Jon Bartlow, assistant director of admissions for Pittsburg State, said that the annual summer C.A.R.E.S. sessions are intended to inform and educate parents and incoming freshman on life as a college student. And while Bartlow said that both parents and students come at him with a variety of questions and concerns, the one area he fields the most questions on is student financial aid.
"We have a session on financial aid that answers a lot of the questions but there is just so much to know in that area it is hard to cover it all," Bartlow said.
Marilyn Haverly, director of financial assistance at Pittsburg State, said that her office receives hundreds of questions each summer about financial aid. To help answer some of the basic financial aid questions, Haverly said she elected to have a few members of her staff man a table at this summer's C.A.R.E.S. sessions and that decision, Haverly said, is already paying off.
Haverly said she believe student financial aid has only become more complicated for students and parents over the years because of the variety of financial assistance available and the complexity of the application process.
"For family that are going through the process for the first time it can be a very overwhelming process," Haverly said. "The whole process is even getting more difficult for our office. It is just so hard to stay in the loop and on top of all the changing rules and regulations. It is a real balancing act."
The number of students applying for financial aid is already larger than last year and Haverly only expects that number to grow.
Bartlow said that having the C.A.R.E.S. session during the summer months gives parents and students an opportunity to take what they have learned during the sessions and make changes or work through problems before students report to school before the academic year begins.
"There is just so much to absorb," Bartlow said. "We just try to ease any fears and answer any questions so that students know what is going on and how to navigate things when they arrive on campus for the first day of school."Labels: academy awards, career training, education online, financial aid, free college, free education, high school, scholarship, student loans, study abroad |
