Framingham graduates decry ‘inconsistency’ in SHEFA policy

Eight of the 17 Framingham State University graduates under Cohort 8 trooped to the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance office yesterday and waited for more than an hour to appeal anew their unpaid financial awards for the last semester.

Disappointed with SHEFA administrator Henry Hofschneider’s statement Tuesday about the slim chance of their request being granted, the group scored SHEFA’s inconsistent policies and program practices.

Bobby Cruz, who completed a master’s degree and is now an employee of the Public School System, deplored the “double standard” being practiced by the current SHEFA administration. He said the past administration gave him financial awards in the last two semesters.

“It seems that there is a double-standard regarding the way Framingham graduates are processed and how other graduate students are processed. We submitted our applications, we were provided two financial awards already, which obviously means we are eligible. We followed the same procedures and normally we receive our financial awards after each semester. So what seems to be the issue now with our final financial awards?” a disappointed Cruz told reporters yesterday.

Hofschneider denied singling out Framingham students. “In fact, we’re also holding off checks of other graduate students from other universities…because we have no funding to pay for it,” he said.

Hofschneider had recommended denying reimbursement for fall 2010 Framingham graduates because of lack of funding. The matter has been referred to the board’s policy and procedures committee and will be acted on next week.

Hofschneider admitted yesterday to inconsistencies in the policies and practices of SHEFA but he reiterated that prior awards were granted under a different administration. Hofschneider joined SHEFA last year and only recently started checking and evaluating the program’s operations and policies.

Hofschneider pointed out that SHEFA prioritizes undergraduate scholars, while graduate level scholars are just a second priority. At the same time, SHEFA can only give out awards upon the availability of funds, he said,

He said these Framingham students may be eligible but funding is not available and the only way to give them awards is to include funding in the fiscal year 2012 budget. SHEFA has no lapsed funds in the last fiscal year that can be used to cover these students’ awards, he added.

The affected scholars earlier claimed that the previous SHEFA board had agreed to reimburse them for their fall 2010 tuition expenses. Hofschneider had said that they found no written record of such an agreement.

Cruz clarified yesterday that a “written agreement” is unnecessary because the process has been the “practice” of SHEFA since the beginning.

“It’s the administrative process that has been in place. If the same protocol was followed from Cohort 1 through Cohort 7, then what seems to be the problem this time? Why the sudden change?” asked Cruz.

Another scholar, Darrah Tagabuel, said the current SHEFA management “ignored” the calls of affected students. “I only received a response when I told them I’ve been waiting for an answer in the last four weeks,” she said.

“My biggest concern is that other graduate students are receiving financial checks and I personally know one of them. My question is what makes me less priority than person X and who does receive a check?” she said.

Hofschneider has scheduled a meeting with affected scholars today at 2pm. However, he said no decision will be made because the matter is now up to the board.