Student leaders met with university officials Tuesday at the Smith-Brown Memorial Union’s Henton Conference Room, discussing refund delays and possible solutions to improve the process.
A Southern University official fought back tears as she listened to stories from a student depending on a delayed refund check.
“I am a single parent whose only means of financial support is my refund check”, said Association for Women’s Students President J’ael Gordon.
In the meeting, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services Michelle Hill said that once attendance information is verified by Enrollment Services, it then goes to the Registrars Office for further verification before information moves on to the Financial Aid Office. Another verification takes place in Financial Aid before information goes to the Bursar’s Office, the final stop before refund checks are produced.
Refund checks are scheduled for release three to five business days after the refund of overpayment appears on a student’s account.
A campus wide e-mail Monday stated that the university mailed out 3,500 financial aid refund checks earlier that day and SUBR will continue mailing checks over the next several days.
Hill said Title IV requires SUBR to submit a refund of overpayment once the attendance verification process in completed. Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 covers the administration of the country’s federal student financial aid programs.
“There is no conspiracy to hold any student’s refund check,” Hill said. “We are not authorized to do such things”. SGA President Demetrius Sumner said he held off student protest regarding refund checks. Students deal with the same refund issues every semester, and it has become stressful for many students,-including himself.
“I’m getting questions asked and I just don’t know what to say,” Sumner said. “I’m just a junior having the same problems as the students. “There has to be a better way of solving these issues” said SGA Vice President Kye Lewis.
According to Michelle Hill, all SUBR students will have the chance to take advantage of direct deposit starting next semester.
“I believe this will help smooth out a lot of the problems that we’ve faced in the past in dealing with refund checks” said Hill.
“During my campaigning in the Spring of 2010, I ran on the platform of getting students their refund checks either on a debit card or through direct deposit, I believe the direct deposit is a good idea,” said Lewis.
According to student leaders, the university will actually save thousands of dollars by using the direct deposit system. “I understand that this situation may be of a burden to some students, and that is why I encourage all students to participate in direct deposit” said Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Julie Wessinger.
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Refund process discussed
September 16, 2010
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