So it is the busy season in financial aid (July and August). Call and email volume is really high right now, so we are not answering every phone call on the first ring and every email in 5 minutes. Here are some hints, in no particular order, on how you help yourself before you call or email.
1) Read the email. I’m amazed that people will complain about sitting on hold for x number of minutes to speak with someone and then ask something like, ‘I just got an email saying I was missing something and I wanted to find out what it is.’ The email gives instructions on how to find out what it is. Usually those instructions include logging into MyCharleston.
2) Check MyCharleston. Don’t call to ask if we received your fax; when we receive documents, we update MyCharleston.
3) Review the website. We try to publish as much to our website as possible, so many questions are already answered. It can be a bit daunting to read all the pages, so use the search box.
4) Don’t duplicate email. If you have emailed in the past two working days, please do not email again or call. Often it means that both emails get answered and if the request involves changing a student’s record (like canceling a loan) then the second person is confused about your request because it has already been done.
5) Be prepared when you call/email. If you can’t find the answer any other way, please have the College of Charleston ID number ready when you call or include it in your email.
I can assure you that my coworkers want to help as much as possible, but we have a finite amount of staff/time. So when you spend five minutes asking us questions that you could have easily found the answer to, that’s five less minutes that we can spend with someone with a difficult situation, or five minutes longer until we can get a document reviewed/entered.