As students for the University, we should congratulate ourselves for completing the first weeks of the fall semester.
For returning students, the excitement of completing the first week can be short-lived because it is the same routine as previous semesters.
However, while many things are the same, returning students can rejoice in the fact that we are yet another semester closer to graduation.
For fall graduating seniors, the countdown to graduation has begun with only 13 more weeks to go.
We all could think of this semester as a new adventure or chapter in our lives.
Think about it. Instead of a lecture class, you have a seminar or workshop-style class.
Or perhaps this semester will be totally unpredictable, but in a good way.
Freshmen have begun a rite of passage and transition from living with their parents and high school to freedom and college.
We all have the same ultimate goal of graduating from UH, but with the increase of tuition and fees that goal may not come as soon as we would like.
According to Student Financial Services, College of Liberal Arts and Social Science students pay approximately $168.20 per semester hour, which is an approximate $30 more than the spring and summer sessions.
Along with increased tuition there are increases in college and course fees that are, for the most part, per semester hour.
The idea and concept of a broke college student is increasingly becoming a harsh reality.
But oftentimes, it isn’t just the tuition and fees increases that anger and discourage a student. It is the financial aid process.
Dealing with financial aid is like taking physics, calculus biochemistry and all of their labs in one semester.
The mental, physical and emotional stress of these classes equal to the extreme stress and frustration students feel while waiting for their financial aid to be posted and refunded.
We want to be able buy books before we go to class and not two or three weeks into the semester.
More importantly, students would like to able to get a straight answer about their financial aid, but of course that would make too much sense.
Unfortunately, with the new PeopleSoft system, that doesn’t seem very likely.
According to an Aug. 22 report in The Daily Cougar ("Nickel and Dimed," News), approximately $16 million in loans have yet to be dispersed to students.
That is more than enough money for students to pay for fee bills, books and other expenses.
We are stressed enough with life, classes and studying without having to worry about financial aid.
We wait in long lines to speak to a financial aid counselor only to leave feeling even more angered and frustrated than we did when we walked through the door.
What happened to the e-mails that stated everything a student needed to complete the financial aid process?
Certainly someone realizes how important it is for students to be able to pay for classes – especially graduating seniors.
What happens when we’re dropped from our classes -†some of which are only offered during the fall -†and we cannot re-register?
What happens to seniors graduating in December who haven’t received their financial aid and are dropped from their classes?
Students shouldn’t have to wait for what can seem like months to receive financial aid, especially when we have taken the initiative to make sure everything required of us has been done correctly and in a timely manner.
Either way, students are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to financial aid funding.
Latimer, an English post-baccalaureate, can be reached via [email protected]
