CSU’s Graduation Rate Drops From 2015 to 2017. Here’s Why:
By: Tristan Cox and Joshua Davis
Just one out of three CSU students graduate within six years, according to 2017 statistics from CSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. This number is below the national average and has dropped by .1 percent since 2015. The role of the financial aid office is thought to be a factor, according to recent student and alumni testimony.
The CSU News Team interviewed a variety of students, including 2005–2015 CSU student Whitney Hammock, whose scholarship loss in 2006 lead to problems financing her education. This caused her to leave CSU two years later. She returned in 2013 to inquire about re-qualifying for the HOPE scholarship.
“Had I not lost HOPE,” said Hammock. “I never would have taken a break between 2008 and 2013.”
While the HOPE scholarship and student loans are what Hammock asked about, she believes in the necessity of scholarships in general for current students.
“In two years, I racked up $14,000 in debt,” said Hammock. “Back in 2005, it was only about a third of that for two years.”
For Hammock, the financial aid office was able to offer her loans that helped her get back on track to graduating. However, further investigation and testimony shows Hammock’s case is not the norm.
One such case involves current student Sophie Sorenson. Sorenson uses financial aid to pay for school and currently takes advantage of the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) offered through CSU’s Financial Aid office.
Sorenson says she thoroughly ensured she had turned in all paperwork on time to the financial aid office and frequently checked her award status after submitting the loan. After a while had past with no change in award information, Sorenson contacted the financial aid office.
A financial aid office representative checked on the status of her loan and Sorenson was told she had not been awarded any aid yet because she had failed to complete all of the necessary forms by the application deadline. Sorenson explained that she had completed all of the forms on time, but the office maintained their position and said there was nothing they could do.
“I felt like they didn’t take me seriously,” says Sorenson of the financial aid office’s response.
Feeling like the financial aid office wasn’t as concerned about her situation as she was, she scheduled a meeting with someone in the department and had her mother speak with them over the telephone. According to Sorenson, her mother urged the office to look into her loan and within fifteen minutes the problem had been identified.
The financial aid office apologized and informed Sorenson that she had submitted the forms by the deadline, but they had made a mistake and failed to send them to the appropriate agency by the deadline.
To cover the costs of school that semester, Sorenson had to pay out of pocket with a $4000 family loan. Sorenson was later reimbursed the full amount by CSU’s Office of Financial Aid due to their mistake, but Sorenson was still uncomfortable with having to ask her her family for such a large amount of money.
“I paid them back,” Sorenson says, “but it just didn’t feel right.”
While Sorenson and Hammock ended up finding resolutions to their issues, not all students are as fortunate.
Aside from causing financial mishaps with students, issues within the financial aid office and it’s related departments have also caused some students to not be able to graduate on time.
“My freshman year has taken longer than most,” says Chasidy Lee, a current CSU student who has been considered a ‘freshman’ for the past three years.
She has been delayed from graduating on time and from moving to the next grade level due to complications with the Bursar’s Office in the financial aid department.
While Lee doesn’t receive financial aid, she encountered an issue with her tuition when an abnormally large bill from the Bursar’s Office arrived. Lee discovered the school had her paying both in-state and out of state tuition even though she is registered as a Georgia resident.
“Because I was registered as an out of state student, I was given a roommate and a meal plan; both of which I never signed up for,” said Lee.
Lee was charged $15000 because of this mistake, and was asked to pay the cost up front and told she would be reimbursed. Lee was unable to pay that amount out of pocket and was delayed a semester. The next semester, Lee vowed to stay on top of her financial accounts at CSU so she could get her education back on track.
Lee stayed in frequent contact with the Bursar’s office and says she was ensured that she had no missing paperwork. However, a few days before the semester she was suddenly told that she had several missing forms that were past their due date. Lee asked the Bursar’s office why she wasn’t made aware of the forms until it was too late.
“The departments don’t communicate,” Lee was told.
Despite Lee’s experience, some students, like Caitlyn Hodge, say the department provides quality service.
“Whether or not they had direct control of the situation,” said Hodge referring to the financial aid representatives. “They still did everything in their power to help.”
Regarding the loan, Hodge specified that she needed it urgently. Luckily for her, she got it.
Based on the testimonies given, it is clear that the functions of the financial aid office affect the graduation rate at CSU. Issues occurred that in some instances delayed students from graduating on time and in other instances, the financial aid office was able to correct the issues with no consequences. Through these issues, it’s revealed that the roles of the financial aid office have the possibility to affect the graduation rate at CSU because they are always at work.
