The start of the semester is just like the start of anything new and unknown: saturated with excitement, fear and a multitude of other emotions.
But as Boston University students descended upon the Charles River campus — and several study abroad locations — it seemed the initial twinge of excitement might be snuffed out by one particular anxiety: a rocky financial aid rollout.
While it seems like the light might finally be appearing at the end of the tunnel — BU Financial Assistance sent out a university-wide email Monday alerting students that all semester bills would be due Sept. 30.
The ride here hasn’t been easy.
The summer filled with unanswered questions, automated email responses and disconnected phone lines begs the question — what does this year’s financial aid rollout reflect about BU as an institution?
BU first alerted students that Fall 2024 statements may not reflect their financial aid awards in an email sent on July 16. The email also noted the implementation of FAFSA’s new student system — a product of the FAFSA Simplification Act — which updated the federal student aid award system at the beginning of this academic year.
However, despite notifying students that it would waive late fees until further notice due to the delays, BU notified students in an email on July 25 that they could only use BU services, including on-campus housing and dining plans, once their student account was settled.
Thus began a tumultuous summer of mixed signals from the University and confusion among students. The financial aid office limited communication with students and resorted to automated email responses and shut-down phone lines. As July turned to August and the start of the fall semester loomed closer, BU’s financial aid office continued to issue updates containing little new information.
The information provided was often incorrect. For example, an email sent from Financial Assistance on Aug. 8 noted that “awarding financial aid for continuing students [had] begun and [would] be completed by mid-August.” As of Sept. 9, students are still reporting on BU’s unofficial Reddit thread that they have not received their complete financial aid packages.
The implementation of the new FAFSA system is outside of BU’s realm of control. But communicating with students on what issues the system might cause — and how it may affect quintessential college experiences like move-in and class registration — is the responsibility of the university.
And for students — particularly freshmen, who may not yet be adept at using BU’s brand-new student website — shutting down direct means of communication with an essential service like financial aid is unacceptable.
Looking at the financial aid problem on a university-wide scale puts this disaster into a different lens. In the middle of the spring semester last year, the Boston University Graduate Workers Union went on strike for fairer wages and better stipends. BUGWU’s strike became the longest union-authorized higher education student worker strike.
BU’s Residence Life Union went on strike earlier this year from April 12 to April 15, and started a second strike on Aug. 31 during move-in weekend. On Sept. 5, striking RAs were notified that BU would suspend their free room and meals, an expense valued between $11,000 and $20,000.
Both strikes demonstrate an already tense relationship between administration and students, a tension exacerbated by tough conversations about money. But when reflecting on BU’s exorbitant tuition prices, it seems ironic that the institution is forcing its own financial problems onto its students.
As we enter a new school year, financial aid difficulties plague students with a slew of anxieties in addition to those that already come with the college experience. Anxiety around paying for school isn’t one that can be easily avoided — particularly not at a university that has raised their tuition by more than $20,000 in the past 10 years.
But it can be partially alleviated through open communication and with one singular, clear and honest narrative sent out to their audience.
This is the core of BU’s failure. Rather than attributing its rocky financial aid rollout to the pitfalls of FAFSA’s new system, the university chose a path of false promises and — often — silence.
This article was written by Opinion Co-Editor Addison Schmidt.
