Spring Break
Northern Colo. universities see increase in financial aid applications for 2009
Erin Smith
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: News
Employees in the CSU financial service office said they have received about 2,900 more applications for financial aid from January to present than they received last year during the same time period.
Similarly, financial aid offices at several Northern Colorado universities are seeing more Free Application for Federal Student Aid submissions come in this year. They attributed the increase to changing financial situations and increased enrollment.
"We got two hundred in since last night," said Christie Leighton, associate director for Student Financial Services, on Tuesday afternoon.
Aid is still available, though, financial service employees said, and the best thing for students in need to do is visit their offices.
"The important thing for students to know is that there is still financial aid left and that if anyone is in need of money to help pay for college they should fill out a FAFSA," Leighton said, emphasizing that students in need should seek help from SFS to assess their situations and decide what to do from that point forward. FAFSA is a form that undergraduate and graduate students can file to determine eligibility for federal student financial aid including: Pell grants, work-study programs and Stafford and Parent PLUS loans.
Donnie Clark, the director of the Financial Aid office at the University of Northern Colorado, said the school's numbers had also increased; about 1,200 more students are seeking aid through her office thus far.
She said that while enrollment was up at UNC, she suspected that the increase in FAFSA applications was due to economic strain.
"I think more people are enrolling because of the economy, but applications for aid are also up because financial situations have changed," Clark said.
Clark also encouraged students to visit her office if their situations have changed.
In the Office of Financial Aid at CU-Boulder, associate director Ofelia Morales said their office had seen an 11 percent increase in financial aid applications over last year at the same time, adding that the information comes with a caveat.
Similarly, financial aid offices at several Northern Colorado universities are seeing more Free Application for Federal Student Aid submissions come in this year. They attributed the increase to changing financial situations and increased enrollment.
"We got two hundred in since last night," said Christie Leighton, associate director for Student Financial Services, on Tuesday afternoon.
Aid is still available, though, financial service employees said, and the best thing for students in need to do is visit their offices.
"The important thing for students to know is that there is still financial aid left and that if anyone is in need of money to help pay for college they should fill out a FAFSA," Leighton said, emphasizing that students in need should seek help from SFS to assess their situations and decide what to do from that point forward. FAFSA is a form that undergraduate and graduate students can file to determine eligibility for federal student financial aid including: Pell grants, work-study programs and Stafford and Parent PLUS loans.
Donnie Clark, the director of the Financial Aid office at the University of Northern Colorado, said the school's numbers had also increased; about 1,200 more students are seeking aid through her office thus far.
She said that while enrollment was up at UNC, she suspected that the increase in FAFSA applications was due to economic strain.
"I think more people are enrolling because of the economy, but applications for aid are also up because financial situations have changed," Clark said.
Clark also encouraged students to visit her office if their situations have changed.
In the Office of Financial Aid at CU-Boulder, associate director Ofelia Morales said their office had seen an 11 percent increase in financial aid applications over last year at the same time, adding that the information comes with a caveat.
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