Monday, May 09, 2005

The "I can't concentrate on anything right now" post

So, I am trying to both catch up on my Admin reading AND complete my financial aid paperwork, and basically doing a not-good job on both tasks.

What is MORE shocking to me than the fact that the financial aid office PROBABLY overpaid me last year (at least according to their "budget" of what I should be able to live on) is that I lived on less than $20K last year, including a summer in D.C. and a lot of additional expenses (like my two monstrous cavities).

Here are some other shocking things:

I spent over $1000 last year on student health insurance and have yet to have a SINGLE claim fully approved by them. They didn't pay for my bloodwork during my little health scare this year, they didn't pay for my cavities, they didn't pay for my glasses or the majority of my vision screening, they didn't pay for my wrist brace for my carpal tunnel, or the diagnostic appointment for my CT, they didn't even pay for my annual, uh, woman's appointment (sorry guys). Seriously. Why the f*ck do I give them money?

I am 30 years old and am completely unable to understand (a) how my taxes and FAFSA work, and (b) how to get my FAFSA, Veteran's benefits, and taxes to all line up, monetarily speaking. None of them match, none of them make sense. When I told the guy at the financial aid office I was confused he was like "Well, why are you confused? What's so confusing about this?" and I'm standing there feeling like a moron and thinking "Why AREN'T YOU confused?"

I am forced by the financial aid gurus to justify all my expenditures for a given calendar year on a photocopied form with absolutely no backup or receipts or anything...why bother? It's not like I have to prove anything I'm saying. It's not even an official looking government form threatening you with huge ass fines and a fate worse than death if you lie on it...even the military can do better than that!

That *I* am far more upset by the prospect of all my records not being right, and my financial aid possibly being screwed up, then ANYONE at the financial aid office. Oh wait, this one isn't shocking at all.
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