Federal Pell Grant | Our Opinion: Emory Financial Aid Is Still Strong, But Students Must Be Aware Of National Cuts
The recent passage of the Budget Control Act this August can only aggravate the situation. As a direct result of the act, student loan interest subsidies will be cut for the upcoming year, and additional cuts are likely to be made on Jan. 15, 2012, when Congress is due to pass more measures to ease deficits. Both the Federal Pell Grant and the Subsidized Stafford Loan Program are facing enormous changes; according to Director of the Office of Financial Aid Dean Bentley, this could affect more than 3,000 students in graduate divisions.
While we commend the Office of Financial Aid for its impressive dedication, we believe that financial aid advisors could improve their communication with students, who will ultimately be affected by these changes to federal support programs. Many students seem unaware that they could be negatively affected by these federal cuts. Therefore, we encourage administrators and staff within the financial aid office to take the necessary measures to ensure that Emory students remain informed of the process and any pertinent changes. For example, this could be well achieved by hosting workshops on how to navigate financial aid application websites.
The Office of Financial Aid has already demonstrated accountability to the student body in light of the increased need for financial aid programs in many other ways. The Office is currently undergoing many changes that will streamline the process for students applying for aid,
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