Itzel Basualdo/Contributing Writer
I decided to come to FIU not because it was inexpensive, but because it meant my clothes could be expensive.
Allow me to explain.
With a couple of scholarships on board and my parents’ blessed decision to invest in Florida Prepaid, I–like many other students–receive a refund from FIU every semester. This would’ve been a considerable amount in my case, or so I thought.
It was May 30 and time was running out. I had less than 24 hours to decide which college I was going to attend. It had come down to the final two: UF and FIU. I wasn’t a big fan of either school. I didn’t feel that “Gator pride” so many other freshmen rambled about excitedly, nor was I too ecstatic about calling FIU my Alma Mater (sorry FIU-enthusiasts).
FIU’s financial aid package was relatively appealing and made me gawk a little. UF’s package, however, was just vapid. No scholarships, no grants, zip, zilch. My parents were willing to help me out and take out a couple loans for me, but UF just wasn’t buying me.
So in order to verify the beauty and extraordinary nature of my FIU financial package, my mom and I made a visit to Student Financials, Undergraduate Admissions, and the Financial Aid office at FIU. We spoke to a person at each office regarding my financial package. We asked about the how’s, when’s, why’s, and what’s of everything. When would Florida Prepaid kick in? How much exactly would I be refunded? What was going to cover my tuition? What about Bright Futures?
I was hearing a great deal. Prepaid would come in first and cover my tuition. From then on, I would be refunded my FIU scholarship, Bright Futures and also my dependent waiver (God bless my mom for being an FIU employee). Study abroad would be paid for without a problem, no more working, Coachella and Bonnaroo were in the foreseeable future, impromptu getaways to visit my out-of-state friends… and this is why I’m writing this article–because none of that is happening and probably won’t happen, either.
When the day arrived, the day so many of us anxiously waited for, Sept. 7, nothing happened. I waited a week. Two weeks. I visited Financial Aid: “Your FIU scholarship hasn’t been disbursed. Check back later.” No sign of Bright Futures either. My credit card bills were piling up: I had put all my textbooks on a card and had yet to pay it back (because I was relying on the arrival of my FIU refund).
My mom, furious and puzzled with the delay of the money, called a friend who works at Financial Aid. They explained to her the inane problem they experienced that caused a delay in the scholarship disbursements and they told her I had nothing to worry about. She was told that I was going to get all of my money’s worth and I just had to wait.
October began and I now had less than $50 in my checkings account – not too mention I owed roughly $400 in credit card bills. On a Saturday afternoon in October, my balance jumped to the four digits. It was Bright Futures! But where was this FIU scholarship?
The following Monday I visited my good old friends at Student Financials. I tried to remain calm as I gave her my Panther ID. Then the first piece of truth was unveiled. I wasn’t going to get any FIU scholarship refunded; instead, I was going to get refunded my prepaid money. My Prepaid’s worth of tuition is roughly $700 less than what I would’ve received had I been refunded the FIU scholarship. I stared at her in awe and disgust. “What do you mean? That’s not what they told me when I decided to attend this school.” “Sorry for the misunderstanding,” she replied.
I now understood what my other prepaid-receiving friends meant by that they were only getting 75% of their tuitions worth. A prepaid refund values each credit at $117, while an FIU credit is currently valued at $203.59 (for the 2013-2014 school year).
I crushed the sticky note she gave me with the remaining amount I was going to receive as I walked away. I immediately called my mom, like a spoiled brat, screaming into the phone, “Mami, what the hell?!!!”
She called her acquaintance once again and they explained this was true. Alas, there was nothing we could do about it, but complain incessantly. The young lady at the lovely Student Financials told me that in two weeks, I should receive my refund from my employee dependent waiver (hurrah for mom) and the prepaid refund would arrive in November.
Three weeks went by and there was no sign of this other said refund.
I once again made a stop at the Student Financials office. I knew the routine: “What’s your Panther ID?” I said the seven magic numbers and then she stabbed me in the heart: I wasn’t going to receive any money from my mom’s waiver because it was only applicable to tuition and fees, which was already covered. I stared at her, dead in the eyes, in disbelief. “I am pissed,” I told her. I paused and then said “What the hell.” She backed away a little in fear. “I’m sorry…” she said, not quite understanding that I had been lied to three times in a row and now my dreams had been crushed and my hate for the school was at an all-time high. “I already verified with the lady that’s in charge. Sorry… Can you sign here to remove the amount off your balance?”
Oh hell no. I wasn’t going to sign off the remote possibility of receiving over $1,000 in refund. “No,” I replied succinctly, “I’m going to discuss this with my mom before I do so.”
FIU had done it again. How was it possible that I received multiple stories and the truth unfolded as the semester went along? How could so many of their employees be misinformed and give false information?
Before I decided to attend FIU, I came to speak with people in these departments to get the facts. What I received was just the opposite – which led to numerous disappointments and some fury.
Although I am upset that I am not receiving the amount I expected, I am more upset that I was lied to. Had I been told the truth, the same Panther ID would be tucked in my wallet and I still would’ve wound up roaming the vast MMC. Had I been told the truth, I wouldn’t have bored you with my rant and I would’ve saved myself the embarrassment of sounding like a brat from “My Super Sweet Sixteen.”
Many of my peers were also told misleading information regarding their financial aid package and had to face the truth a few weeks into the semester.
Is this FIU’s way of appealing to students?
Before I begin a conspiracy theory on how FIU is luring in students through deceit, I’ll end this rant here. FIU, just do this for me: make sure the people in Student Financials have their story straight.
opinion@fiusm.com
You need to let go of Mommy…..