Shorty: filing early aids process

 
The deadline for filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid was March 31 and 4,925 current and prospective Southern University students have submitted their applications for the 2012-2013 year.
Students were strongly urged to get their information submitted before the deadline so that they can be eligible to register for classes and the process can run smoothly.
“The goal is to get them to submit early,” said Ursula Shorty, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid.
According to Shorty if the student’s information is submitted by March 31, it is priority, which means students can be eligible for registration if they have met all requirements.
Victor Lewis, a sophomore criminal justice major from Mobile Ala., said that he receives financial aid and he has not filled out or submitted his information for the 2012-2013 year.  He said he has not had a chance due to schoolwork.
According to Lewis, he has waited in the lines for financial aid up to six or seven hours.
Lewis said that the lines for financial aid could be avoided if the financial aid advisors stopped procrastinating.
“We’re hoping that the same problem doesn’t exist,” said Shorty.
Shorty said the amount of students to submit their applications has increased since last year, which was less than 4,000.
Aneecha Everage, a senior child development major from New Orleans said she has filled her application for FAFSA and stated that she has never had any problems with the financial aid process.
Everage said that financial aid should keep students posted and updated about their applications and necessary criteria.
Everage said that the lines could be avoided so that the financial aid process can run much smoother.
Currently, the Office of Financial Aid is sending out emails and updates on changes and asking that all students receiving aid to check their SUBR email accounts frequently.
“There’s a lot of changes that will take place,” said Shorty.
In the email that the Office of Financial sent to all students recently, on Dec. 23 of last year, Pres. Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2012 is the making of appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veteran Affair, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending Sep. 30 of this year.
The email stated that the new law impacts the Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
One of the changes is the implementation of the IRS Data Retrieval Process.  With this tool, parents and students will be able to transfer their federal tax information straight from their 2011 tax returns to the FAFSA.
The retrieval tool allows FAFSA applicants and parents with the ability to transfer their income information from the IRS to the FAFSA.
Another change that will take effect July 1 is with the congress changing the length of time a student may receive Pell Grant support.
All students are subject to a lifetime maximum of 12 semesters or its equivalent.
“It may not affect a lot of our students, but it will affect some,” said Shorty.
Shorty also stated that the email stated that graduate students will not be able to receive subsidized loans. 
The annual loan limit for graduate students remains unchanged at $20,500, this amount will now be limited to direct unsubsidized loans.