By TANGELA JOHNSON

Staff Writer

Jennifer Naquin, a freshman nursing major, transferred to Tech this quarter thinking all of her financial needs were covered until she was told to pay $1,000 in fees in less than a week.

Naquin, along with many other students, feels the financial aid office does not succeed in informing students of deadlines in a timely fashion.

"Financial aid would be better if there was someone there to give you all of your forms in time so that you will not have to find an alternate means of payment," Naquin said.

However, Roger Vick, director of student financial aid, said students can avoid enrolling issues caused by financial aid if they follow a few simple guidelines.

Vick said problems arise for new and returning students due to poor time management.

"They wait too late to apply for admission or financial aid, and sometimes make errors while applying," Vick said.

Errors include applying as a graduate student and using the wrong university code on federal forms.

Though Vick said he feels students should be more aware of the application process, Naquin said it would help if student workers were more informed about the in's and out's.

"The student workers are normally helpful, but their knowledge is limited," Naquin said.

"The workers in the back should move to the front after a certain point."

Vick said, however, the office does inform students, and e-mails may go unread, which will extend the process.

"Sometimes it takes two months before all of the forms are in," Vick said.

Vick said fallacies on student status, unsatisfactory academic progress and unfinished loan applications also impede the progress of applying for financial aid in the correct manner.

Naquin said the best way to solve the problem would be to call a meeting of students and financial aid advisers to discuss grievances and resolve conflicts.

Brandon Byles, a freshman political science major, also said he feels the workers fail to adequately express the students' part of financial aid requirements.

"They should make a greater effort in telling students what they should do," Byles said.

Byles said the workers should try to cooperate more quickly with prepared students.

"Workers should do all they can to expedite the process," Byles said.

Whatever the case may be, Vick said, students are often not getting their financial aid in time because they are not doing their part in time.

"If students would send the proper documentation in a timely manner, it would help me do my job better," Vick said.

"I don't have a sack of money sitting at the front door to hand out at the last minute."