Difficult C-Codes
Which C-Code is the most difficult to resolve? Why?
My career in financial services has been relatively short compared to some of you. I have only been at my current post since the end of August.
With that being said I believe that a C code triggered by a student’s defaulted loans has proven itself to be the most difficult thus far. This is true not because of the documentation it requires but because it is entirely in the student’s hands.
What I mean by this statement is that we can have the student on site and help him/her start the consolidation process but ultimately it is up to the student to take the situation seriously and to work with the lender to get everything resolved in a timely matter.
Only once every bit of information has been obtained and processed, only once there is a clearance letter in effect can the financial aid office move on, with the student, to the next step.
Some students, as we know, are more responsible and prompt then others which highly complicates things.
Elaine,
Citizenship can be difficult, especially if you do not have a lot of eligible alien students. There are many documents with specific requirements. The guidance provided in the SFA Handbook is very helpful when validating documents and the requirements of the document.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
Citizenship is far harder than the rest. Knowing documents to gather,especially if you do not deal with every day
Jennifer,
Many of the other participants have indicated this in their responses to this forum. They indicated the wait for the SS Letter or documentation to substantiate the student did not "knowingly and willfully" fail to register can be difficult and time-consuming to obtain.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
Failure to register with Selective Service is the most difficult to resolve due to the time it takes to process for the student.
Talia,
I am glad that this forum was of benefit to you. I agree it is always good to have an understanding of how other professionals are resolving issues for students.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
It's very interesting to read other FA officers experiences and very helpful to hear how they resolved the issues. Real life examples are the best way to learn.
Lisa,
Many of the participants in this forum agree with you that Selective Service may be a difficult code to resolve. It is important to have strong procedures in place to ensure the proper documents are collected timely and are accurate. Based on your comments it appears your institution has these in place to ensure accurate processing of federal student aid.
Sincerely Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
I believe it is failure to register with selective service. The process takes quite a while. We have the student complete a letter explaining their failure to register and we obtain a letter from selective service noting the inquiry. We will let the student start school as a provisional student with student payments set up but will not allow him to stay in school until all documents are received. Unfortunately we have had some students that had to leave school before their provisional period is up because of lack of documentation in time. The student can then start school again as soon as all documentation is received.
I agree the C-Code related to Pell Overpayment can be difficult to resolve
The most difficult C code to resolve I personally think is the selective service one. If a student didn't know they had to register between 18-26 they need to have a very good reason as to why they weren't able to register because simply "forgetting" is not a good enough excuse and they will never be eligible for title IV funding. I have had a couple students in the past where I have ran into this and it is heartbreaking to tell them they are not eligible for Financial Aid until they get a status change letter from the Selective Service clearing them. Another difficult one is the default C code only because this one takes time to resolve and it all depends on whether the student decides to consolidate or rehabilitate. A lot of times this postpones the student's anticipation to start classes unless they are okay with cash payments, the same goes with failing to register for selective service.
Garnett,
I think most of the participants in this forum would agree with your thoughts. It is hard to understand how a student raised in the US would not know about the requirement to register; however, if you collect documentation that supports their failure to not willfully and knowingly fail to register you should be able to clear the C-Code.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
I would say the Selective Service can be difficult, because in some cases you have to determine that the student did not willfully not register, especially if they were born in the states.
Jeffery,
Good points. We often focus on specific ones and the difficult to resolve; however, it is important to consider that all C-Codes require diligence through resolution. Each deserves to be evaluated based on its unique requirements.
Sincerely, Chyrl
Chyrl Ayers
Most C-Code's are difficult to resolve ranging from loan defaults to Selective service Status requests. Each one seems to have its own personality. To have success clearing C-Codes its it important to be diligent and almost relentless with the follow-up.
Mayra,
I agree Mayra, Selective Service C-Codes can be difficult to clear as all C-Codes may be difficult to clear. It is very important to ensure that the student knows ahead of time that it is goiing to take time to clear Selective Service and why it is so important that they provide all necessary documentation as quickly as possible.
Regards,
David McGuffee
The selective service is one of the difficult C-codes to clear and waiting for a response can take some time.
Regina,
You are correct in that resolving C-Flags can be difficult and time consumming. that is why it is so important to explain to the student up front exactly what is needed and the time it will take them to provide. The handbook is quite clear as to what documents are needed to resolve C-Flags so as long as the student understands this up front their should be no issues.
Regards,
David McGuffee
Myles,
C-Flags are difficult to resolve. However, the rules provided in the Handbook are quite clear as to what is needed for resolution. If the student is wanting financial aid to help pay for their education they are going to have to put some effort into providing the school with the needed information. It takes time to complete most C-Flags so ensuring the student understands this up front will go a long way in resolving them in a timely manner.
Regards,
David McGuffee
