrollment management, Tracie Matthews, financial aid director, Albert Gee, director of human resources, and Radhika Ayyar, assistant director of human resources, answered students’ questions.
Although the meeting was held to address financial aid and student employment concerns, much of the evening was used by students asking Matthews questions about the present problems in financial aid and what tactics will be put in place to resolve those problems.
“Students’ satisfaction is very important to me,” Matthews said. “Stay tuned to many more improvements,” Matthews said Monday