Hundreds of SU students still await refund checks

There are between 400 to 600 students currently waiting on their refund checks from student loans, said Ursula Shorty, director of student financial aid.
The reason, per Shorty, is that several students’ leaders have been changed from previous years, prolonging both their loan processes and refund checks.
“The lender problem was out of our control,” said Shorty.
Shorty said that the Office of Financial Aid is still waiting on some students to sign their promissory notes. Without them, loans cannot be approved or distributed to students.
Shorty cited staff shortages as another delay in the financial aid process.
“The university and administration are committed to improving the lack of staff for next semester,” said Shorty.
Raymond Clarke, assistant director of student financial aid, said that many students don’t complete their FAFSAs ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid application ) correctly.
“Students think that when they press submit it’s done,” said Clarke, “Students must read all the comments and sign the FAFSA for it to be complete.”
Sophomore education major from New Orleans Kaylyn Causey, said that she is still waiting on her loan to go through.
“I received a letter before school started that said I had to complete verification,” said Causey.
Currently, she goes to the financial aid office about once a week.
Shorty and Clarke both agree that students should not wait until registration to try and complete the financial aid process.
“Come to the office early if you think there is a problem, don’t defer the process,” said Clarke.
According to Shorty, the school decided to defer sending out refund checks until corrections were made. Shorty also said that the school is heading to a decision that would delay giving out refund checks until the 14th day of class.
Courtney Collins, a junior business major from Chicago said that she didn’t receive her refund check until early last week and that it was her first time having problems with financial aid.
“My loan and grant were both on my account in July and I had to wait for the staff in financial aid to certify my loan,” said Collins. “I did everything on time and still got my money after people who waited until registration to complete the process,” said Collins.
Shorty said that she is satisfied that most students have received their refund checks and wanted to thank them for their cooperation and patience.
“We are committed to making the process better in the future,” said Shorty who also reminds students to frequently check Jagnet for updates on their financial aid.
Clarke said that students should report to the Office of Financial Aid immediately for assistance if all else fails.