www.alternet.org/workplace/109397/going_to_college__%26 -
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Published on: 12/2/2008
Last Visited: 12/3/2008
"These days the financial aid office is the busiest on campus," says Patricia Hurley, the financial aid director at Glendale Community College in California.
"We're working nights and weekends just trying to get all the applications processed."
Though Hurley says the fallout of the financial crisis is only beginning to be reflected on campus, she has seen an increase in students who, due to layoffs and foreclosures, are filing for appeals to reevaluate student loans based on family income from the prior year.
Some major lenders have exited the industry entirely or have stopped lending to community colleges, but the number remains small enough that remaining lenders can pick up the slack.
For Hurley, and for financial aid officers in public institutions across the country, the real challenge will be balancing increased demand with major budget cuts.
California Gov.
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"We're having to cut classes and professors," says Hurley.