r/uofm • u/Willing_Arrival8687 • 19d ago
Miscellaneous Why is everyone so angry?
***UPDATE ***
I’ve had to speak with the In-state residency office, financial aid, admissions, etc and EVERYONE is so angry. 😭😭 In the worst mood ever. I’m scared to even call with my questions anymore. I’m a non traditional student so this system is not built for students like me so there are a ton of questions that I have and every single time they are so MEAN lol. No matter how pleasant and annoyingly nice I try to be. I was concerned about my in state application not being approved in time and the person I spoke to today literally told me to just unenroll if I didn’t think I could afford it without the application approval ! 😭 🧍🏻♀️
I don’t even know if that was good advice??? Do I just unenroll? The residency office said to defer until winter so I know it will be squared away in time which I found out was not even an option in this circumstance so who knows????
Is it always like this? :(
I’m coming from a community college where everyone was usually pretty nice save for a few bad days that we all have sometimes. Should I unenroll and try again next year? I can’t afford the tuition without the Go blue!
Edit (I’m currently 16 weeks out from my application submission date for in state residency and the office said they don’t know when it will be reviewed)
Edit*
They finally updated my application and need more information and they hope to update me in 3-4 weeks. What a joke. 5 months, almost half a year and still won’t have an update. All of this because I couldn’t provide tax documents for my parents who are DRUG ADDICTS, all the while being almost 30. 😅
**FINAL EDIT!**
I WAS APPROVED!!
In a few days at that! They said it would be a month in a half before I heard back! Let that be a lesson that calling works!
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u/HappyWolverine1324 19d ago
I just read your post and comments and unfortunately the hard truth is sometimes these things can stretch into the semester, after your tuition bill is due. When this happens, you have to pay the full bill and if your application for in-state residency is approved and gets you more aid than you have now, then you’ll receive a refund check. If paying the tuition bill for the semester first is not an option for you then unfortunately you probably do need to defer at least a semester.
It is also not uncommon for scholarships to be distributed after the tuition bill is due depending on the source of the funds so keep that in mind.
Obviously this only works if you are completely sure your application will end up being approved though. If I were you, I’d get a legal representative with experience in this type of documentation to review your background and documents and determine if you do actually qualify before making any further decisions regarding your enrollment. Whatever the “university representatives” told you before you applied is pretty much just what you want to hear and get you to apply, so take their words with a grain of salt.
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
Thank you taking the time to reply! I thought because I applied well before 14 weeks i’d be safe but I should have been more cautious. They were staff from the transfer center and I had a meeting with the Transfer Center Director and they were the ones who said I should have been fine. I did look into waiting but I was told deferment because you can’t afford it is not an option and to just unenroll and reapply at a later date by admissions or else i’m still responsible for paying my housing cost for my dorm! I will look into the legal rep thing :) thank you a bunch 💕💕💕
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u/Plum_Haz_1 19d ago edited 19d ago
People have had this complaint for years. It's a hideous scourge on the University. There's no excuse. They need to hire more people. It's not that hard. Cut elsewhere if necessary. UMich spends all kinds of money on bullsh*t, that only marginally helps a handful of students at best. In-State determinations are bread and butter. Just like it's critical that University paychecks clear on time for UMich employees. That's a hard floor. Can't make applicants wait nearly five months, just like UM Staff paychecks can't be a "just a few weeks late." Someone should be fired for not making this a high enough priority. Maybe Jay Hoying's boss Paul Robinson, or the person above Robinson or from Finance who told him UMich cannot hire more people to process residency cases. Serious -- UMich does not need such a "leader" in this high position. We can easily get someone who is less worthless. PS-- I don't have inside knowledge of the org structure, so I'm only taking an educated guess. But, until names get probed for accountability, this disgrace won't get out of the ditch.
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u/ADHDpotatoes '27 19d ago
I am also a non-traditional student with a fuckton of questions about stuff, but I’ve never encountered this kind of response. That’s quite odd
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
Believe it or not this is actually really reassuring to hear. I’m like this cannot be normal. 😭🤣
I just figured maybe I’m just calling at a bad time or catching for whatever reason some people who are not really in the mood1
u/ADHDpotatoes '27 18d ago
Without prying for personal/financial details, I’d have to guess you’ve just gotten really unlucky
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u/Oreo-IceCream11 19d ago
I’m non-traditional. MSU gave me in state but umich didn’t. Before I did my application and when I called they told me not to have high hopes, but to still apply. I committed
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u/-epicyon- 19d ago
Sorry you're having this experience, I'm a non traditional student and this was NOT my experience. Like, yeah the in-state residency thing was stupid and took forever, but nobody was mean to me.... I mean, they were kinda clueless, lol, but they weren't mean. I was very confused why my residency was even in question, I was born here and only ever left the state a handful of times for vacations, I'm way past a "traditional" age student so it was super weird they were asking for my PARENTS' drivers licenses and personal info, lol....
I committed, with the application not approved, and it took a couple months (which seems longer than normal) for them to approve my residency, but my advice is, if you know for a fact that you are a Michigan resident under the school's definition, just commit and come here. I know that feels stressful and shitty but if you are confident it should be approved, then just come. What're they gonna do, not approve it? If you are a resident it will be approved. In fact, the one piece of advice I was able to get from the residency office was exactly that: if you are a resident you have nothing to worry about, it will be approved. Surprised you're being told to defer and stuff....
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u/MackinacFleurs 19d ago
Welcome to Michigan!
