Having problems with TESC.

[thatbrian]

This thread might be what pushes me toward Charter Oak. They do require an essay and public speaking course in order to graduate, but I have not heard these kinds of problems from COSC students.

[Mae]

Three words of advice for you, Call, Call, and then Call again! I just finished my degree at TESC and learned very quickly that if you need something done (in a reasonable amount of time) you need to speak with someone! Find out who is in charge of the function, you need and speak with them. It is very fustrating and time consuming but whever I spoke with someone they were very helpfull.


Good Luck!

[yankee_racers]

The frustration continues....

This all started back when I sent in my Application for Financial Aid. I saw that there was an Income Reduction Form on the TESC website and since I made a lot less money this year than last I filled that out and sent it in with my Application for Financial Aid.

I'll guess about a month later, the same day that I received my award letter in the mail, I got a call from TESC Financial Aid telling me they needed more information to confirm my Income Reduction. The award letter I got in the mail that day did not take the Income Reduction form into consideration. I called the Financial Aid office to find out exactly what they needed (a year to date statement of income from my employer). Since the award letter I had received that day said it had to be returned within so many days (I forget how many, but it wasn't a lot) I asked them if I should go ahead and accept it and turn it in or not and they told me that I should, and that they would just update it when they processed the Income Reduction form.

So I get the year to date statement of income from my employer and send that to the Financial Aid office at TESC and wait patiently. After a couple weeks I try to email them to make sure they got the statement of income and don't get any reply. Over the next 45 days I try to email them about once a week and never get any response.

After my last post in this thread I decided to email info@tesc.edu and I email them from a different email address than before. To my surprise I get the automatic response saying that a Ticket is created. They email me back saying that I accepted the original financial aid package but didn't sign up for any classes for December and I should just have the original award package moved to January. They act like they were the ones waiting on me to sign up for classes when I was waiting on them to process the Income Reduction Form. Since that email, I have tried twice to email them back to let them know that I didn't sign up for classes because I was waiting on them to process the Income Reduction form and update my award but have not received any responses from those emails.

I don't think they are going to process the Income Reduction form, which is frustrating. Why do they have it on their website if they won't process it? Why did they call me to request more information to confirm it? Soon it will be January and I can just fill out a new FAFSA to confirm my income from last year. I really don't want my award based on 2007 when I made a lot less in 2008. I am trying to find out what they want me to do but it is painful trying to get a response back from them. At this point it might be quicker/easier to fill out a new FAFSA in Jan. and send another Application for Financial Aid.

This post is getting long and I hope I explained it clearly enough. It is very frustrating to say the least, they have really dragged this out. I was hoping to be enrolled in classes already! As much as I hate to start the whole process over again, I am going to send my transcripts to Excelsior just in case it doesn't work out with TESC. Excelsior is my second choice so I am going to try to get this to work out with TESC first but I am contemplating paying the $75 to Excelsior and send them an Application for Financial Aid etc.

[JBjunior]

Honestly, if you haven't called by now then it is starting to be your fault as well. A couple of months of emails, and you haven't followed up with a phone call? I have gotten great responses by email when I need something in writing. But when I want something done, whether with TESC or otherwise, a phone call is the way to go. I am not sure what wasn't understood by the people who responded to "call, call, call." It is very easy to disregard an email and postpone your response, then forget. It is not easy to blow someone off on the phone. If you aren't willing to call, it might be time to find a different school.

[cookderosa]

Here are my thoughts-

While it might appear to be easier to do a new one in January, if you alredy accepted the award from December you're going to probably have to take it. If you don't mind me asking- was it a loan and a grant?

Call TESC financial aid and ask them specifically if your award is RIGHT NOW TODAY sitting there ready to use.

If yes,

then call advising, ask to speak to Dr. Keel. Explain that your situation is urgent. (he is head of advising) Perhaps he can get you special priority/permission to enroll in 1 of the 6 credit classes for the December start- even it if it means that you missed a week or two of the class. You can get caught up, usually the first week is just posting an intro and some reading. I suggest one of the 6 credit classes because, it's only one class and you can get caught up a lot easier than taking 2- also, 6 credits is the minimum needed for your financial aid (loans or grants). Dr. Keel could suggest one that fits in your degree plan.

If no,

<sigh> I'm not sure what to tell you. Maybe then have them cancel your file and you can send in your new W2 for 2007 showing lower income. Part of TESC's trouble is that if anything at all requires the slightest deviation from the normal 11,000 they are processing throws them off totally.