Financial Aid or Financial Band Aid?

I had an appointment yesterday to meet with a financial aid officer at CSN. I was quite excited to be able to speak with someone and get my financial aid sorted out.

I met with a very nice man. He spoke english fairly well as he was from Sudan or somewhere close to that. As he flipped through his pages to find me, he got a look on his face. Not a look of "Wow! That's a lot of money she has coming to her!" But rather a look of "Seriously? That has to be a typo!"

And so he informs me that the government has indeed granted me financial aid money. It has given me the outrageously huge sum of $23.00! As to which the nice man behind the desk, informs me that I can only use it if I carry at least a half load, and can not use it towards any student fee's!

At this point it's either cry uncontrollably and get angry or simply laugh and have a smart comment about things. And, for those of you that know me, you know that the crying and anger is simply not me!

And so, I ask the nice foreign man behind the desk, if he was born here, to which he replies no. I ask him if he went to school here, to which he replies, yes I went to school on scholarships and financial aid! I then told him that I was extremely glad that the government could help him get a solid education! He simply smiled at me and then had a few words to say about government spending. He then gave me some advice for the 2010 school year and financial aid for that year.

And so once again, classes will wait. And the hope and the dream of continuing my education will be put on hold once again!