"The spring of 2020 brought a lot of change for high school seniors and college students, but not the kind that most could have envisioned or wanted. Instead of enjoying graduation celebrations and taking on internships, the COVID-19 pandemic has left students stuck at home wondering about an uncertain future," Forbes reports.

"The life plans that the coronavirus has forced everyone to reconsider often contain a financial element. For these students, one of the questions that looms largest is painfully straightforward: Can I still afford to attend college in the fall?"

....How Does the Financial Aid Appeals Process Work?

"You first need to determine whether the changes in your financial circumstances warrant formally appealing for additional assistance. In general, colleges and universities will expect to learn that a major change outside of your control has occurred, such as a significant salary reduction, job loss, large out-of-pocket medical expense or increased child care cost. If you’re not sure whether your situation qualifies as a new need, call and/or e-mail the financial aid office directly to get their feedback.

From there, the process for each school differs slightly. Students should first check their school’s financial aid website for instructions on how to proceed. If the website lacks updated information or raises additional questions, the student should again contact the financial aid office. Due to the pandemic, pre-existing financial aid policies and rules continue to change so quickly that a student should reach out even when a website claims that a specific deadline has passed. 

Jill Desjean, a policy analyst for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), believes that not reaching out to the school’s financial aid office at the outset is the most common mistake that students in this situation make. 

'Students may just send a letter or email with unnecessary information that doesn’t help their request,' she says. 'If they had checked the financial aid office website or spoken with an administrator, they would have been able to address their specific situation and get the exact direction that they need.'”

..."Desjean, the NASFAA policy analyst, thinks that good record-keeping is the most valuable action that students can take amid the pandemic. Whether or not you’re seeking additional financial aid right now, you need to prepare for that situation—especially since it has become so much more challenging and time-consuming to complete tasks like notarizing documents." 

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 7/28/2020