Lily Huynh/ The Cougar
UH students have been experiencing communication issues with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid that have caused stress and setbacks in managing their academic and financial responsibilities.
Students have reported long wait times, delays and a lack of clarity when attempting to reach the University’s financial aid office.
One student shared their experience on Reddit. The student said that due to a lack of communication, they received a late notice to pay their tuition five days before the deadline, causing them to be dropped from their classes.
“I am deeply disappointed in how the University of Houston has handled my financial aid and enrollment,” said the student via Reddit. “This has set back my education and my plans, and frankly, it’s heartbreaking to know that students can be failed in this way.”
According to the Executive Director for Student Financial Aid Ben Monticello, the financial aid department experiences its busiest season from mid-summer through September, with August being the busiest month.
Monticello said policies are set in place in case of an issue outside of the University’s or students’ hands.
“If an administrative delay happens that’s outside of our control or the student’s control, our goal is to make sure they aren’t unfairly penalized,” said Monticello. “We handle these situations on a case-by-case basis and do our best to ensure students can stay on track.”
Other students said that apart from difficulties getting in contact with the office, they often experienced a lack of consistency in responses.
Students reported being told two different sets of information on the same question, leaving students confused and preventing them from having the correct paperwork ready.
“It would be weeks before I would get an email and the information I received by phone was frequently different from what I was told in person,” said psychology senior Jaleesa Gonzalez. “This caused me to miss the deadline to submit important documentation.”
While students have experienced issues with financial aid, there were no significant delays compared to national standards. According to Monticello, the financial aid office processed more aid applications for students this year and disbursed more aid than last year during this time.
There were also no setbacks regarding staffing or system issues; however, the challenge was the high number of applications being submitted.
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