A general assembly sponsored by the Student Government Association was held Oct. 17 in the A.I. Thomas Administration Building Auditorium to address concerns about continuing financial aid problems on campus. SGA President Oludaya Olusanya started the program by introducing Tracie Matthews, director of Student Financial Services.
Matthews introduced herself and gave information about the challenges that are facing the Financial Aid Department.
She informed students that there was a lot of work that needs to be done in financial aid and that the process would not produce overnight results. Among the key areas that need to be addressed are customer service, the IT system and the awarding of scholarships.
Students were given a chance to ask questions during a question-and-answer period in which Matthews personally answered questions relating to the students’ needs.
Many students’ problems with financial aid include lost documents, the time frame for being awarded and the lack of customer service among counselors.
Matthews let students know that there will be more issues to deal with next year and a process, including giving students receipts for submitted documents in the future.
However, she also stated that many problems occur when students do not submit the required documents on time.
“I think that what was accomplished tonight was that students had a clear understanding of the issues we are facing in Student Financial Services and what plans we are implementing for changes in the future,” Matthews said.