FAP475: A mailbag question I could not answer, Experian credit, scholarship reminders, Sara Alexander

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FAP475: A mailbag question I could not answer, Experian credit, scholarship reminders, Sara Alexander

21 February 2007 1 views No Comment

FAP475: A mailbag question I could not answer, Experian credit, scholarship reminders, Sara Alexander

Student Financial Aid News
+ Experian has upgraded its Collection Triggers service to give credit grantors and collectors timely notifications when a debtor’s ability to pay is improving. The new version of the platform for monitoring delinquent customer credit activity allows organizations to run it for a lower cost, since they are charged only when new information on a debtor is available. The upgrade also provides a “best address” option that notifies a creditor if a newer address exists for a delinquent account; the ability to append 15 different scoring models to one or more types of trigger notifications; and the monitoring of public record, civil action, tradeline, and demographic events to help prioritize collection strategies.
+ Two Harvard University scholars released through the Brookings Institution a new version of their proposal to simplify federal student aid by combining Pell Grants and various tax credits. The plan was the same idea that was presented to a Senate committee in December. Federal aid on a postcard.
+ With British universities under increasing pressure to raise private money, they are looking across the pond for development talent. The Guardian reported that Aston University; the London School of Economics and Political Science; and the Universities of Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Oxford and Warwick all have hired fund raisers from Canada or the United States.

Scholarship Update
+ Bum Rush The Charts is picking up steam like crazy
+ If you aren’t on Scholarship Points, I swear you’re going to miss a huge scholarship opportunity
+ We don’t resell any info from that site
+ Network2 TV’s $40,000 scholarship
+ International scholarships
+ March 1 is a common FAFSA deadline – make sure you file your FAFSA before then!

Mail Bag
+ MiCheck writes in: My financial aid director told me that I wasn’t entitled to the 18,498 dollars awarded to me by the federal government.He said I was over the school budget of 14,703 dollars.Even though I am a diasbled veteran attending school on Va Chapter 31 Vocatinal Rehabilitation.Okay this is the thing the military pays for my tuition, but after they have been billed by the school.My school didn’t bill the military until November 18,2006 meaning the military didn’t pay it until January 23,2007.The school took the Pell to pay my tuiton.So when the military paid the bill they said I was not entitled to the money because it pt me over my budget.I am a non-traditional student with responsibilities outside of school.I have a 1 and 2 year old i am 65% disabled going to school full time.He said daycare and health care weren’t included in reasons dependent care and did not warrant the budget increase that was granted to me previously by the school.Can you tell me what I should do?This guy took back my need based grant and my loans.I still had 4,512 dollars in my account and he voded all my refund checks.Even if I went off the budget he spoke of the school still owes me1,692 dollars which is in my account right now.Then there is the fact that he wanted me to re-submit paperwork that they misplaced.Also there is the fact that a faculty member took my financial aid paperwork and other students documentation hoome to work on them.That is classified private information on a federal document is it not?
+ Lots of responses from financial aid administrators!
+ Paula says: I would do a budget adjustment for the cost of daycare while he was attending classes. That is a reasonable budget adjustment.
+ Robert says: I would suggest that he contact the financial aid director at the school he attends and if the student does not get a satisfactory explanation, then the student should contact the financial aid director’s supervisor.
+ Nicole says: Well it seems that there are two issues here. First he is over the cost of attendance and it’s probably b/c of his ch. 31 benefits. These do affect his budget and need. If his fin aid administrator won’t do the budget increase for him, there is not a lot he can do. It also sounds like the student and the director are not properly communicating, so maybe you could suggest that the student contact a campus ombudsman. Second, a faculty member should not be collecting financial aid information unless it is part of the school’s policies and procedure for financial aid (which sounds peculiar anyway). Furthermore, s/he should not be taking the info home. This matter should be reported to the financial aid director, as well as the faculty member’s department chair.
+ Bob says: He needs to work with the college on this. He should present a budget of what he sees his costs are. Of course, the college determines what is and is not included in the cost of education. Dependent care costs are certainly allowable especially a cost that he incurs while attending classes. Whatever the normal local market costs are for daycare would be permissible. A college is not required to use actual costs for expenses not being billed by the college. Again, the norm would be to use reasonable costs for non-billed expenses. Taking work home is normal as most of us can’t get the job done only in the office. There is no regulation that requires confidential information to remain in the office. As long as the person is safeguarding the information there is nothing wrong with that.
+ Bernard says: From what I know about the military OVR policy, the student did not qualify for the maximum benefit from them. I believe that the student’s status must be at least 80%. If he were eligible, he would have been better off allowing them to pay his entire cost which would have also included a living allowance. If he is over-budget and does not meet the College’s criteria for a quantifiable budget increase, then the aid office is correct in take action to mitigate the overage. I cannot fathom why this student or any student would allow a faculty member to take his personal information home and work on them. I would advise that the Director and the VP for Student Affairs get involved and some sanction be placed on the faculty member as well as a well-intentioned e-mail sent throughout the campus to deter others from participating in this unsanctioned activity.
+ Julie says: Christopher – the student should talk to someone at the school about a budget adjustment. If he is a non-traditional student with commitments and expenses, they should be willing to honor that and review his budget. They most certainly MAY include costs for child care and costs for the student or any of his dependents medical expenses. See NASFAA Monograph No.9 (something like 1992) on how to write budgets, when and where to make exceptions – including travel to & from medical treatment, etc. Taking files home to work on is generally frowned upon and not just because of the danger of losing some piece of paper. It is not illegal if the staff person is very conscious of not working at the kitchen table where any family member walking bye can see the paperwork – but it really isn’t a good idea. The potential for an inadvertent release of FERPA or GLB covered information is very high. Not illegal, but NOT a good idea. The FSA Ombudsman is a good advocate for the student but they won’t go on the campus and advise them to review his COA. Is there a veteran’s liaision or adult student office on campus? They might work with the student and the fin aid office.
+ Helen says: From the text below, it’s hard to tell what types of aid were disbursed prior to the issue of Voc Rehab billing and payment. As I’m sure you’re aware, Pell is an entitlement. It makes no difference whether the student is over COA with other resources or not–if the student is eligible for Pell, the student gets Pell. End of story. But if other federal aid was disbursed, then it would follow that all aid other than Pell would need to be revised.