mikeygamer
New Member
I'm going to try to break this down as simply as possible.
I'm a student at a college. My degree is a Bachelors in Computer Science. I am set to graduate on November 20th, 2007.
In mid-early 2006, I failed a class twice, which resulted in my having to pay to retake it the third time. In order to pay for the class, which amounted to $3,700.00, I had to deduct it from my living expense funds from a government loan.
I signed the forms, and the payment was made and I was cleared with the business office. This happened in August of 2006. Prior to that I was receiving letters back home stating that I owed the school, and how much, every month. After I signed the forms, the letters stopped.
On November 15th, 2007, I went into the Business Office to make sure I was clear with the school as far as fees and fines were concerned. Other than $100.00 laptop which I was intending on buying out I appeared to be clear. Then I was told to stick around and that a lady in the back office wanted to talk to me.
So I head back, and she tells me that after they upgraded their system, a glitch (in December of that year) caused the $3,700.00 to get mailed to my home as a living expense check, and also caused the system to not show it as an outstanding balance that never got paid.
To lay it out in a simple timeline...
Mid 2006
Failed the class, pay to retake
Letters getting sent home stating the amount owed
August 2006
Working with Financial Aid, we set up deductions from my living expense loans to pay for the retake so I could continue school. I sign the forms, the letters stop getting sent and all is well.
December 2006
A glitch in the computer system causes the $3,700.00 deducted from living expense to mail to my home. It is in the form of a living expense check. The glitch also masked my status as current (zero balance) with the school. This was the last living expense check I received.
November 15th, 2007 (five days before graduation)
The glitch is revealed, and the school is demanding the $3,700.00 in order to get graduation status and receive the degree.
How are the legalities of doing such a thing? If the papers were signed and everything was confirmed isn't that deal done? Wouldn't that make it a completely separate transaction than the $3,700.00 they mailed?
Basically, shouldn't the check they mailed be considered no more than them accidentally giving money away?
The worst part is how to procure it. I got no special treatment for them having such a huge error. They actually made me feel like it was my fault.
The financial people said my only option was paying it. I called a student adviser and she said I could file for an appeal, which takes 3-5 weeks to review. No fast track possible, even for a mistake as big as this on their part.
Maybe I'm overreacting, and I should just somehow conjure $3,700.00 and zip it, but for some reason I feel like I'm getting totally screwed.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, sorry for the length!
- Mikeygamer
I'm a student at a college. My degree is a Bachelors in Computer Science. I am set to graduate on November 20th, 2007.
In mid-early 2006, I failed a class twice, which resulted in my having to pay to retake it the third time. In order to pay for the class, which amounted to $3,700.00, I had to deduct it from my living expense funds from a government loan.
I signed the forms, and the payment was made and I was cleared with the business office. This happened in August of 2006. Prior to that I was receiving letters back home stating that I owed the school, and how much, every month. After I signed the forms, the letters stopped.
On November 15th, 2007, I went into the Business Office to make sure I was clear with the school as far as fees and fines were concerned. Other than $100.00 laptop which I was intending on buying out I appeared to be clear. Then I was told to stick around and that a lady in the back office wanted to talk to me.
So I head back, and she tells me that after they upgraded their system, a glitch (in December of that year) caused the $3,700.00 to get mailed to my home as a living expense check, and also caused the system to not show it as an outstanding balance that never got paid.
To lay it out in a simple timeline...
Mid 2006
Failed the class, pay to retake
Letters getting sent home stating the amount owed
August 2006
Working with Financial Aid, we set up deductions from my living expense loans to pay for the retake so I could continue school. I sign the forms, the letters stop getting sent and all is well.
December 2006
A glitch in the computer system causes the $3,700.00 deducted from living expense to mail to my home. It is in the form of a living expense check. The glitch also masked my status as current (zero balance) with the school. This was the last living expense check I received.
November 15th, 2007 (five days before graduation)
The glitch is revealed, and the school is demanding the $3,700.00 in order to get graduation status and receive the degree.
How are the legalities of doing such a thing? If the papers were signed and everything was confirmed isn't that deal done? Wouldn't that make it a completely separate transaction than the $3,700.00 they mailed?
Basically, shouldn't the check they mailed be considered no more than them accidentally giving money away?
The worst part is how to procure it. I got no special treatment for them having such a huge error. They actually made me feel like it was my fault.
The financial people said my only option was paying it. I called a student adviser and she said I could file for an appeal, which takes 3-5 weeks to review. No fast track possible, even for a mistake as big as this on their part.
Maybe I'm overreacting, and I should just somehow conjure $3,700.00 and zip it, but for some reason I feel like I'm getting totally screwed.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, sorry for the length!
- Mikeygamer
Last edited:
