The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is a government-run agency that provides financial aid to college students, allowing them to receive higher education at a lower cost. However, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, has yet to sign an official budget agreement with the state, delaying thousands of students from receiving their aid before and during the school year.
“I received a notification in the middle of one of my classes that my Temple portal balance had gone up, so I checked and found out that my tuition had increased because of the delay,” freshman Leila Kasbari tells Her Campus.
Financial aid offices have been booked and busy, creating waiting lists that last hours and delay students any word on their current situation and what their next steps are financially.
“I went to the walk-in center for financial aid, and my wait time was four hours, so I made the appointment and then I actually had to leave and go to classes before I actually got in to talk to someone, and it ended up being longer than a four-hour wait,” continues Kasbari. “They were not really helpful because they didn’t have any answers. They just let me know that if my balance matched what my state grant should have been, then I wouldn’t get a late fee added on to my balance”.
Unfortunately for the students who are uncertain about what is going on, there is no official date as to when this delay will come to an end. For some positivity in this situation, the Democrats of the House and Republicans of the Senate will end their recess this month, and hopefully will come to a solution.
Although a delay in the state grant has happened before, it has typically been because of another form of financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Last year, The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that FAFSA had a disastrous application start. Typically, applications open in October for the upcoming year, but last year, they opened in December. This resulted in a domino effect for every other financial aid platform.
Temple University is one of the universities in the state of PA that has not sent out a direct comment, response, or email regarding the lack of aid and/or a plan. Instead, detailed communication regarding financial assistance has been taking place directly between students, parents, and student financial services, as the University itself is not responsible for the state grants.
A potential solution for students who can afford this plan is to pay the outstanding balance now and receive a refund when the grant is eventually agreed upon. While this is an option, it is unrealistic to assume that students who have applied for grants have the funding to pay their balances out of pocket.
Families have been left in the dark about the state and timing of an agreement. I believe if there is any hope of easing the worries of students who are unable to pay for their higher education, the state of Pennsylvania must come to an agreement soon.