Editor’s Note: This story is an update to one published on Sept. 20, 2019.
MyDelta is causing more setbacks for students, including unaligned data between the new and old systems. Financial aid, transcripts and education plans are currently impacted.
These problems were highlighted in a campuswide email sent to Delta staff on Sept. 18. Students were not notified by a similar email.
Students hoping to transfer may experience issues, particularly with official transcript requests, according to the email. Most transfer applications require both official transcripts and education plans.
Both are supposed to be located in the new MyDelta portals, but since the system changed data has been misplaced.
The school hasn’t made public what plans are to ensure university applications are still valid for review, but said in the email appropriate departments would be working with university partners.
As of the email date, Delta was unable to send out official transcripts with work in progress. Instead, previous semester work would be included, along with a print out of a current class schedule and a verification letter.
No timeline was given for a projected fix.
When informed on the current issues, Fashion Merchandising student Galilea Paez said she feels “horrible, because you plan this whole [transferring] thing, for me it’s been two years.”
The email addressed financial aid inconsistencies as well.
Many students have either not received the Promise Grant, formerly known as the Board of Governors’ (BOG) Waiver, and some financial aid distributions have not been made available.
Students continue to ask questions in the nearly 5,000 member public San Joaquin Delta College Facebook group about aid issues.
Problems include lack of communication from financial aid specialists, continued questioning to disbursements, and lack of waived fees.
The only public announcement within the same time frame has been: “The MyDelta Portal will be unavailable beginning at 6 pm on Friday, September 20 until 12 am on Saturday, September 21st for system updates. Thank you for your patience!”
Earlier in the semester, when students would inquire about financial aid status, they would receive a similar message from individual financial aid specialists: “Please note that we are currently unable to post these fee waivers in the database system so you will not see this fee waiver in your current Financial Aid Award. Additionally, you will still see that you owe fees for fall 2019 in your student account. However, you are eligible for the fee waiver and you do not need to pay the fall 2019 enrollment fees. We anticipate being able to award the fee waiver and apply this to your fall 2019 fees soon.”
The Collegian sent questions through email on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 to Dr. Lisa Cooper-Wilkins, vice president of student services and assistant superintendent, who sent the initial message to staff campuswide.
Questions were included seeking clarification and comment on the issues. Cooper Wilkins did not respond.
