Here is a smattering of what financial aid directors are saying these days:
- One perspective on FFEL program:
- "A lot of schools had to delay payments to students until they got the money (from private lenders)," said Karen Fooks, director of financial aid at the University of Florida, referring to recent problems. "Schools said, 'We can't put students on the hook like this. We have to have the money at the start of the term.' "
- Another perspective on FFEL:
- "We have seen great benefits with having both programs operating simultaneously," said Bill Spiers, financial aid director at Tallahassee Community College and a spokesman for the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. "It's going to require additional workers at the (federal) Department of Education," he added, if the switch is made to direct lending. "People (in the lending industry) are going to lose jobs. And they have never been able to prove the cost savings."
- Shortage of work-study dollars to fund student jobs:
- There are plenty of jobs on campus and plenty of places need student workers, but we just don't have enough money from federal government to pay students," she said [Elizabeth Bickford, University of Oregon Financial Aid Director]
- Increased burden of college expenses falling on students:
- "Roger Miller, Kalamazoo Valley Community College's financial-aid director, said he's noticed that in recent years "students are making a bigger contribution toward the overall cost (of college) because mom and dad don't have it or they're not willing to make adjustments to do that."
- Importance of filing the FAFSA in these challenging times:
- “Many families that may have not qualified for financial aid in the past that will at this point in time for need based financial aid,” said UNCW (University of North Carolina - Wilmington) Financial Aid Director Emily Bliss.
- Benefit of increased Pell Grants:
- “In general terms, increasing Pell grants for everyone in the U.S. is a great thing,” said Caesar Storlazzi, the University’s director of Student Financial Services.
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