Editors’ Note: This article is a continuation of City on a Hill Press’ coverage published throughout the 2024-25 school year regarding the financial aid distribution delay. CHP is committed to reporting on this subject.
“We’re not expecting a revolution from one day to another because that’s not realistic. We need to make realistic goals,” said Nayeli Quezada-Heredia, lead retention coordinator for Chicanx and Latine Educandose (ChALE). “Slow and steady [wins the race].”
Various student organizations hosted a financial aid town hall on Dec. 3. Students spoke with faculty working at the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO) about the state of financial aid for students.
The organizations present were the Student Union Assembly (SUA), and retention programs Chicanx and Latine Educandose (ChALE), Umoja, Community Unified Student Network (CUSN) and Kuya-Ate Mentorship Program (KAMP), all under Engaging Education (e2).
After a financial aid disbursement delay last year, student leaders are looking to keep a close eye on FASO and hold the administration accountable. This is the second financial aid town hall in the past year.
This time around, student organizations were looking to approach the event differently.
“I think that with the previous town halls, we were definitely treading lightly,” said Ava Kim, Student Union Governance Board (SUGB) vice chair. “This time around, we are definitely going to be more clear with exactly what students want.”
And part of what it seemed they wanted was a place to be heard.
The town hall was held at the Oakes Learning Center and began with two student speakers who introduced the agenda and the reasons behind holding the hall. Maya Payés, SUA Vice Chair of Internal Affairs and one of the student speakers, articulated her thoughts on what the town hall meant to students.
“The students asked for a space where financial aid leadership could directly address these issues within students, have some transparency within the student body and work towards real solutions.”
“Our goals are to identify barriers students face on [account] holds, missing documents, delayed distributions and communication gaps,” Payés continued. “We’re going to get direct responses from financial aid leadership about what can be improved, and … create clearer commitments and next steps for better financial aid processes.”
After the student speakers concluded, FASO Director Lorena Rodriguez led a presentation listing updates at the offices, accompanied by Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Garrett Naiman and Director of Undergraduate Admissions Timetra Hampton. 
Lorena Rodriguez, the director of FASO answers students’ questions and provides vital information about the current status of financial aid.
The presentation included an update on increased service hours and the number of students that have received aid and staffing upgrades. She emphasized FASO’s desire that this would make student access easier.
“There are systems in place that are quite a bit antiquated and they don’t meet the needs of today,” Rodriguez said during the presentation. “So we’re trying to overcome those challenges.”
After Rodriguez’s presentation, organizers held a Q&A session, where they drew questions from index cards that organizers passed out at the beginning of the event. The hall concluded with the Q&A opening up to general attendees, and about a dozen students raised their hands to ask various questions to FASO staff. The concerns and queries ranged from access to emergency aid funds, preventing delayed distribution, and undocumented student access to aid, among many other topics.
Though many students expressed concern regarding holds on accounts, administrators said that this year, account holds are largely due to students not meeting satisfactory academic performance requirements.
Once the event concluded, Nayeli Quezada-Heredia shared her thoughts about the administrators’ presentation.
“There’s so many levels and so many layers [to this issue] and while that is true, it’s just about keeping that communication,” she said. “Even if they can’t change a complete system overnight, there are tangible changes that they can make … I really want to see that reciprocated.”
FASO leadership has agreed to have quarterly meetings with the student-led financial aid committee. Payés is aiming for a continuation and expansion of clear communication.
With FASO positions being filled and working towards greater support online and in person, Rodriguez expressed a desire to find a middle ground with students to achieve satisfaction on both sides.
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Rodriguez said. “But I think this is a really great start, that we get a common understanding and we align our goals.”
Also present were representatives from Basic Needs and SUA, educating students on resources and opportunities available in light of financial aid issues and other setbacks.
