What bothers you most about the Financial Aid process?

Question

I realize there are many things wrong with it, but what frustrates you more than anything else?

Answer 1

That their customer service reps when you call are really nasty. I understand that its a call center, you get alot of calls. But you signed on as a customer service rep. Try to be at least pleasant, speak clearly and understand how frustrated I am when something goes wrong on my application.

For those who have filled their apps out on-line or on paper its a time consuming and frustrating process. You have to remember dates, you need to file before you file your taxes. Your loan gets bumped from bank to bank. The disbursement's are never on time. I would appreciate a happy tone when I call with a question. I make an effort to be nice to them. They need to make an effort to be nice to me.

Answer 2

That I have maintained a 4.0 and perfect attendance for 2 yrs and when applying for it (recently unemployed again) my EFC is unreasonably high because "I made money in the last 6 mos..." which was to LIVE....and am in class with people that are receiving Pell, and a couple of weeks into the quarter (when the checks come out from FAFSA/Pell) you never see them again, yet they continue to get Pell for years....I am obviously not abusing it, and seemingly getting penalized (as in not getting it) because of these people that DO abuse it....the FAFSA people could save BILLIONS every year if once Pell is granted and someone takes the money and runs, they are NEVER eligible again (barring extenuating circumstances) - saving the money for people like me that use it well and don't abuse it!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

The fact that because I am not a single parent, not living with my parents, and not chosing a career that isn't common to my gender I can get no financial aid whatsoever outside of student loans.

Some form of grant, besides scholorships that cover one credit hour, needs to be based on intelligence or skill or desire to learn, something besides income.

Answer 4

Despite living away from my parents and being a legal adult, I still need their signatures to validate my own personal federal loans.
I pay my rent, am responsible at work, am registered to vote, am of legal age to drink... and I'm still considered a "dependent" student because I wasn't born before January 1, 1979. Can anyone explain this? To gain independent status before a certain birthday, I must be, essentially, at risk in a dangerous environment.

Answer 5

The Expected Family Contribution... who calculates that crap anyway? My dad works at a small feed company as a salesman and my mom is a private school teacher. And yet my EFC is 19,000... wth?? Unless my parents and my sister decide to start starving themselves for my education, they will never have $19,000 to just hand over to me.

Answer 6

paperwork!