For many students, navigating financial aid is already a stressful and complicated process—but for first-generation college students, the challenges can feel overwhelming. At Goucher College, where 97% of students receive financial aid, one would expect a well-functioning and accessible financial aid department. However, for students like me, the reality is far from that expectation. I am a first-generation college student with immigrant parents who do not make enough to afford my tuition. That means I am the only person I can depend on to pay for college. The easy path would be to attend community college for two years and transfer to a four-year college for my remaining two years, but unfortunately, that is not an option.
Attending a four-year college is my only path to success, which is my number one goal. Any normal student would be getting information about federal aid from their parents or other family members, but I don’t. I am the one who applies for Financial aid, scholarships, loans, etc. I am the one who has to fill out my parents’ part on my FAFSA application, and I am the college student who has taught herself how to understand these government forms simply because my parents do not speak English. So, when I did my research on Goucher College in late 2023 when applying, I was happy to see that 97% of students at Goucher receive financial aid.
However, during the summer before my fall semester, I was shocked–to say the least–after seeing that I owed Goucher a payment of nearly $14,000, due the day before move-in day. I had no knowledge of this until a month before I was supposed to start my fall semester. I felt alone and blindsided, all while having to figure out how to come up with the money on time. Eventually, I was able to start a payment plan, which required a minimum of $500 to enroll–more money that I didn’t have, but with the help of my friends and family members I was able to come up with $500 in time to secure a place here at Goucher.
This is my story. But after a few interviews with other Goucher students, I was able to realize that my experience is not far from many. Here’s what they had to say.
Morgan Hott, a first year student, notes that the best way to receive assistance from the financial aid office is to visit in person, as email responses are slow. “..You HAVE to go in person, or else you are stuck waiting for email responses.” She claims that incoming students/first years in particular need more transparency when it comes to preparing for the investment that school is, and providing better guidance on how to deal with Goucher systems.
Leila Townsend, a junior transfer student from Anne Arundel Community College, echoes this sentiment. She describes her frustrating experience attempting to contact financial aid, recalling how she left multiple messages without receiving a response. “When I was transferring here from ACC, they were unresponsive. I would call, I would leave messages—several a day—no one would get back to me,” she says.
Compared to her experience at ACC, where financial aid assistance was more efficient, she found Goucher’s process to be unreasonably slow and disorganized.
Even students who typically have no issues with financial aid have encountered problems due to delays and miscommunication. Andrea Bailey, a senior, shares that she repeatedly received emails about an unpaid balance—only to later be informed that the financial aid office was simply waiting for scholarships and grants to process. “They ended up telling me I didn’t have to pay it, they just had to wait for the aid to come in,” Andrea explains. “But they would keep emailing me reminders to pay the bills. It was a lot of running around.”
The delays and lack of clear communication appear to be tied to staffing shortages within the financial aid department. Banda Chiwengo, a senior RA, describes his difficulties securing his Sellinger Grant and obtaining help. “Every time I’d reach out to the financial aid office, they wouldn’t respond to my emails. Don’t bother calling—you’re not going to get an answer,” he says. His frustration only grew when he attempted to visit the office in person, only to find no one available. “They’re virtual on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it didn’t matter if you tried to make an appointment—you really could NOT get in there.”
A deeper issue became clear when Banda discovered that Goucher’s financial aid department lacked a head director. “At one of our meetings, I looked at the screen during a presentation, and at the top of the financial aid structure, where the head director should have been—there was nobody,” he recalls. “That’s why no one could actually answer our questions. People were jumping between roles in the financial sector, but no one was actually in charge. Besides that, they just suck. The communication is terrible.”
Despite the experiences of these students, Alisha Mondloch, Director of Student Financial Services, claims that the last time she has heard of a student having trouble with contacting the financial aid office was last summer. “I have not received anything this term about the inability of any of our aid officers to follow up. We have a feedback form on the Goucher Website. Normally, our office is pretty good about response time, but I haven’t heard anything since–like I said this past summer.”
When asked about resources that could help with students who need immediate financial aid assistance, but struggle to get an appointment, Mondloch responds, “I’m not sure where the struggling to get an appointment is but, we have resources listed on our website, we have different cohorts of students that we work with specifically and reach out to students about filing their FAFSA and making sure that their portal is up-to-date and submitting their documents there.”
The disconnect between the administration’s perception and students’ lived experiences highlights a serious issue. While financial aid is a part of college accessibility, Goucher students are struggling to get the support they need. Delayed responses, a lack of transparency, and understaffing have created unnecessary stress for those who are already navigating an overwhelming system on their own. If Goucher College truly prides itself on supporting students financially, it must take active steps to ensure that its financial aid office is responsive, well-staffed, and committed to meeting the needs of its students.
By Benvie Ondongo ’28
Featured Image Source: Goucher College Website
