For Poor, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall

[MountainLaurel]

2. This one hit me hard

“The method that was used in her case was very standard methodology,” said J. Lynn Zimmerman, the senior vice provost who oversees financial aid. “I think that what’s unusual is that she really didn’t advocate for herself or ask for any kind of review. If she or her mother would have provided any additional information it would have triggered a conversation.”

The assumption that this student or her mother would know that they had recourse is galling -- this is a completely new world for them, with so much unspoken information about how the process works. Not to mention the general attitudes, that authorities such as a university financial aid office are not to be questioned. To quote a friend, the real problem is "The assumption that everybody knows how navigate the financial aid system, and other obstacles to college success that don't get talked about."