Financial Aid Blog 3

Ok. it has been a minute, but things have been really crazy.

On to the school business. I applied for financial aid in February, because I knew I wanted to go back to school, (did not know that my company was going to fold at the time though....). So, in May, May 29, 2009 to be exact, after I got news that my layoff would be permanent, I went to an open house at the local community college and gave them all of the information that I had about my unemployment, about my husband's unemployment and our current lack of income so that they could make changes to the FAFSA information from the government to help aid in my going back to school. I talked to my best friend, who also works for the same plant, and encouraged her to go back to school. We registered on the same day in mid june, and I went into the financial aid office and asked if I needed to do anything else, because I hadn't heard anything, and the lady at the front looked up my information in the computer and told me they were still processing my information but that if they needed anything extra they would call or write me and let me know.

That was June. Around the 17th...

My best friend hears from them around July 9, a Thursday. They tell her to bring in all of her unemployment check stubs and pay stubs from this year and tell her that they are going to have to adjust her information. I have not heard from them. No one told me to bring all of that....

So, having not heard anything from them, I go up to the school on July 13th. I inquire about my information and again am told that it is being processed. So I say, "I just want to make sure that my classes will be paid for because I am not working and I do not have the money to pay out of pocket." The lady that I am talking to tells me to come over to her desk and she will pull it up to see what they have. Now remember that I started this process in February, and brought the extra documentation in May. She pulls my information up and says, "well it looks like you made too much money last year to get any financial aid."
PISSED. that is what I was....PISSED!

"Ma'am, I bought new documentation up here in May explaining that since last year my husband had lost his job and I lost mine April of this year. We do not have that same income."

"Oh, well hold on, let me get your file...." She proceeds to go find said file. "Oh, yeah..... I see.... Well.... Let me see....." NONE OF THIS INFORMATION HAD BEEN ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER. LIVID... i don't care if that is how you spell it or not, it is what I was...... This is July 13th!!!! I brought that information to the office, in person on May 29, 2009!!!!!! That was almost 2 months... oh, but it get so much better.

The lady informs me that my information will have to go before a Financial Aid Officer, who comes in at 10, (it is 8 am), to give a professional judgement and that I should give her a call. I call at 10:15, get voice mail. I call again at 1:30, I get voice mail. I leave a message. I call back Wednesday morning and let this person I know, I called you earlier in the week, I brought information up to the school on May 29, I need to know what is going on. She calls back and lets me know that there is a host of other information that she will need.

She mailed me out a letter that day. I received it on that Friday. It took me till July 30 to track down all of that information, (my 2008 taxes, my husband's last pay stub and separation notice from his job, (from June 28, 2008) my layoff paper, information about my job closing, pay stubs, unemployment information for 2008 and 2009 for my husband and I).

July 29, my friend gets a letter in the mail that her information has been fully processed, she will be be getting financial aid for BOTH Fall and Spring semester, and will have extra money. I have still not received word on my information, it is still being processed. She started this process on June 17th. I started May 29.....

Mad does not even begin to describe how I feel. And I hate that I feel like I do, because when my friend talks about it, I want to be happy with her, (because of course I am happy for her), but I am PISSED because these people have been jerking my chain for so long. I mean... I try not to look like I am in the financial situation that I am because I have been blessed in so many areas of my life. But really, WTH??? Just because I have a husband, (who, by the way, is currently in school) and I don't look like I am struggling, my stuff gets put on the back burner??

That is what this blog is about... Me and my journey back to school, to make a better life for me, my husband and the family we hope to have. I just never thought it would be this difficult.....