Russell Dandurand, a junior art education major, found himself in a “crisis” situation when he received a letter Monday saying he would be evicted from Neptune Residence Hall and would have his meal privileges revoked if he didn’t pay the remainder of his tuition and housing bill.

Dandurand said he was concerned over the fact that his education would suffer if he didn’t pay his bill. He said that, unfortunately, the possibility of his eviction not only affected his day-to-day life, it also began to have an adverse effect on his studies.

The crisis he faced was due to his financial aid. The financial aid process is complex and time consuming, and if students want to avoid such a financial crisis, they need to be prompt and exact in filing their applications.

Financial Aid Director Jerry Augsburger said students who do not follow these guidelines might find it is “too late” to rectify the problem.

Dandurand said, “I found myself having to skip classes because I had to go to the financial aid office and the Bursar’s Office. … My studies were being limited and my class time interrupted.”

Dandurand’s story is not a new one. Many students confronted with the possibility of losing aid or not receiving aid on time have faced the same panic and have felt lost in the world of financial despair.

The problems, however, are solvable, and students need to remember, particularly during times of economic crisis, that other students are experiencing the same thing.

Dandurand said he followed all the necessary prerequisite formalities. He said he filed his aid applications on time, filled his forms out correctly and followed up on all changes of which he was notified.

His problem arrived when he filed for re-evaluation of his financial aid.

Re-evaluation is the process by which a student may ask for an increased amount of monetary awards and loans if his or her family has experienced some decline in available finances for the student’s education.

“When you deal with thousands of students, it is inevitable that some will experience divorce in their family or one of the parents may have to take a job in which a severe loss of income occurs,” Augsburger said. “It is unfortunate for this to happen, but students need to be aware that once something like this happens, they need to be prepared.”

The financial aid office, Bursar’s Office and the housing department all have to deal with the problem of students saying, “I can’t pay my bill because my financial aid hasn’t arrived yet.”

These offices realize the problems students face when they are waiting for aid, but, unfortunately, as Housing Services Associate Director John Felver said, “It (housing) is a contractual agreement. Students are aware of payment schedules when they sign the contract.

“The students have since the previous summer to handle any (monetary) problems they may face. In 12 years at this office, I can honestly say that we have been fair to everyone,” Felver said.

Felver and Augsburger both said that students having trouble with their finances need to react immediately in order to have the problem taken care of.

“It is amazing how many (students) will do nothing until their meals are stopped, ” Felver said. He said that roughly 350 students out of 7,316 in university housing receive letters informing them of possible eviction.

Augsburger said he sympathized with Dandurand’s position, saying the eviction process is a “hairy and bloody one” and emphasized the need for students to recognize their problems.

“It is not just with the eviction process but with any financial aid problem,” Augsburger said. “If any student is having financial problems and once the problems enter the sphere of awareness, they should contact the financial aid office to see what they can do.”

Augsburger said that he feels many students panic too quickly when confronted with financial problems. He said there are other ways of receiving aid of which many students are unaware.

Dandurand has, since Monday, received notice that his housing and meal privileges will not be revoked, but he now faces the possibility of losing his early registration for the spring 1989 semester unless he pays his bill by Dec. 19.

He also said he believes there is a lack of communication between the bursar and financial aid.

Augsburger said the re-evaluation process is not the most urgent process the financial aid office faces.

“It (re-eavaluation) is not our highest priority,” Augsburger said. “Our highest priority is reviewing those files that have yet to be reviewed for a first time. … It is not fair to consider someone twice before another student hasn’t been considered once.”