Financial Aid

This fall, in order to go back to school full-time, I decided to try and get some finiancial aid. It has been a pain in the ass the whole time! First off, I went to fafsa.com first to file all the information. With mom's help. I took the 30-45 minutes to get it all filled out to find that they wanted to charge me $80 to file with them. I had always heard that FAFSA was free, so I was really upset. I was trying to figure out whether or not to do it. $80 is a lot of money when you already don't have any, hence the reason why I would be asking them for money. Plus, they never asked me if I was a dependent or not and had me give them all of mom's information too, so I didn't think that they would even help me. I decided not to pay them and figure something else out. Talking to Natalie later, we figured out that I went to the wrong site. You have to go to fafsa.ed.gov to file for free. So, mom and I went through the whole process again! (I need to mentino here too that mom was SICK both times and took the time to help me anyways! You rock mom!)

Anyways, so I finally got that mess all figured out. I didn't think that I would really recieve any financial aid. They needed my income, plus mom's and since I am not over 25 and I am not emancipated, I still count as a dependent even though I pay for everything myself. Anyways, a couple of weeks later, I found out that I did qualify for a student loan. I had a lot more forms to fill out and fax back to the school, promisary notes to sign, and loan guidance counceling needed, but I FINALLY got everything figure out for them to release the money to me.

In the middle of all the forms, etc... I noticed that when I signed into my account at school, my address had changed from mom's house to some random address in Bountiful. I called the school and asked if I could change it so that my student loan wouldn't be sent to the wrong place. They said that they don't allow students to change their addresses over the phone anymore because I could be anyone. They said that they got the change of address from the post office but I could change it again online. So, I went online and changed it, but it takes 2-3 business days to process. A few days later I check again, and my address is still wrong, but they added the Apt 8C to the end of the wrong address... So, I try to change it again online, but I got an e-mail from the school saying that they were going to release my loan to me, but by the time I got that e-mail, the finiancial aid office was closed for the day and for the rest of the weekend.

First thing Monday morning, I went in to change the address in person, or give them my information for a direct deposit. When I get to the cashier's office to change my address, she tells me that it is too late. My loan was sent off on Friday. I tell her how someone else changed my address to be the wrong address, I have no idea who lives there, and that I have tried to change it online twice and by phone. She told me that I should have come in sooner and that it is company police that they can't put a stop on my check until 2 weeks have passed to see if it is returned. I am ready to cry at this point. It has been so hard and I have done everything I can to try and make sure that I can get my loan. I asked her when I could come back to see if my loan had been returned and then I left.

Next I called the post office. I told the guy who answered my story and asked him if there was anything he could do. He looked it up and said that the only change of address they have on record for me is the one from 856 E. Mill St to mom's current address. I told him my name and real address and the address that was sent out on my loan and asked him if he could hold it for me if they found it. I told him I have a million forms of ID so they would know it was me. He said he would call me.

I called the school back next to try and find out why my address was changed since the post office didn't do it. They still say it came from the post office. Basically, they all know that they are wrong but won't admit that the mistake was made on their end.

However, this last Friday, I FINALLY got my loan check in the mail. It had the wrong address on it, but someone had circled off to the side hwy 89 and NSL to the mistakes in the address. I am assuming that it was someone at the post office that got it because I don't think it had enough time to go back to the school and sent out again, but THANK YOU WHOEVER GOT MY LOAN TO ME! I really, really need that money for school and it has been such a hassle that it is such a relief to me that I finally got it.