By Christina Goodman
Classes to attend. Books to buy. Good grades to earn.
Being a student is hard enough without adding one more thing onto the pile.
Delayed FAFSA applications add to the burden, as does reaching that point at Delta College where you are no longer eligible for financial aid, despite wanting to continue taking classes and learning.
I reached the point of financial aid disqualification last year.
“This letter serves as notification that you’ve been placed on Financial Aid Disqualification for reaching the 150 percent maximum timeframe allowed for the completion of your program of study. Federal Regulations allow students to receive financial aid until they have attempted 150% of the total number of units required to complete the student’s declared program of study,” the letter read.
The problem is, I’m not done learning.
A lot has happened in my time at Delta, a nice amount of it good, but some bad.
I started the appeal process. I met with an academic counselor because I wanted to declare a new major.
I had to gather medical records to prove I had health issues, which led me to change my major. I started as a Culinary Arts student. But losing a toe due to amputation in 2020 meant that standing for long periods of time was painful for me. The year 2020 was a bingo card of misfortune for me: Covid-19 pandemic, a death in the family and several procedures on my back.
I have changed my major three times.
Now I’m waiting for doctors notes to help me prove and plead my case. I’m hoping to get everything collected by the end of February. The work of this has caused me more stress in a time I just want to focus on classes.
While I graduated in Spring 2023 with a grade-point average of 3.6, I continue to pursue classes that will help me — a disabled woman — secure a job to support myself at some point. I added a social media certificate and a Digital Media degree to my Communication Studies degree because it provided hands-on media experience.
The process feels unfair. It feels like more of a burden. It feels like the intent is for me to give up before my case is settled. I know I’m not the only one. This has been a topic of discussion at different points on a Delta College Facebook group that has more than 8,000 people. Students complain about similar or the same issues.
I’m also now ineligible for programs that once helped me, like EOPS which was providing services such as a book voucher and school supplies.
