Northeastern is delayed in processing appeals, which may have required many admitted students to make a decision without knowing their financial aid status, a New York Times columnist wrote April 28.
While federal law requires colleges and universities to provide a response to students’ appeal requests, it does not put a time limit on how long admittees must wait, columnist Ron Lieber wrote.
“We strive to treat all appeals with urgency, compassion and thoroughness,” James Slattery, Northeastern’s senior director of financial aid, wrote in an email to The Times. The university directed The Huntington News to Slattery’s remarks in The Times’ article upon request for comment.
Northeastern says it provides financial aid to more than 75% of its students, with more than 50% of undergraduate students graduating with no university debt, according to University Student Financial Services. The Northeastern Promise, a statement and practice adopted by the university, aims to provide undergraduates with aid, need-based grants and guaranteed reevaluation of aid packages.
“Throughout the review process, existing billing due dates and policies will continue to apply. Students and families are expected to fulfill any outstanding balances through existing resources or financing options,” reads the review process for Northeastern’s Appeals for Special and Unusual Circumstances web page.
There is no information on the website regarding the appeal process timeline.
In his statement to The Times, Slattery said only 3.75% of appeals cases take more than four weeks to resolve. Contrary to this statement, “one representative on the phone and another at an in-person event said it would take up to eight weeks to process appeals. Mr. Slattery said an eight-week wait would be an outlier.”
Every academic year, students can fill out forms like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, colloquially known as FAFSA, and the College Scholarship Service Profile that collect information on annual household income to determine their eligibility for financial assistance.
The university offers appeals under several circumstances, including job termination and loss of income, allowing admittees to submit a special circumstances request via the Student Financial Services, or SFS, Service Portal.
But the appeal law itself puts few hard and fast requirements on universities. Lieber, who is the “Your Money” columnist, wrote “Federal law requires colleges to hear you out if particular financial circumstances of yours have changed. ‘No institution of higher education or financial aid administrator shall maintain a policy of denying all requests for adjustments,’ the Higher Education Act states.”
The SFS portal emphasizes that financial aid offers are final. “While we would be happy to review your financial aid offer with you to answer any questions you may have, award decisions cannot be negotiated,” the SFS website reads.
“We strive to treat all appeals with urgency, compassion and thoroughness,” Slattery wrote.
