Frustrated with TESC Financial Aid

[pmc2009]

I am so frustrated with the TESC FA office. First, I can never get them on the phone. It always says all reps are busy. I received my financial aid award letter in the mail (which they still have not updated online) and it breaks my financial aid up over 4 quarters. This only gives me $1875.00 per quarter so I will not be able to pay for my enrollment fee and 2 classes (total $3387.00) with financial aid during one quarter.

I only wanted to take 2 classes there so that I could get FA to cover my enrollment fee but it seems this is not going to work out. Has anybody else had this problem with FA? Any suggestions?

[cookderosa]

I am so frustrated with the TESC FA office. First, I can never get them on the phone. It always says all reps are busy. I received my financial aid award letter in the mail (which they still have not updated online) and it breaks my financial aid up over 4 quarters. This only gives me $1875.00 per quarter so I will not be able to pay for my enrollment fee and 2 classes (total $3387.00) with financial aid during one quarter.

I only wanted to take 2 classes there so that I could get FA to cover my enrollment fee but it seems this is not going to work out. Has anybody else had this problem with FA? Any suggestions?

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Ok- first, I agree with you. I have vented on this board about the financial aid office many times.

Don't worry though, the money will balance out. They roll your balance over when you have a dispersement planned. (as opposed to being a cash payer)They deduct your first distribution from your balance, (3387-1875) and then for your second dispersement, they will do it again. You will probably be + at some point and get a small refund.
If you are getting a Pell or a student loan, you will have to enroll in 6 credits each semester to keep getting disbursements. You should do this, because there are several single courses that are 6 credits each- so you only have to "take" 1 class. Thats just about $950 each time, so you can still do this and end up in the + side by the end of the year. I used my overages to pay for books or CLEPs.
They have it planned that way- it will work out. Just be certain to stay on your cycle and not accidentally register for the wrong month, that makes life very difficult to correct.

[pmc2009]

Thanks so much for your information! That is why I love these boards. We get more info here than we do from the schools themselves. hilarious

I was hoping to just enroll for one semester, take 6 credits to get my enrollment fee covered and be done. It sounds like I will have to enroll for several semesters to make it all balance out if I use the FA which will not work if I want to graduate in December. However, I think I have come up with a new plan. I am currently enrolled in American Military University. If I take 2 classes with them in July I will get my reimbursement from them in August. I am going to use that to cover the enrollment fee at TESC and not take any TESC courses.

AMU does their financial aid differently. They just break it up into 2 yearly disbursements so if you only take 2 classes you get a pretty large refund.

Thanks again for your info!

[pmc2009]

Does anyone know if TESC offers a payment plan option for their enrollment fee?

[mlwilliamsiv]

Based on the information provided by other IC members, the answer is no. I wish they did. As far as I'm concerned, that is the only con against TESC. At least Excelsior has payment plans.

I am going to try to see if I can pull some strings and see if they will allow it if I can come up with at least half of the tuition upfront. It never hurts to ask!!!

Chat with ya later.

From a loyal degree seeker,

Marshall

[cookderosa]

Does anyone know if TESC offers a payment plan option for their enrollment fee?

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Yeah, it's called Visa! hilarious