While this is not a recent article, it still amazes me how GSU is still unable to fix the financial aid problems students are having. We are almost into the month of October, and entering the sixth week of school and these issues are still present. As a student who has directly dealt with these issues, I know a lot of how the process works.

The video above mentions how the merge did affect the financial aid process, because of the high volume of students. However, Georgia State had plenty of time to prepare for incoming students. The merger with Georgia Perimeter College was something that had been discussed since January 6, 2015. The students were accepted into GSU this Fall 2016, which gave Georgia State over a year to prepare and accommodate the incoming transfer students. So there is no reason why Georgia State University should be experiencing any major issues.

The financial aid process is a long and tedious one, and GSU does not make it easy for a student. I am selected for verification every single year. This year though has been the most frustrating one. Every time I go into the enrollment or financial aid office I come out with different information. Every single employee tells me something different. The video above makes me mad because it says that GSU is going to do its best to help students resolve their issue, but they recommend for students to begin the process early to avoid issues. I submitted my papers for verification since the beginning of July, when I was informed I needed to do additional paperwork to have my FAFSA process; it is now September 25th and I had to resubmit my FAFSA once again. Every time I go into the financial aid office I have to wait several hours, and at the end of the day my issue is still not resolved.

What I have learned through my experience, and through other students I have met in the financial aid office is that there is a lack of communication among employees. Each employee always has a different suggestion, so there is no consistent help. GSU definitely has to hire more employees to better accommodate the new students, but they also have to make sure their employees are all on the same page. Actions have to be taken immediately, because there is no reason why students should still be worrying about financial issues mid semester.