"Very unusual" situation with student FAFSA verification process, can you help?

Question

Please read all of the below before answering.

I have been attending the same university for one year. There were no problems with my FAFSA last year. My father began the process of completing my FAFSA in April of this year. I needed to use his information because, according to FAFSA regulations, I am technically still considered a dependent, although I have my own apartment, pay for my food, etc.

Anyway, he started in April, but had to submit a correction in May. I don't recall exactly what the correction was about, but I think it was something minor, like a signature. I waited for my student loans to kick in so I could use them to pay for my summer classes, as well as continue at my work-study job and pay for the health insurance that my university required me to buy. Whenever I went to the financial aid office, they claimed that my loans should kick in soon, and that there should not be a problem.

In June, however, my loans had still not kicked in. I went to the financial aid office again, and they now began to claim that my FAFSA had been selected for verification. According to them, I would not receive any financial help or continue receiving federal work-study money until I submitted extra paperwork. The people at the office where I work said they found it really odd that they had not been contacted about the situation. As a result, I had to stop working in that office, and I made the difficult decision not to sign up for any further summer classes, as I knew I would not be able to pay for them.

The office of financial aid claimed that they needed an income worksheet from my father, and that everything would be OK after that. In July, my father completed the worksheet and sent it. I was told by the financial aid office that there should be no further problems

The day before yesterday, with no prior warning, I received an e-mail from the financial aid office saying that they needed another worksheet before they could award me my funds. They are fully aware that classes begin in one week. As the situation stands, I am now not being allowed to register for classes, renew my health insurance, or go back to being employed in a work-study capacity due to the hold they have placed on my account. The hold is related to the costs incurred during the summer session, which had been set to be paid for with the loans that they are now denying me.

I called the FAFSA people on the phone and explained the situation. A customer service representative said it sounded "very unusual" to him, and that he could not explain what the problem could be. He looked at my FAFSA online, and said that everything looked perfect to him. Nothing had been highlighted or marked as troublesome in any way. My FAFSA had been completed long before the deadline. All the information submitted had been checked out and found to be true. It seems I was randomly selected for verification, as many people are. According to the representative, my expected parental contribution is zero, as it was last year, and it is clear by the information provided that I am in serious need of aid.

It seems that the income worksheet should have proven sufficient in terms of verification. No one I have spoken to understands why they would suddenly ask for another worksheet to be completed one week before classes begin, while they have had access to my FAFSA for over three months.

Can someone please help me? I am seriously considering dropping out and moving out of this college town due to this financial nightmare.

Answer 1

Okay, I read your story a few times and this is my take.

First, asking for paperwork is very common.  Asking for additional paperwork after turning in paperwork is also very common.  If this SIMPLE request is wanting you to pack up and change schools, I seriously doubt you'll ever finish college... the other school will eventually do the same thing. Verification is random and switching schools won't change that.  Also keep in mind the verification is a process to HELP you.  You would not believe how many errors people put on the fafsa, this way the school makes sure you are getting all the money you are eligible for.  

Second, the people you hand your paperwork into at the fin aid office are (usually) student workers like yourself and not the people who process to check for accuracy.  Any info you get from a clerk or a student worker should be taken with a grain of salt, they are there to say "thanks for turning in your form" and make sure a signature is on the form, nothing more.

Very unusual and very odd is what people say when they don't know what to tell you.... or want to you go to the fin aid office because they don't know the answer.  This is why the fafsa people said this and this is why your employers said this. Its not a conspiracy theory.  lol

Thirdly, the school is fully aware school starts in one week, aren't you GLAD they are contacting you wanting to get your financial aid complete so you can get your money?  This is not a financial nightmare, I've heard a lot worse stories.  Those who learn the financial aid process in college graduate, those who don't become college dropouts or pay cash.

Also, relevant to you... just FYI: Some schools are considered "header" schools and some are "footer" schools for financial aid.  Meaning some will count the summer semester AT THE BEGINNING of the financial aid year, and some at the END of the school year.  It sounds like this might be an issue in your case, you might want to be sure which one your school is.  (Most schools are footers, counting the summer as the last semester in your aid package).  Meaning any financial aid you got for summer would have counted on LAST years financial aid forms (the ones you WEREN'T selected for verification on).  But if your school is a header school, you are correct, you wouldn't have gotten ANY aid (like work-study) for the summer with not all documents turned in.

I hope this helped... if not. email me.

Answer 2

Sorry to hear of your predicament, and of course, the untimely audacity of the department of education to 'verify' your information :-(.

My suggestions (based on your information):

Go to your school's financial aid office immediately, and ask to speak with the director (do NOT settle for less at this point).  Explain that you've spoken with 1-800-4-FED-AID, and that they informed you everything was in order, and that they led you to believe the problems / delays, were at the college/university level financial aid office (even if they didn't actually lead you to believe this).

Call the Department of Education direct.  You can find their number for your 'region', on their website at http://ed.gov - and explain your situation, your concerns, along with the sacrifices you've already had to make (your work-study, etc.), then inquire what your options are.

Also look up your specific state's department of education, peruse their website to find out 'timelines' and other guidelines that your school is required to follow, and/or call to explain your situation and inquire if you have any options for continuing with your program of study while this is all figured out, and also inquire if your school has followed all of the guildelines they are bound by.

Don't give up yet, and don't change schools yet - - it will only cost you more time and $$.  

Answer 3

with my fafsa i was also selected for verification and i had to fill out at least 6 extra papers and the finaid office said they sent me letters but i did not receive anything until this summer either. idk what was going on but i would suggest trying to fax whatever papers they need so they get there quicker and call the finaid department to see if u cant work something out.