Last May many students found themselves staring blankly at letters stating they were not receiving financial aid for the 2003/2004 academic year.
Because of these cuts in their financial aid, some students needed to find alternative ways to cover the approximate $38,000 a year it costs to have room and board at the university.
“Our jaws almost dropped to the floor when my parents and I opened the letter and realized the amount of aid I was getting was almost cut in half,” said Jillian Foley ’05, who is now studying abroad in London.
Foley did not understand at first why so much had been cut but then realized that her aid was reduced due to her sister graduating from college.
Stories similar to Foley’s seem to be ringing up all over Fairfield. Yet the problem does not seem to lie in cuts from the state to the university’s financial aid but in the student’s lack of attention to the new date the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms were due.
Last year there was money left over to give to those students who sent their forms in late. This year, Susan Kadir, director of the office of financial aid, said, “Things are just so tight financially we basically ran out.”
The date the FAFSA forms were due this year was pushed up to March 1, 2003 from March 15. Although many letters, emails, and notices were given to students and parents, several families who normally received aid failed to get the forms in on time.
“The university was committed to the new deadline of March 1 and did all they could to inform students.” Kadir said.
The university received the exact same funding as it did last year. It was just that this year many students needed more aid than in past years.
“On average, there was a 20 percent increase in aid given to students who got their forms in on time this year,” Kadir said.
Students who turned their forms in late and suffered from these cuts had to rethink their housing plans.
Some students also dropped down from full to part-time student status in hopes that next year they will receive their financial aid.
“Since the beginning of May, when I found out my father had filed the forms late, it has just been a constant scramble to some how cut back on the costs.” said a junior who wanted to remain unnamed.
“I already had off-campus housing, so it was easier for me to drop down to part-time status. This took my bills from $38,000 for the year to $360 per credit plus housing, but I can tell this battle has only just begun.”
Choosing this path could possibly mean that the student will not qualify for financial aid next year.
If students do not have 90 credits by the end of their junior year, then they cannot get their financial aid for the next year.
In addition, once matriculated into to Fairfield’s University College, a student is not permitted to take classes elsewhere, according to Neil Landino, an advisor in University College.
Loss in financial aid can not all be blamed on late forms, however. Every year the tuition increases. Students may be receiving the same amount in aid but have to pay more because of rising tuition prices.
This year Fairfield University had expected at least a five percent drop in finances it received for financial aid from the state. However, because of several actions taken this did not end up happening to the university, according to Kadir.
Universities all over the country have been and will be suffering from financial loss.
Colorado State University suffered a 19.25 percent decrease in approved funding overall for the 2003-2004 school year, according to the university’s newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian. The university expects it only to get worse.
Although this is not the case this year at Fairfield University, it could be next year.
There is hope for some students who did not receive financial aid this year. Due to students not coming back, not needing as much aid, and financing coming from other departments, partial grants are being awarded to as many students as possible who applied for aid and did not receive it, according to Kadir.
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