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Amy of Sandy UT (11/21/08)
I am a single disabled mother who wanted to go back to school. I called Ashford University in April 2006 after I saw an advertisement on the internet. I first spoke with an enrollment counselor by the name of Eric. He told me that vocational rehab will pay for any additional expenses after my pellgrant. I told him that that was great, but I needed to call my counselor before I enrolled. He told me that there was no need to and I needed tojust get the process started. I filled out all of the paperwork including the financial aid and I started class thefollowing Tuesday.
In the meantime, I left a message formy vocational rehab counselor. I found out that Ashford University was not on their approved list. I called Eric and he told me that yes they were that I just needed to talk to their vocrehab specialist. It took her a few weeks to call me back. When I found out that Ashford was not approved and that I still had to pay for the class I was enrolled in because I was in the third week of class, I decided to finish that class and then transfer to an approved college. My class ended in the last week of May. I enrolled at theUniversity of Phen. and waited until Ashford released my financial aid as they had setthe dates up for an entire year so I could not get aid anywhere else.
I called Ashford 2 x a week and was told everytime that it would be done that week. After 4 weeks and it was still not done, I came up with a plan with my voc rehab counselor to go back to Ashford and use my pell and a little bit of student loans at the same time as a local college which they would pay for. So I called Ashford back and they put me back in classes. I talked with financialaid at the time (Martha) and she said that everything was fine on her end. I am a straight A student with a 3.9 grade point average.
In August I noticed on my student account that they refunded my student loans and pell grant. I called Marthat and left her several messages. When she did not return my calls I spoke with another financial aid counselor. I was told that they sent my financial aid back and was repackaging it for the 2007-2008 academic year instead of 2006-2007. She said it was just a formality. then in December, there was still no money on my account.
I then called in September to check the status andspoke with Chrystal, shesaid that the counselor before her did notnote it on my account to resend the email and she would put a rush on it. I did this and called to verify she received it on September 3. At the same time I enquired anoutmy pell for the 2008-2009 year. She told me that I was still in the 2007-2008 year. I did not understand this as I was in the end of my second academic year there. She said that when they repackaged my student loans they forgot to process my pell grant for my first year and left my student loan year in the 2006-2007 year. I was just out a full year of pell grants and she was sorry. I was furious. She said that I should have the additional money that I requested by the end of the month.
In october I called several times. I was told they were still working on it.Finally I received an award letter stating that my money wsto be disbursed in November. I also receieved an email saying that student loans would be sent to students on the 7th and 14th week of the students academic year. I again called and this time my counselor was changed to Sandra. She told me that the additional money that I requested did not was not included int the disbursement dates. I would get it as soon as they received it. On Novemebr 18 the first part was posted to my account. I noticed that a check for 338.00 was posted tobe sent tome.I called Sandra on November 20 and she then told me that I get 30% on week 7 and he remaining on week 14. The additional 2,000 isnot in the first 30% because it came to them late, but I would get it on week 14. This will be after Christmas before I see it. Everytime I call I get a different story.
First I was shorted 4500 dollars in federal pell grant money. Was lied to from the beginning. I was also counting on the additional student loan money or I would not have requested it. My children are not going to have a Christmas now and I fear that they are holding the money because they are in financial problems.
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January 6 2009
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