When do you know if your financial aid is approved?

Can I sue my college's financial aid office?

• I had 269 units of credit from a Californian university, when personal/financial issues led me to move to Phoenix, Arizona in October. I was only missing 1 class to graduate from my university: an introdoctory biology lab. I enrolled in the local community college in November, and signed up for a spring 2012 introductory biology lab. I had to get special permission to enroll, since I was already over the max timeframe (too many units). I also met with financial aid before beginning school. On the first day of class I realized the particular class I had chosen was too elementary to satisfy the requirements to transfer the units to a university, So I dropped the class and began another, more advanced intro to biol lab. I haven't spoken to my mother in years, and my dad and I had a falling out just before I left California. So on moving, I was completely financially independent. I talked with a financial advisor, and they suffested I file a Homeless Student Request, which I did, based on the fact that I had been AT RISK for homelessness upon my arrival to Phoenix (broke, jobless, no parental support). I submitted documentation from the local Dept. of Economic Security and a thorough essay. I waited and waited with no reponse from the college- no email, no call, no change to my student portal. I called and called until finally, they told me that the application had been rejected, as I had failed to PROVE that I could not return home. So the fin.advisors suggested I file an Independent Student Request form. Check. Complete with a letter from my priest explaining, in detail, a very personal situation which I do not care to disclose again. I submitted the docs. Again, a harrowing and long wait, void of any communication from the college. I called every other day for three weeks. Finally, I was informed that that too had been rejected, on the grounds that I admitted to having an email address for my father-- apparently, a truly "independent student" has NO communication whatsoever with the parent. He, by the way, works for homeland security, and I couldn't tell you which country he's in at the moment. I was livid. Finally, I got my mom's financial info from my sister, who goes to college in California. I filled out the FAFSA completely. Then another period of hearing nothing at all from the college...I called a few times. The last time, I was informed that because I had switched into a biology class that I was not approved for, I was "on probation" and my application would not be reviewed at all. WHY didn't they tell me this back in December?? I filed my FAFSA in late November. When I first talked to an advisor in December, he said that I could "probably" get the whole quarter costs covered by financial aid. So I paid for the class with my credit card (stupid, I know). Because I was still considered a California resident when I enrolled, the class with the lab cost over 1000 dollars! I earn a little above min. wage, and just get by as it is! I feel like I've gone through all these little hoops, and the whole time I've been deceived. The process has been extremely stressful, and now I'm at a dead end. I asked the last advisor "What do I do now?" and her response was, "I honestly don't know what your options are". Don't they get paid to know? Now I'm so busy trying to land a second job that I'm falling way behind in my school work-- I honestly think I've spent more time in the fin. aid office than in the classroom! I just feel deceived- every time I went to the aid office, they changed the story on me. At one point they requested a list of my assets, at another time they requested my high school transcripts. Later , I was told that they did not need these. The office is incompetent, to say the least, and taking advantage of unknowing students! Please let me know if there's anything I can do in this situation-- legally/financially...or anyone/ any organization I can connect with, esp in Maricopa County. Thank you!

• Answer:

  The last advisor has told you the truth - she doesn't know what your options are, because the reality is, you've exhausted all your options. She's paid to know what your options are - but you've *exhausted* all those options, so what is she supposed to say? First, you're over the number of credits where you're allowed to get financial aid. But they did waive that for you, for that one class. Then you changed that class without telling them, thus messing up your aid. So that one was on you. You'd have needed to go speak to them before dropping that class and taking another. Second, it is very, very hard for a student who is considered dependent under FAFSA to be able to be declared independent. You have a 99.99% chance of your appeal not being granted. So they had you try one approach, which was rejected. Then they had you try another, which was rejected. You weren't deceived - they were trying to help you. Don't fall behind in your schoolwork. Otherwise, the $1000 you spent for this class will have been a complete waste. Instead, finish the class, get your degree, and move on.