Financial Aid officials say check 'myTSU'
Ida Pickney
Contributing Reporter
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Campus News
While the April 1 priority deadline for submitting FAFSA applications has passed, TSU students can still be proactive in handling their financial aid before they leave for the semester.
Financial Aid officials said that if students check their MyTSU accounts before leaving for the summer, there is a great chance they can find out whether they will be selected for verification.
Bryan Thorpe, a Financial Aid clerk, said that the sooner a student realizes that they have been placed under verification status, the sooner their paper work can be turned in and processed.
"The main problem is missing paper work," Thorpe said. "Students don't turn their paper work in on time."
As many as 65 percent of the students who stood in TSU financial aid and registration lines back during fall 2008 were students who had been selected for verification, Thorpe said.
Verification is a process in which a student has to provide proof of the information they submitted to FAFSA.
A student can also fall under verification is FAFSA application is missing information or if information provided is incorrect.
Thorpe said that three out 10 TSU students are selected at random for FAFSA verification.
When students are selected for verification, their MyTSU accounts will alert them of documents needed for the verification process.
"(But) students don't even check their MyTSU accounts," Thorpe said.
Usually, the verification process includes the submission of several more worksheets and copies of the student's and/or their parents' tax returns.
Heather Collins, a student worker in Financial Aid, said the earlier students fill out their FASFA applications, the better their awards can be.
Monies are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Collins said she hopes that students learned from the past and wants them to understand that financial aid is a process that involves the student to handle their part in order to aid money.
Financial Aid officials said that if students check their MyTSU accounts before leaving for the summer, there is a great chance they can find out whether they will be selected for verification.
Bryan Thorpe, a Financial Aid clerk, said that the sooner a student realizes that they have been placed under verification status, the sooner their paper work can be turned in and processed.
"The main problem is missing paper work," Thorpe said. "Students don't turn their paper work in on time."
As many as 65 percent of the students who stood in TSU financial aid and registration lines back during fall 2008 were students who had been selected for verification, Thorpe said.
Verification is a process in which a student has to provide proof of the information they submitted to FAFSA.
A student can also fall under verification is FAFSA application is missing information or if information provided is incorrect.
Thorpe said that three out 10 TSU students are selected at random for FAFSA verification.
When students are selected for verification, their MyTSU accounts will alert them of documents needed for the verification process.
"(But) students don't even check their MyTSU accounts," Thorpe said.
Usually, the verification process includes the submission of several more worksheets and copies of the student's and/or their parents' tax returns.
Heather Collins, a student worker in Financial Aid, said the earlier students fill out their FASFA applications, the better their awards can be.
Monies are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Collins said she hopes that students learned from the past and wants them to understand that financial aid is a process that involves the student to handle their part in order to aid money.
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