Last week, FAMU extended its welcome to the new Director of Financial Aid, Marcia M. Conliffe.
Conliffe is no stranger to the financial aid process. According to the FAMU website, “For the past 20 years, Conliffe served at Broward Community College in supervisory positions including her latest position as the associate vice of Student Affairs and Financial Services.”
As the director of Financial Aid, Conliffe is charged with assisting the vice president of student affairs and enrollment management with the governess, structure, policy formation and implementation for the Division of Student Affairs, according to www.famu.edu.
Conliffe also serves as the chief financial aid officer with a lead role in the administration, planning and management of financial aid, veterans and disability services programs.
More than 90 percent of FAMU students receive some form of financial assistance. Conliffe understands how vital financial aid is to students. On the FAMU website, Conliffe lists several steps that students can take to ensure the best ways possible to receive their award letters.
The steps are complete the FAFSA application as soon as possible after January, but no later than Feb. 1, and to submit the completed application online to expedite the process.
It has been 37 days since school started, and the dreaded financial aid line remains lengthy. More than 25 students patiently wait in the financial aid office to be advised by a consultant. Some students are in line to turn in documents, and others are in line to check their financial aid status.
After several trips to the Foote -Hilyer Administration Building, Bianca Jones, a fourth-year psychology student from Miramar, Fla., is unhappy with financial aid administration.
“Unfortunately, no I haven’t been awarded. My financial aid just posted to my account,” said Jones. “Financial aid has had my documents for over a month and they are just now getting to my name. In my opinion, that’s ridiculous and not fair to me.”
Julian Jean-Simon, a second-year allied health student from Miami, has not yet been awarded.
“I went to financial aid to see how my financial aid was coming along and they told me that my documents have just been processed,” said Jean-Simon. “I turned in my paper work at the beginning of September, and still no progress.”
Jones and Jean-Simon are two students that are having problems with their financial aid. Next year, however, Florida A&M students may see their reward letters and net checks earlier.