Straight Outta Luck: Students who have trouble qualifying for aid

For some students, receiving financial aid is as simple as filling out a FAFSA. Once submitted, the student simply waits until the university notifies him or her of the grants and loans they are eligible to use to pay for their education.

Many other students do not have this luxury. They fill out their FAFSA’s and apply for scholarships, but are turned down for a variety of reasons.

For Francisco Garcia, a senior in anthropology, financial aid was hard to come by the first few years of school. He believes that his difficulty receiving aid was due to the fact that his parents were illegal immigrants.

“Before I came to Texas State, I went to Sam (Houston State University) for a few years. The entire time I was there I wasn’t able to receive any financial aid,” he said.


Garcia paid for most his school expenses by saving the money he earned from working construction, but continued to apply for aid to help him pay for his education.

It wasn’t until he transferred to Austin Community College in 2006 that Garcia received aid in the form of an emergency loan. “The loan helped, but it was only a temporary solution,” he said.

In the fall of 2006, Garcia’s persistence in applying for aid finally paid off. He was awarded a $2,000 grant. He used the money to take more classes at ACC before transferring to Texas State.

“I’ve been at Texas State since fall of 2007. I’m able to pay for my tuition and living expenses here since I finally receive financial aid,” Garcia said.

Now in his senior year, Garcia currently receives a $2,000grant as well as two loans to pay for his education. He supplemented his aid with his earnings at the Tommy Hilfigure outlet in San Marcos, but was recently able to quit because he had enough money to cover his expenses for the semester.

“I can focus on graduation now,” Garcia said. He added with a grin, “Finally.”

Tamara Woehl grew up in Germany, but her parents are not illegal immigrants. Woehl and her family lived in Austin for ten years before she moved to San Marcos and her parents moved to California.

Like Garcia, Woehl is ineligible for financial aid. She doesn’t believe that this is because of where her parents are from, however. Instead, Woehl’s lack of aid is due in part because of where they went.

“My parents’ income is just over the amount that would let me get financial aid. Unfortunately, they live in California. The cost of living there is high, so there’s not too much money for school,” she explained.

Woehl is a junior who is double-majoring in German and creative writing. She is thankful that her family pays for her school, but can’t help but feel guilty about her situation.

“I’m one of those people that has a tendency to focus on work too much when I have a job,” she said. “My parents and grandparents understood that, and offered to pay my tuition.”

Woehl still works part-time on the weekends belly dancing at a restaurant in Austin. Her weekend hours allow her more study time during the week.

“I use the money I earn to pay for groceries, gas, and everything else. I don’t make too much, but I’m able to get by.”

Woehl and Garcia are just two of thousands who have experienced difficulty with the financial aid system.