College sets new rules for financial aid checks

BARSTOW • Barstow Community College implemented new rules this semester in an effort to cut down on financial aid abuse, leaving some students spending more on textbooks.

Heather Caldon, who oversees the financial aid department at BCC, said the school will not be sending financial aid checks to students until three weeks after classes start. Caldon said sending the checks out later is intended to discourage students from abusing financial aid.

In order to make books available in time for classes, the Vikings Bookstore allows students to purchase textbooks using authorizations from the financial aid department. All the student needs is his or her class schedule and student ID and the bookstore looks up the amount of financial aid he or she can use to purchase.

Caldon said qualifying low income students can receive up to $2,775 of financial aid to help pay for books, materials, and sometimes living expenses. The problem, Caldon said, is when students sign up for classes, receive financial aid, but never show up to classes or give no effort, failing all their classes.

In the fall semester BCC had about 200 students do this, Caldon said.
Though these students are responsible to pay the aid back, much of that money won’t be returned as one in three students have difficulty making payments for their education according to a study by the nonprofit Institute of Higher Education Policy.

Usually the financial aid checks are sent out the first week of classes. This semester the checks will be sent out Jan. 27, after the date when instructors drop non-attending students, Caldon said.

Though some students complain the new rules force students to purchase books from the bookstore, which are usually more expensive. Caldon said she’s had two complaints from students but also some positive feedback.

BCC student Armando Ubaldo said he spent about $430 on his books for this semester. One of his textbooks “Becoming a Master Student” he spent $75 on, but online at amazon.com the book is sold new for $58 or used for as low as $14.94.

But Ubaldo said he doesn’t mind the new policy, adding that he purchased last semester’s textbooks from the bookstore.

“They’re pretty fair,” Ubaldo said. “I needed to get these books quick. I don’t want to get behind on classes.”

BCC student Jonathan Freed said when he learned the school would be changing policy he was initially frustrated until he learned he could still buy his books from the bookstore.

“It was completely fine with me,” Freed said, adding that the most important thing to him was getting his books on time for classes.