Students seeking assistance aggravated with financial aid

The Southern University Office of Financial Aid found itself in a quandary during late registration while students packed the halls of the School of Nursing seeking monetary assistance for the upcoming school year.
“They (financial aid staff) need help and plenty of it,” said James Evans, a senior nursing major from Zachary, as students waited for help.
While some of the students claimed the late registration process was frustrating and disorganized, Phillip Rodgers, financial aid director, said things could have gone much smoother had students not waited until the last moment to apply for assistance.
“The time to apply is January,” Rodgers said. “We have done a convocation. (We’ve) sent out letters. We have done everything to try and get these students to apply early.”
He said students were notified that if they did not apply for aid by June 11, other arrangements should have been made.
“This is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered in my life.” Rodgers said. “Most of the students complaining waited until August to apply. We have our upperclassmen waiting until the last minute to apply.”
Though SUBR Chancellor Edward Jackson mandated an extended period for students to receive financial aid, Rodgers said students still are taking their eligibility for aid lightly.
“They have to start taking financial aid serious because it’s not an entitlement,” Rodgers said. “I don’t like to have students griping, but when you’re not doing what you are supposed to do, don’t be that squeaky wheel.”
Some students said the problem did not lay with their applications, but with the disorganization of the financial aid office, which made the process even more frustrating.
“It seems like you have to run around like a chicken with your head cut off instead of just being able to do everything in one place,” said Jaquin Crocket, a sophomore marketing major from New Orleans.
To make matters worse, financial aid staff had to relocate from the auditorium they were utilizing to the second floor of the nursing school, because the officials at the school needed the space. The move was chaotic, according to Rogers, and the staff was momentarily ineffective in assisting students.
“The disorganization they have here discourages about 50 percent of students from pursuing education,” said Margaret Evans, a graduate nursing student from Zachary. “They (students) are looking for direction and when they come here, they are just caught up in the loop and their first experience is disorganization and frustration.”
Rodgers said he admitted there are some things that need to be addressed on the part of the financial aid office, but said he was in process of smoothing things out.
“We do have some things; we need to tighten up on here, but that’s why I’m here,” Rodgers said. “I came to Southern to make a change, but I need students help to do that.”
He also said the majority of students who use aid are eligible for Pell Grants, which might require further verification and prolong the award process.
“We have well over 80 percent of our students that are selected for verification,” Rodgers said. “We have to account for every penny of aid that we give out. I’m not giving out one penny in aid, unless a student is entitled. Verification serves as a way to see if students are entitled to aid.”
Every academic year, Southern’s office of student financial aid allocates $65 to $85 million in fiscal aid. In an effort to alleviate future financial aid issues, Rodgers said he requested the SU Student Government Association to form a financial aid advisory committee to address problems and find possible solutions.
“I’m hoping this committee will be an incubator for SGA to get these students to understand they should stop stressing themselves and the university with being late.” Rodgers said.