By Daniel Gligich and Jessica Johnson

Alissa Clemmons was filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and had no issues until a question came up about her parents’ tax information. That was an issue  — neither parent is in the picture.

Clemmons was able to submit the form but received notice a few weeks later that it was incomplete and she would have to provide more information about her situation.

“It’s really frustrating, because the application for financial aid — it’s not a one-size-fits-all application, because you have people coming to college from all different walks of life,” Clemmons said. “Not everybody has a parent, or not everybody’s married. Not everybody owns estates.”

After a four-week process that included Clemmons submitting three notarized letters to prove that her parents are not in her life, she felt that she was finally through with everything.

Unfortunately, Clemmons said the office lost the paperwork after she submitted it. She had to plow through the process all over again. At this point, Clemmons was already deep into the fall semester, and she had to drop Math 45 because she had no money left to pay for it.

Clemmons resubmitted every form and letter. Eventually, she was granted the financial aid, but not before being set back in her education.

Although the financial aid process can cause problems for some, there is help available. Kelly Russell, is the director of the Fresno State Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, said she understands the different issues students face when applying for financial aid.

“Because of federal guidelines that we have to follow, sometimes student’s household situation or family situation can cause some complexity on how we have to document or process aid,” Russell said.

A common situation is when students are raised by someone their entire life who is not a parent or legal guardian.

Russell said that if a student has been raised by someone who is not his or her legal guardian, the student is unable to simply enter the tax information and move on.

“It can be pretty complex,” Russell said. “To me, that’s why the office is here, to help a student through those complexities.”

In regards to the the office losing students’ paperwork, Kelly said that unfortunately it sometimes happens — that is human error.

Incomplete forms and lost paperwork are not the only issues the office and students face.

Russell said the primary issues in spring are regarding satisfactory academic progress, transfer and first-time students.

“If students didn’t meet certain qualifications at the end of the fall semester, then they might not be eligible for aid for the next semester, or they might have to appeal through the appeal process to be able to receive their aid,” Russell said.

Inquiries at the office are high during spring, Russell said, “because there’s not that long gap like there is between spring and fall.”

Russell added: “If they are first-semester spring transfers or a spring start who maybe had to switch their financial aid from another college to here, then sometimes because of the timing, it’s just not possible to get it processed over the holidays.”

Up until the fourth week of the semester, on the census date, Feb. 13, disbursements will go out to students on Wednesdays and Fridays.

After the census date, disbursements will be released on Fridays only. When aid is disbursed, it goes to the business office, then the business office passes the money on to students.

Russell said she realizes there are other ways to communicate better with students to “help try to diminish that wait time” in line or on the phone.

She is hoping to set up a financial aid office email account that can be utilized by students to send their concerns. The current options are waiting in line at the financial aid office or calling office the phone.

If you have not received your aid yet, Russell encourages you to check your student portal to see if you have any “to do” items.

“Just keep trying, be patient but keep trying. Whether it be on the phone or downstairs [Financial Aid Office], I don’t want anybody to feel like they didn’t get served,” Russell said.

She said that she encourages all students to remain patient and reach out to her if they have any questions or concerns regarding the financial aid process. She said that it is best to contact her by email at [email protected].

Due to renovations, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is temporarily located in the north lobby of the Joyal Administration Building and is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students can seek help at the public contact windows in the lobby. The office can also be reached by phone at (559) 278-2182.

The priority deadline to submit FAFSA is March 2, 2017.

A Q&A video with the financial aid office and The Collegian will be available to students by Friday Jan. 27.