As the new school year started, so did the tuition and fees.

I found myself standing in line for the Financial Aid office for 10 … 15 … even 20 minutes just waiting to talk to someone, hoping to receive the information I needed about paying various fees.

As a freshman, I am new to the college atmosphere. Worrying about student fees, parking tickets, tuition and more is stressful. There were a lot of important aspects I did not know how to complete, such as the “to-do list” on myCSUSM and Financial Aid Deferments.

I never knew being dropped from classes because you didn’t pay your tuition on time could happen and that late fees would be attached. But when I went to the Financial Aid office, most of my interactions were with students working there. They did not inform me of this until days before my tuition was due.

This led me to question if students should be the ones working such an important job and giving other students this vital information. The student workers in the Financial Aid office barely knew the answers to any of my questions. So, after waiting in line for long periods of time, I then had to wait even longer while the student worker asked a professional Financial Aid employee for the to answer my question. In the end my questions were unanswered.

Why not just have professionals, who work in this field, be the ones to help the students?

After having no luck with the student workers during my numerous visits to the Financial Aid office both throughout the summer and this past week, I finally spoke to a professional employee in the office.  

In my limited experience, I am pleased to say that after working with the professionals ‒ not the student workers ‒ in the Financial Aid office, my stresses were relieved and I finally got answers to my questions.