I started my master's program at Grand Canyon in December 09. After I received my stipend check I was told that my cost of attendance was calculated wrong and that I was over awarded. The school posted an unsubsidized loan in the amount of $2,189 as a charge back to my account which created the $6,479 balance when added to my tuition for my next set of classes. To take care of this balance the school dropped a class and used the funds from that and my next set of unsubsidized and subsidized loans to pay for the balance. I was told that you could not drop classes otherwise you would end up owing the
school.
The school canceled the majority of my unsubsidized loans. I was awarded $7850 on 12/17/09 the school canceled $5666 of my loans leaving me with $1725. I was also awarded $1961. I received the loan in two halves $977 on 5/24/10 and $976 on 5/25/10. $1725 wasnt on my award letter to accept. My award letter had $2184 and thats what I accepted. For my first unsubsidized loan the school disbursed $3906 to me in 09 and they were suppose to disburse to me $447 in spring 10, but didnt until 2/2. Since they canceled all but $1725 of my loan this is the amount that I should have been disbursed. Also on
5/25/10 the school voided a stipend check in the amount of $2743 and reissued me one on 5/27/10 for $1121. The only reason I was given was that it was for the wrong amount. I dont think that it was.
My tuition went up in spring 10 according to the finance agreement that I signed the school is suppose to change fees and tuition at the beginning of an academic semester.initially I was billed for only 6 credit hours when I was actually taking 7. Recently in an email I was told by Chris Linderson who is the VP of Student Financial Aid Compliance that two tuition
components were on my account and only one was suppose to be used, the processor forgot to delete one of them. She asked me if I had changed programs. The answer is no this was my first time taking classes at this school. I've only been in one degree program.
This school makes changes to your account without your permission and without notifying you. Nothing is in writing. The school posted another unsubsidized loan in the amount of $447 as a charge on my account that I was suppose to receive in spring 10. I did not receive this money until 2/2. After I discovered this mistake that the school posted a subsidized
loan that I was suppose to receive as a charge on my account, I began inquiring about my cost of attendance from the 09/10 school. I was told that it would have to be researched. I found this to be odd because this is two years later why is my COA having to be researched. I told the financial department that I didnt know what my cost of attendance was for that year that I had been asking and no one could tell. This actually wasnt true Jessica Berno and her manager emailed me my corrected COA along with a detailed explanation on 4/30/10 therefore why did it need to be researched when it was already corrected and
figured out. Since I started inquiring about my COA I have been passed along to four different people Paul Fernandez, Bridget Burgess, Caylie Mendenhall and Chris Linderson. Chris Linderson is the person who emailed me back with a cost of attendance that was not the same one that Jessica had emailed me a year ago. The one she emailed me was significantly lower.in the email Jessica sent me my official corrected COA minus fees was $14,319. Chris Linderson actually emailed me two different amounts $12,450 and $12,850. The cost of tuition for 09/10 school year is significantly lower than that of the 10/11 school.
Chris said Jessica assumed that the school used a specific tuition amount based on the courses that student take. To my knowledge Jessica isnt a new counselor and wouldnt need to make assumptions. She was not working alone she had her manager working with her on my account. I don't think Jessica and her manager both made that assumption and calculated my COA wrong for the second time. They would have taken great care in handling this matter since it is the supposed reason I was over awarded the first time. Chris said that the school uses an average tuition amount of $2425. Why would the school use an average tuition amount that doesn't reflect my tuition? I wouldn't be awarded enough financial aid if this were done. I have to be awarded based on what I'm taking. What if I took two classes during the eight week period, if the average tuition amount of $2,425 per term was used I wouldn't be awarded enough financial aid to cover my tuition.
My financial aid corrections would have been based on the corrected COA Jessica emailed me which was $14,319. I was awarded $14764 in financial aid which means I was only over awarded by $445. I believe the school owes me $3093. Im not sure why it took the school almost over two weeks to research my COA when Jessica already did and therefore it should have already been in my file. The first time my COA was calculated wrong that may just have been human error, but the second time when more than one person was working on it. I find that highly unlikely. I am not accepting the COA Chris Linderson is
trying to give me. This school should not be able to change things on whims. As I stated I purposely told the school I did not know my COA for that year so I could verify what Jessica had already emailed me, instead of verifying I have caught the school in a lie. They apparently have changed my corrected COA.
I was told that they switched from an academic year to a borrower based system in fall of 2010. I was never notified about the change I just found out recently. I was told that the Department of Education made the change and not the school. I sought outside help from the office of Ombudsman and the investigator had no clue what a borrower based system was, she advised
me to get things in writing.
Another issue is about a month and a half ago I had a registration hold and then a financial aid disbursement hold placed on my account. At first no one knew what they were for. I had just made an A in my previous class my GPA was a 3.10. I was told that because I was enrolled/accepted into the school with specifications after 8 credit hours I was supposed to be
reviewed. Apparently the school forgot to do my review so they looked back at my GPA at the time I was supposed to have the review and at that time I did not have a high enough GPA, based on that they decided that I was not officially
accepted into the school even though at that time I had a 3.10 GPA. After a few days I was told that I either had to pay for the class out of my own pocket for the class I was currently in or I could be withdrawn without penalty. Because I was told this I fell behind in my class; miraculously a week or so after that I received an unprofessional emailed acceptance letter, it didnt have the schools letter head, no date, and my name wasnt on it. I complained and a proper one was emailed to me. I had to literally request that an official one be mailed to me but all I got was a copy of the one that was emailed to me. I
could have printed that myself. The school is in the process of deciding if I should be allowed to take the class at my expensive or be allowed to complete/redo the work and do a change of grade. Ive had to file two grade grievances already.
I think is great that some of you have had a wonderful experience at GCU but I have not. Its been two years of continuous situations and unresolved issues. Ive had enough. Ive contacted every outside source possible to get help with this school. I just want to fulfill whatever class requirements I have left and transfer to another school. That was my other issue with this school. They make it seem like you have to take continuously. It is my choice to continue my education. I can start and stop anytime I feel. They use to threaten me that my funds will be sent back. Now they have were you can take a leave of absence. People know that they can sit out no more than six months before they have to start paying back their loans. Sometimes people just need a break. I've have been going to school all of my life. As far as financial aid goes once Im awarded Im awarded financial aid it is there for me to use whenever I decide to go back to school.
I never had any problems as an undergrad at my former school with financial aid or academics. I should have stayed an EAGLE.
If you are serious about pursuing your education DO NOT attend this school. You will not be able to concentrate on your classes because you will be dealing with so many issues and mistakes the school has created.
Youve been warned.
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