Statement of Financial Aid Environment
It is the responsibility of the Financial Aid Office to assist you in applying for aid to further your education, and it is our desire to keep this as our main purpose. Students and parents must realize, however, that participation in the various Federal and state financial aid programs carries a serious responsibility for the institution. Students and their parents going through the financial aid process don't see the complexity behind the various federal, state, private, and institutional student aid programs administered by institutions. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators published an Electronic Encyclopedia of Student Financial Aid containing regulations and explanations of federal programs that, if printed out, would comprise about 2,100 pages and weigh 24 pounds. The government makes numerous changes to its regulations for the federal student aid programs annually, and wholesale changes are made by Congress every 5 to 7 years. It is the responsibility of the Financial Aid Office to make sure that these programs are administered according to these regulations. Failure to do so can result in real penalties to the institution and to individual aid administrators.
Unfortunately, the regulatory requirements don’t always mesh with the desires of the aid applicant. The Financial Aid Office will always try to do what is best for the applicant, within regulatory boundaries, but we often find ourselves in a situation in which we have little or no discretion in regard to the course of action we must take. You must accept our decisions; it is not appropriate for students and parents to argue with Financial Aid Office staff over these decisions. Please work with us as we try to do the best job we can for you.