NMC students beware: FAFSA not dependable

A few weeks ago I found out that I owed a very large sum of money to Northern Marianas College. Why would I owe NMC when I have been awarded a Pell grant for every semester I have attended?

Guess what, NMC students: You know that colorful piece of paper that says you have been awarded this amount of money for these semesters? It lied! You assume that when the letter says you are awarded it means that you were eligible and the money is yours. Sorry but that might not be the case. Here’s how it goes.

NMC or any other college that you plan on attending receives your FAFSA application and finds you eligible and that’s when you get the nice colorful paper. Now what many probably do not know is that your file is then sent to some office in California to further verify your application and that office in California may not find you eligible at all. So now what? Well, in my case, the so-called Pell grant that I supposedly received in 2002-03 is being “charged back” to me. Now from my understanding, that office in California has only just finished the 2002-03 applications and are starting on 2003-04, which means I not only owe a couple thousand now but pretty soon I, and possibly many others, will owe around $7,000. Now that doesn’t make me a very happy camper.

My graduation is being held on May 21, 2005 and I have been working so hard for the day when I get to put on my nice, shiny black cap and gown and walk down that aisle and receive my degree, but guess what? That isn’t going to happen. Instead I am going to receive, in my hand, a letter saying, “Congratulations but guess what, you have an outstanding balance that you need to pay before you get your degree.” It will probably be three to four years before I even touch or see that degree that I worked so hard for. Thanks a lot NMC for misleading me into thinking that I received my award from Pell. The only thing indicated on that piece of colorful paper was, “If you do not accept this award please sign it and give it back to the Financial Aid office.” It was not clearly stated that our office has found you eligible but the other office in the U.S. may not.

Knowing that I am not going to get my degree until I pay my so-called “balance” has turned my life upside down. I feel like a failure because I am not going to receive my degree at my graduation. I feel like I have let my family down because I will not be able to open up my envelope to find a beautiful, shiny piece of paper with my name on it that serves as the only evidence of everything that I have accomplished. Getting that degree in your hand on the day of your graduation means the world. Attending the ceremony means nothing knowing that all you are going to get is that piece of paper.

A little advice from a well-educated student. NMC Financial Aid, to avoid misleading any other students and to safeguard yourselves in these matters, make it a point to clearly explain that there might be a possibility that, although your office finds them eligible, the file will go to the U.S. and be further examined for eligibility and that they may have to pay back the money that you just awarded them. Remember, we live on an island where English is not our first language. Keep that in mind and again, thanks for ruining my graduation and making me feel like a failure.

Naomi Diaz
Gualo Rai