Aid deadline passes students by

By Peijean Tsai
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

Some students were in for a surprise Thursday morning when they
checked their e-mail and learned that the deadline for summer
financial aid was Wednesday.

An e-mail sent by the financial aid office asked students to
confirm their enrollment for summer courses. Many students said
that this e-mail was the first time they were informed about the
deadline.

“I feel neglected,” said Jane Zhang, a first-year
biology student said, noticeably upset about missing the deadline.
“Now I have to go to the scholarship center, but there
aren’t many scholarships available. I’ll probably have
to look for loans now.”

Representatives from the financial aid office said that they had
informed students well in advance.

The office had adequately informed students through ads placed
in the Daily Bruin, on the bulletin board outside the office and on
the financial aid Web site, said Nick Valdivia, the assistant
director for the financial aid office.

Students should take the responsibility of checking when the
deadlines are, said Marcel Porras, a financial aid office adviser
and a fifth-year history student.

“People check their e-mail three to four times a day, but
they don’t check our Web site,” he said.

But Zhang wasn’t alone in thinking that the financial aid
should have kept students better informed.

“(The university) supposedly encourages students to take
summer school to ease students’ work load and get them out
quicker, but how can this happen if the office neglects its duty to
not publicize the deadlines?” said Steven Deineh, a
third-year history and art history student.

Last year Deineh received information ahead of time in the mail
about the deadline, but did not receive any notices this year, he
said.

Out of 3,500 on-time applications, 2,800 students had financial
aid for the summer last year.

Saehee Kim, a third-year neuroscience student, said that the
financial aid generally does not do a good job about keeping
students informed about the deadlines.

“Last year I didn’t meet the deadline because I
wasn’t informed about it, and I almost missed it again this
year,” Kim said.

Kim had heard about it from a friend and happened to be in the
library so was able to get to a computer quick to meet the
deadline, she said.

“I go to the financial aid office a lot,” Kim said.
“Even my friend who works in the office didn’t
know.”

Those who do not meet the second deadline are not eligible for
the university grant which would give students at least $400 for
summer courses and housing, said Sean Wallace, a financial aid
office counselor.

Students can still submit late applications, but will not be
able to get the “most desirable” funding, said
Valdivia.

Nineteen students submitted their applications late by Thursday
afternoon, Valdivia said.