| Student financial aid offices deal in big numbers. Not | | | | parent, an FAO can advise on what documents are |
| just financial numbers, but massive files of FAFSA | | | | needed in order to recalculate the EFC. Students and |
| data coming into and out of large databases, | | | | parents are advised to be prepared, in almost all |
| hundreds, sometimes thousands of incoming and | | | | cases, to properly document any special request. A |
| outgoing documents including student requests, | | | | student's burden is to make an appeal for |
| requests for further information and financial aid | | | | reconsideration sound reasonable, well documented, |
| award letters. Most college financial aid offices | | | | and substantial. A minor loss of income, brief period |
| virtually hum with efficiency. With this in mind, it is | | | | of unemployment or the sudden desire to own a |
| also the role of the financial aid office staff to treat | | | | yacht are typically not considered extraordinary |
| you, the consumer, with individual care and respect. | | | | circumstances. |
| Sometimes, in the hectic pace and hyper efficiency, | | | | Other services a FAO can provide are student loan |
| stopping to help one student with a specific problem | | | | counseling, budgeting and financial education. They |
| is like trying to stop a train to let a bunny cross the | | | | can also provide information on private college |
| tracks. It's a good idea and the right thing to do, but | | | | scholarships and student grants. Many excellent |
| often more difficult to achieve than it should be. Train | | | | publications from the Department of Education and |
| analogy aside, good financial aid offices have specially | | | | various guarantee agencies can be picked up for free |
| trained staff ready to help students and parents with | | | | at the FAO. Some include budgeting worksheets and |
| special requests, one-on-one counseling, budgeting | | | | advice on money management. Students can also |
| and financial literacy programs. In an era where most | | | | reduce or cancel their student loans via their FAO. |
| of the financial aid process is online and impersonal, | | | | Students have the right to cancel any future loan |
| meeting with a financial aid counselor or specialist can | | | | disbursement and any loan that have already |
| be a refreshing and informative experience for both | | | | disbursed provided they notify the office in writing |
| the student and the parent. | | | | within two weeks of receiving the funds. All funds |
| It is a good idea for students to contact their | | | | must be returned by the time of request cancellation. |
| financial aid office (FAO) before any problems arise. | | | | Adjustments to student's cost of attendance are |
| Being proactive in the financial aid process pays high | | | | common requests in the typical financial aid office. |
| dividends. If a family has experienced a financial | | | | Students wishing to study abroad, desiring additional |
| hardship that was not adequately reflected on the | | | | loan funds for the purchase of education related |
| FAFSA application or the CSS profile, it's best to | | | | technology, or extraordinary classroom costs like |
| approach the FAO. In some cases, extraordinary | | | | class trips or special equipment can all be considered |
| expenses for medical care for a dependent child or | | | | by the FAO. Once again proper documentation and a |
| spouse can be taken into consideration by the | | | | reasonable rationale should be provided. It's a good |
| financial aid office and the Estimated Financial | | | | idea to follow the steps suggested by the FAO to |
| Contribution (EFC) can be adjusted. In the event of a | | | | assure their requirements for proper documentation |
| catastrophic loss like the death or total disability of a | | | | are met. |