Rundown Brahma Blotter

Thousands of students are unable to enroll in classes due to administrative hurdles in the financial aid process, which may cause some students to leave school before finishing.

The Student Verification and Los Angeles Promise application processes for financial aid can be confusing. Students are unable to enroll for classes while waiting to be verified to receive financial aid, according to Senate Treasurer Angela Belden.

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters

Dixon-Peters said that around 70 percent of students that owe fees do not return to Pierce College.

Pierce College Academic Senate leaders addressed these issues with the financial aid process at the Academic Senate meeting on Wednesday, March 25.

According to Belden, students who are selected for verification are often already disadvantaged.

“The federal government selects them for verification, which creates another barrier or hurdle for them that they have to then prove some of the information that they provided on their FAFSA,” Belden said.

Dixon-Peters explained that less than half of FAFSA applicants actually enroll in classes at Pierce College.

“We got about 17,000 applications from FAFSA saying that this student indicated that they are interested in coming to Pierce and applying for Financial Aid,” Dixon-Peters said.” Of that 17,000 we only get about 9,000 that are applying to Pierce College and of that 9,000 it would probably go down to about 7,000 that are actually enrolled.”

Dixon-Peters said that a lot of resources are already being allocated to address this problem.

“For those who have an incomplete application, we have a team of people calling them on the phone, making direct contact,” Dixon-Peters said.

According to Belden the issue is a district-wide problem.

“The district itself is woefully behind and we are still verifying now, in the spring semester, people from the fall semester, which means they didn't get their financial aid disbursement in the fall,” Belden said. “They haven't gotten a financial aid disbursement in the spring, and we're not talking about a few handfuls of students. We're talking about thousands and thousands of students at Pierce College, even tens of thousands.”

When Belden asked what the district is doing to solve this problem

Dixon-Peters responded, “I’m not worried

GINA WONG Reporter @ginabwong99

The concern over the wellbeing of Pierce College students has been a determining factor in making sure the students feel like they are taken care of properly. This ranges from feeding hungry students with the food pantry to looking ahead in the vision for success.

The possible development of a Student Wellness Committee based on the needs of student economic security was discussed at the Pierce College Council meeting Thursday.

Chair of PCC Brian Walsh said he wants to create a committee with council members that can provide assistance to students who struggle with food insecurity, homelessness and health care.

The concept of having a food pantry not just because the state told us to have one, but to benefit the students was one of the first steps that Pierce thought was good, according to Walsh.

“I don’t want to have an improvisational approach,” Walsh said. “It would be good if this committee had in its charter as a part of its mandate to seek outside partnerships with non-profits. That’s something we could do.”

Chair of Modern Languages Department Fernando Oleas provided statistics based on a survey of the nine colleges which includes 230,000 plus students in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD).

“62.7 percent of students surveyed experience food insecurity, while 38.3 percent cite very low food insecurity, 55 percent experience some form of housing and 18.6 percent experienced homelessness,” Oleas said.

Oleas said he is in support of forming a task force committee that accommodates the student’s needs.

“If students are hungry in class you can’t concentrate and some students who leave may have a place to sleep and others that don’t is a definite problem,” Oleas said. “So, if we really want to help our students concentrate about the district. I’m worried about Pierce College directly.” jbertel.roundupnews@gmail.com on education and become active members in our society and move forward in a positive way, we need to do something about this.”

LA Promise students are also having difficulties with the financial aid portion of the application process, according to Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass.

“I have a high school-age student and all his friends’ parents are calling me. I can't even find a breakdown on the website to give them accurate information, especially about the LA promise,” Bass said.

Bass urged the committee to find a solution to this problem.

“The website still says May 1 is the deadline, so we've got to find a way to get those students the accurate information,” Bass said.

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters said when looking at success rates some students who are coming here to finish their education are not staying on the path and struggles with food issues and housing are part of the reason.

“Some students say ‘I got sick or I don’t have money,” DixonPeters said. “I think having a task force will help us identify some strategies and or ideas that students are experiencing such as why are they successful and why are they not. Then this task force can make recommendations to the cause.”

Walsh said these issues should be broadened under the whole concept of economic support.

“I mean it’s like you can take classes here, but if you don’t have a home and food security it’s challenging,” Walsh said. “So, these concerns are now becoming a part of our mission, whether we like it or not.”

Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Amari Williams brought up the visions for success goals that are hoped to be achieved by 2022 will head to the Senate for approval in April.

“The first goal is that over five years, they hope to see an increase by at least 20 percent of the number of California Community College students who acquire associate degrees, credentials, certificates, or specific skill sets that prepare them for an indemand job,” Williams said.

However, Admissions and Records Assistant Miguel Montanez said this means an increase in the number of educational counselors to accommodate the increase of students receiving degrees to complete their educational goals.

“More staff is going to be needed at the counseling and graduation offices along with more guided pathways coordinators and CTE counselors,” Montanez said.