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The financial aid office plays an important role with regard to an institution's enrollment management goals. Some colleges and universities have a significant amount of institutional funds to award to students each year. Meetings are held to discuss, develop, and outline the awarding philosophy for prospective and currently enrolled students. At numerous other colleges and universities, only limited funds are available for scholarships, and federal student aid is the primary source of finances for students and their families.
The financial aid office helps students and families understand their options and responsibilities relative to paying for higher education. Federal, state, and institutional rules and regulations do not allow the financial aid office to always offer the funds needed to fully meet college and university expenses.
Strong emotions can come to the forefront when dealing with situations related to personal finance. Sometimes a financial aid office has to deny a student or family's request for additional funding. Doing so creates an interesting dynamic. Financial aid administrators routinely make exceptions (to the extent that regulations permit them to) in order to assist students and families. When such action still does not provide the preferred outcome, institutional funding options can be considered.
If institutional funding is not available or is not appropriate given the particular situation, then students and families may complain to the president's office or to the vice president or dean who supervises the financial aid department. (People are used to asking to speak with a manager when they are not satisfied with the services provided by an organization.) In situations in which the financial aid office has already utilized all the legal exceptions it can, a student's request for additional aid may again be denied, by the dean, the vice president, or the president.
Senior administration is not always in agreement with the financial aid office. It may believe that the financial aid director can make an exception that has not yet been offered. It may think that something can be done to offer students more funding-if only the financial aid director would communicate the solution.
Such situations can result in senior-level administration perceiving the financial aid office as not being student centered and as not offering...