cliffs: if you dont feel like reading, dont bother
So basically I fucked up.
I’ve been going to school at ACC for two semesters now, have had a certificate of residency submitted to them twice.
My last certificate apparently expired January 19, 2009, and I had for some reason thought that would be fine for Spring 2010 as well. They’ve sent me letters with applications for certificate of residency, and have said that I had 30 days from the start of classes to submit it. Like a moron, I never checked on it, having received these letter almost constantly while I’ve attended them, even when I had a valid certificate. Last week I get a bill in the mail, saying that I owe them $150 because I was being billed as a non-resident because I did not have a certificate of residency. Well I called the county treasurer and they tell me I have until the 10th. Cool. I figure, hey, I’ll swing by after work tomorrow (the 4th) and grab one. So I do.
Been pretty busy all week, and had this deadline in my head, cleared some time today to bring it to them. So I strut into the business office ready to bask in my glorious federal financial aid refund and take a hit to the jaw-they say it’s too late. I politely explain my situation, and they, as everyone who works in a college business office does, in the bitchiest possible manner “WE SENT YOU LETTTEERRRSSS! THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT IN WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE START OF CLASSES” Hooookay then. Ask her to call the treasurers office to see if anything can be done, reluctantly she does.
That ends up with her schooling me on how community colleges work, something about the difference in tuition is split between county and state…idk, w/e. Basically the school does all it’s billing in one shot, somewhere between the treasurer’s deadline and 30 days after school starts (Feb 22nd or some shit), if you miss their billing dates TOUGH SHIT.
Well after speaking to nearly everyone in the treasurers office, I’m told that it’s entirely up to the school, that if it was post marked today they would absolutely accept it.
Call the bursar back, tell her what the treasurer said. She says we warned you, you’re fucked, we’re can’t do it today, it’s done.
I swallow my pride and punch some things…and figure I’d check my student account online to see if there was a date I had to pay, what I thought was another $150 (I had a $650 refund from financial aid coming, the non-resident fee is $8xx, I had to pay the difference), well apparently not only are you charged an $8xx dollar non-resident fee, but you get nailed with out-of-state tuition, literally double tuition.
So the grand total for this SEMESTER’s tuition? $3485.
What classes did I take at this community college?
Macroeconomics, and Math 097 (yes fucking hardcore noobcake math).
$3500 for two classes, I am responsible for $1485.
I have been a resident of Saratoga County, and proved my residence to ACC THREE TIMES NOW. But suddenly, because I relied on a deadline that apparently isn’t a deadline, I owe this place roughly 4 times what I was originally billed for, for two classes, one of which doesn’t even count towards my degree.
Fucking epic fail. Fuck NYS. Fuck ACC. Fuck the secondary education system. Thank you to all of the nice women at the Saratoga County Treasurer’s office. Everyone who works in the business office at ACC- if you had hot wax poured over you, then had a spit penetrated from your mouth out of your ass, in the most non-lethal and painful way imaginable, and then were slowly roasted over hot coals-I would feel happier than I have in a long time.
How the fuck do these people sleep at night. I know I fucked up by procrastinating, but I might as well have went out and gotten a fucking DWI last night. All I’m trying to do is better myself by getting an education and these people are basically screwing me out of school for a year at least.
I can’t pay that $1500, I just can’t, and now I won’t get credit for the classes I’ve taken, will lose the financial aid for them because of which, which means I’ll be fully liable for the $3500 tuition, and also I will not be eligible for financial aid next year.
I’ve called and talked to several people in admissions, business office, student affairs, financial aid, the treasurer, all of these people multiple times, and have made no head way. Apparently nothing more can be done. I got in touch with a family lawyer friend to see what he thinks about all of this. He’s actually now on the town board in Wilton. Hopefully I can make this right, I really fucking hope so.
