I’m a 20 year old college student in Long Island, I’m a freshmen and I don’t know whether this is a situation that i have to take into the courts and i need advice. So, i took a year off college because i was still deciding where to go due to the lack of transportation i have here in Long Island. I took that year off to look for a job and get my license. I applied at Hostos Community College and got accepted. This school is in the city (a hour and half travel) where i have family and one of the few schools that have a dental program.I ran into financial aid holds because i had submitted the wrong parent tax return. The school were very slow at helping me get them what they need for the financial aid process. I would call and phone would go straight to voicemail. I would fax paperwork over and they would fail to contact me via email or phone about needing more information. When i finally contacted them, they said they got everything and it’s pending. The tuition on my school profile said 5,000 and they said it’s still pending. Also when i spoke to someone they said im a out of county residence and need a county certificate and that i can get it in anytime. They lied. Now school started and i went to the financial aid office and they told me that my financial aid already been finished pending but still on my profile it said’s pending. Also i submitted a application for the county certificate and they said i have to have a utility bill which i don’t have. i don’t make enough money at work for me to pay 5,000 in tuition a semester. I decided to drop my class because i was misinformed and lack of communication. I decided to go to Suffolk Community College and paying out of pocket 300 a month in payment. Hostos wants me to pay 1,000 by the end of the year which i don’t have.
It sounds like there’s been a misunderstanding. I don’t think you can sue them for that.
Don’t you qualify for the Excelsior and Pell Grants? Those would cover tuition. How can you get a certificate of residency? Your parents don’t live in that county, do they?
Have you formally withdrawn from Hostos? And you’ve never attended classes there? I can’t see them charging you $1000 if you’ve withdrawn within the first week of classes.
That said, if the family you have in NYC isn’t a parent, they probably charged you as being from Suffolk ,not the city-- so as a non resident.
If calling isn’t working, make an appointment with financial aid at Hostos, bring all your paperwork, and get it settled in person.
When my son went to a CUNY school (we live on the island as well), he easily got a county certificate. He didn’t have a utility bill in his own name and I don’t recall him needing one. We live in Nassau.
I am a lawyer and I do not see that you have a lawsuit. For what it’s worth, SCCC is probably a better school than Hostos. I went to Lehman so I am very familiar with Hostos.
As far as your situation, I agree that you should sit down with financial aid at Hostos and explain the complete situatin with paperwork. Did you withdraw as soon as you realized what was going on?
Good luck. When my son dropped out of NCC, I had to pay it about $1K in order for him to be able to go to CUNY.