JMU ranks high on financial aid dissatisfaction survey

By Shanya Strang, staff writer
Posted on September 17, 2007

This year JMU is at the top of one list that it isn’t boasting about.

In the 2008 Best 366 College Rankings compiled by the Princeton Review, JMU was named sixth in overall student dissatisfaction with financial aid. This ranking is based on students’ assessments of how happy they are with their financial aid package, according to the Princeton Review Web site.

“I had heard when I first came to JMU that they did not give a lot of financial aid to their students,” senior Elizabeth Montgomery said. “Now, I can see why students are dissatisfied with the aid they are given.”

The 20 universities on the list span from New York University to the University of Oregon to Spelman College in Georgia. JMU is one of three Virginia schools on the list, with George Mason University being ranked fifth and Hampton University coming in seventh.

“The majority of the grant dollars we award are allocated to us from the federal and state governments,” Brad Barnett, senior associate director of financial aid and scholarships, said. “How many students we are able to provide a grant award to each year depends in large part on the number of eligible students and our allocations from each of the applicable grant programs.”

To know if they are qualified to receive financial aid, students have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Then the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships reviews each form to determine if and how much aid a student will receive.

“We continue making awards to all eligible students as long as funds are available,” Barnett said. “We have seen some increases in these funds over the years, but more is definitely needed.”

Currently, JMU gives about $70 million in financial aid each year to around half of the student body, according to Barnett. That leaves over eight thousand students on their own.

“I have applied for scholarships every year, but have never been awarded any of them, which I find disappointing,” Montgomery said.

But things could be looking up for students in the future.

“We have seen our scholarship endowment increase over the past few years at JMU, and that has enabled JMU to award scholarships to many deserving students,” Barnett said.

Some students feel more should be done.

“The levels of financial aid should be adjusted for students paying their own way,” senior Heather Killen said.

For Killen, getting married caused her financial situation to change. While her income was the same as when she lived with her parents, she was no longer eligible for financial aid.

This is also the case for many students who have spent years on campus.

“I have done very well in school and have been very active on JMU’s campus, so it is disheartening that I have not received any scholarships when I feel I am highly qualified,” Montgomery said.

But according to Barnett, the issue isn’t in JMU’s hands.

“The community can have a big impact on the funds we have available for awarding,” he said. “As our endowment increases, we will be able to award more scholarships.”