Finical Aid Office offers new services

By Joffery A. Blair
Staff Writer

Georgia College & State University’s Financial Aid Office has new changes in store for the upcoming fall semester.
As of February 2002, the Financial Aid Office decided to allow commercial loan lenders the ability to offer financial assistance to GC&SU students.
Suzanne Buttram, Director of Financial Aid, states that the department had been considering the use of commercial loans lenders for three years.
“I had been looking at the service for about three years,” Buttram said. “We needed to make sure that if we went with the service, the students would have the funds available to them when they needed it.”
According to Buttram, there are two types of loans, an education loan, which the university presently offers, and commercial loans, which are offered by private financial companies.
“We accepted direct loans in 1995 to 1996, because the commercial lending industry was not as good as it is now,” Buttram said. “But now, improvements have been made to offer students extra incentives and more options. ”
Although students will be allowed to accept loans from commercial lenders, the Financial Aid Office has chosen SunTrust as the primary commercial lender.
“Compared to the top three lenders in the country, SunTrust was ranked number two,” Buttram said. “We chose SunTrust because they offer the best service to students throughout Georgia, and they also offer a 24 hour turn around with funding. With SunTrust, if a student were to fill out an application, SunTrust will have the funds available the next day, and that was just something that the other competitors did not offer.”
Buttram states that along with educational loans, SunTrust will also offer incentive programs, enhanced entrance and exit counseling, alternative loans and various repayment options for parents with Parent Plus Loans.
“The relationship that we have developed with SunTrust is a very positive one,” Buttram said. “We have found a company that offers quality service and provides funding for students when they need it.”
April 10, 2002, will be the official day that the Financial Aid Office introduces SunTrust to the community of GC&SU.
“We have planned a Financial Aid Carnival on front campus,” Buttram said. “SunTrust will be available to answer questions, they will be giving away free items and students can drop by for free food. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy this event.”
For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 445-5149.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 5 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry