Financial Aid Deadlines
In your experience, what have been the most challenging aspects of adhering to the financial aid time deadlines? How do you most successfully get students to keep them?
I would say the most challenging aspect we have is students' taking ownership and responsibility for gathering the documents and information required to complete their application. A lot of students that are applying for OSAP forget their OAN or they forget a specific form that is needing to be sent with their application to OSAP..
We are trying to help the students in being successful at adhering to deadlines by ensuring all students have a list of the things they will need during their meeting with the FAO before they come to the meeting. Then if we need to sign up for OSAP it can be done then.
Miranda,
You are absolutely correct it can be a challenge to get students to realize the importance of collecting documentation and retaining their account information. The most important thing you can do for them is express the importance of taking ownership of their application and have them understand that you are there to support them but ultimately this is their application and their responsibility. A few things that may help is supplying them with a check list of documents needed either via email or in a hand out as well as giving them firm deadlines as to when to submit the documentation
Tanya Cioffi
