future students
What kind of impact does it have on a school? Example: admissions enrolls a student with no job and no housing. The student meets with FA and the end result is that there is a small gap. The student says they can pay but admits they have no job or housing. After 2 months the student is withdrawn for non-payment.
I think it negitively impacts the school because we have a student who is excited about school and attending but we know the end result will be a withdrawl becaue they can't pay. I don't think it is fair to students to set them up with this type of failure. If they state they simply can not pay we as financial aid advisors shouldnt overlook it.
I agree that it can have a negative impact on the school because your withdrawl rate increases in a situation that you had prior knowledge that the student most likely couldn't pay the gap payments. It is just setting them up to fail.
I agree that this can have an extremely negative impact on the school. Not only does it set a student up for failure, that increases their likelihood of passing on a negative reccomendation.
I also agree that the withdrawal rate increases.
Amanda I think you make a good point. This is not something that should be overlooked. I am wondering if this occurence presents a strong enough suggestion that maybe the students should provide some sort of back up for the gap in funding they may have. This will be hard to do seeing as how they don't have a job.
I am not in the Financial Aid Dept. but I have to agree, if a student does not have a job and can not pay, we should not set them up with that disappointment. They are really excited about attending school and look forward to furthing their education for a better career and then wham they have to withdrawl its unfair to everyone that has to go through all the paperwork but completely unfair to the student. I know it is important to have those future starts but if they have to withdrawl right away what is the point?
I understand the point here but also have to say that I have seen some schools successfully manage financial gaps with students. In fact, one school I work with has attributed their low default rates on federal student loans to the fact that students get "in the habit" of making regular monthly payments (to the school) while in attendance.
