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Ok:  every once in a while I come across something that really ruffles my feathers.  Most of the time it has to do with someone wearing something that looks really studid, a massive line at the Appel salad bar, or some dimwit letting their cell phone blast Beyonce in the middle of a class.  But this time, my beef is with Cornell Financial Aid.

Here’s a link to the article that describes the current clusterf*** that is the Financial Aid office:

FinAid Office Backup Causes Delay:  New Initiative may be cause of 550 students awaiting aid packages: http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2009/09/02/finaid-office-backup-causes-delay

Every year since I’ve been here, I have had some issue with the Financial Aid office:  whether it be them losing my documents (only to then penalize my application for not meeting deadlines), decreasing my financial aid for no apparent reason, or just flat-out impoliteness when I call the office, it amazes me how anyone gets any funding to attend this university.

If you look at the article, it says 550 students still have not received aid.  I understand there are a lot of applications.  I even understand that some mistakes are always inherently made in any process.  But when you start denying registration to students (i.e. denying them access to certain classes, student privelages, etc.) because your department is late on processing applications, that is one of the most irritating things I have heard in a very long time.

I am one of the lucky ones I guess.  I received my financial aid on August 7 (which is still late by the way) — but here’s the kicker.  Tuition bills are due on the 11th of August, so naturally, I could not pay that on time because my financial aid package was done a month after the deadline that the Financial Aid office set for itself.  So what happens?  I check my next bill, and there is a late charge for $90 because I didn’t pay the August 7th bill on time.  Anyone see a problem here?!?!?  Yea, sorry Cornell, I do happen to have an extra $21,000 stocked away in my underwear drawer just for these types of occassions.  How do they expect students to gather that amount of money (i.e. loans, grants, savings, etc. etc.) in a matter of a few days?

Anyways, I know this sounds like ranting, but as a Cornell junior, this whole process still boggles my mind.  And don’t get me wrong — the Financial Aid office is one of the most important departments on campus.  With the amount of help that is filtered through them to students, Cornell is accessible to a lot more people, including myself.

And I’m not blaming Cornell for not processing late applications on time either.  Late applications are late applications.  If you don’t get your stuff in on time, don’t expect a quick turnaround — that is completely understandable.  But many students — including myself — completed the application on time and are still dealing with this issue.

I guess my point is to Cornell Financial Aid (and other money-handling departments):  Please get your act together.  Your job is tough.  I understand that.  But students — especially freshmen — do not need the added hassle of not knowing the money they have, and then having some department charge them late fees and registration charges when it is the university’s fault in the first place. Look at the student’s side of this and how ridiculous this situation really is.