Muleskinner

Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Mona Jurshak / for the Muleskinner WAITING- Students stand in line at Student Accounts. CMSU will no longer issue checks for excess financial aid money; it will be direct deposited.

When the 2006 fall semester commenced, the office of Student Accounts encouraged students with remaining financial aid or scholarship money to register an online account to deposit the money. The change in the system caused concerns and problems for some students, and it left other students waiting for their refund checks.

In the past, students could go to the administration building and receive their check in person. Donna Bodenhamer, director of Student Accounts, said the change in the CMSU Banner System caused Student Accounts to modify its system.

Bodenhamer said Student Accounts tried to advise students ahead of time to take into consideration the upcoming change. Starting in the summer, signs warning students were placed in the Union. There was also information available on the CMSU Web site under the Student Portal section.

"A lot of students took advantage in July," Bodenhamer said. "It was a little adjustment."

Bodenhamer has been at CMSU for 21 years, four of them as director. She said she believes this is the first change in the system for at least the last 15 years. Registering an online account is not mandatory. Student Accounts said it felt the change is the simplest and most convenient way for students to receive their refund money. Students still receive checks, but in an altered manner.

However, not all students have received their refund checks. Students, such as Brian Gose, had problems with the system into September. Gose said after he registered an online account and spent monitored it for two days, he never saw the deposit. He called Student Accounts to find out the check had been mailed to his father's address. Unfortunately, Gose father had moved from that address.

Bodenhamer said this happens if a student does not have a campus or local address. The parents' address is still in the system; therefore, they receive the check, or the person now living at that address.

Bodenhammer said this is caused from students' failure to notify CMSU of their change of address.

Student Kristin Schuchmann said she was unaware she needed to register an online account.

"I had to get a short-term loan just to pay my rent," Schuchmann said.

Bodenhamer said a task force has been assembled to examine any problems with the new system. Matt Melvin, assistant provost for enrollment management, is the head of the task force.

Bodenhamer said the goal is to create solutions to these issues in order to ensure more clarity in the spring and upcoming semesters.

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