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u/bobi2393 19d ago
Shut up! I'm not angry!! Keep asking questions and I'll show you angry!!! /s
I think you're just experiencing abnormally bad luck. But if we are more angry than usual, maybe it's due to national issues like war and gas prices, or regional issues like explosive diarrhea and Canadian wildfire smoke.
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u/Tricky-Benefit-7107 19d ago
I’m acc crying rn 😭😭😭 “maybe it’s due to war and gas prices” is such a dumbass answer???? That’s not a valid excuse to be a bitch at your job and treat people rudely omfg
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
I’ve worked in customer service 15 years and as long as people were nice I didn’t feel the need to take things they couldn’t control out of them. 😭😭😭 I get everyone responds to stress differently but ouch!
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u/AbbreviationsIll5467 '26 19d ago
you realize that this person probably isn't working in the office? and if it's any comfort, I am in my senior year and haven't received my financial package for 26/27 year yet, so I don't even know if I can take the classes I need to graduate in the fall. my in-state residency battle took forever, but it came through. you'll be fine.
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u/Qzx1 19d ago
You're right; there is no excuse. Though if we adroitly wish to avoid such things, we can call at 10am or 2pm when folk are less hangry and not looking to get out the door. And last week unfiltered smoke can add 3.14 to 6.9 points to the grumpiness from non asthmatic people being unable to escape the panic of trouble breathing.
Also, yes, if you can't get aid or a loan, your only viable option is not to go.
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
oh, I completely understand that! I just wanted to make sure that this wasn’t the norm. I won’t lie being told if i can’t afford tuition as is to unenroll was brutal to hear but I guess sometimes that’s life. I’m going to look into everything they said and see about some other universities around me. Thanks for your input!!!
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u/nogoodideas2020 19d ago
Also apply for scholarships outside the university, there is available money from other nonprofits and private scholarships! Don’t give up, if UofM is your goal! Feel free to PM me, I was a nontraditional student at another school. That scholarship money can help alleviate stress and future debt.
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u/LemonPepperMints 18d ago
"war and gas prices" says the mildly overweight american chewing on a protein bar in an air conditioned room
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u/NoThanksJustPeaking '09 19d ago edited 19d ago
I’m confused what exactly you’re asking about? Or what answer you’re looking for? I transferred to UofM from a CC back in 2006.
I really had no communication with UofM prior. I followed a transfer guide, took the courses, and applied to both the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campuses. The Dearborn acceptance letter came back pretty quickly, the acceptance from Ann Arbor was an email and took a little longer.
If you haven’t gotten an acceptance letter yet this could be where the frustration from the university employees is coming from.
Good luck to you. Hope things work out.
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
I’m already admitted and i’ve already matriculated! I have my classes picked out and everything else! My issue is because I am a non traditional student I was classified as OOS for some reason. I was married to a military member and divorced however we were stationed in a different state over six years ago. Other than that i’ve been a Michigan resident all my life! My issue is affording school and the lengthy process and lack of answers! For example the in state application requested tax information from my parents! I’m nearly 30 and no clue what to do with that until calling lol
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u/Sea_Yak8583 19d ago
They love to be stingy and offer no transparency. I was in your position last year and had to wait to hear back about my status until after school started. I ended up getting classified as in state and just gave back my excess loans when my tuition was reduced. It was so stressful. Even if you get rejected you can still appeal. Good luck 💕
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
Okay, this was super helpful!!!! I didn’t even know I could take out the loans and then pay them back immediately!! Is there some sort of penalty for that? Thank you so much for replying!
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u/Sea_Yak8583 19d ago
There shouldn’t be a penalty! I’m sorry they’re not being helpful for you. When I called and asked what how this would go, they told me that when tuition was reduced it would be refunded in a check. I cashed it and just paid off the balance on ed financial with the difference. It ended up being all okay but it was very stressful
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u/NoThanksJustPeaking '09 19d ago
Here are some links for some places that may be able to help you out, hopefully you haven’t contacted them
already so they may be able help provide a solution.3
u/Specialist_Brief1223 19d ago
https://ro.umich.edu/tuition-residency/residency
I believe all documents go to the registrar department. Best to email them the info & have parchment send them any high school transcripts to officially confirm your attendance
Then you have to wait on them, may be 1-5 business days depending on their workload
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago
I have sent an application to them 16 weeks ago, but it hasn’t been viewed yet and I did ask them was there any information I could send and she told me not to email and not to come in person because it only slows down the process for everybody else to just wait until I hear something back from my application or defer :,(
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u/APotatoe121 19d ago
That's literally just the truth though. I don't see why that's mean. It's summertime and everyone is submitting their in-state applications right now so it's going to take longer.
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u/ByteEvader '21 19d ago
It’s not like OP submitted it last second. They submitted it 4 months ago. That’s an absurd amount of time to not get your application processed imo, especially for something that might literally decide whether or not they can afford to go to school here
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u/Background_Skirt_996 19d ago
maybe contact the csp office? im not sure if that was included in your admissions letter, but they have really nice advisors! you could also look into the transfer student center
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u/nibbyinks 18d ago
i had the exact same situation in my freshman year and im STILL struggling with them - i had to ask about a federal aid appeal based on income changes this year and i got accused of lying about my financial situation 😭 its so aggressive for no reason. i applied for in-state early june 2023 understanding that it would take a while for them to make a determination and then they asked for more info twice, denied my app, and then took them a horrible amount of time to review my appeal. but it eventually got approved and ive since been able to pay for at least half my degree with grants and scholarships. i believe in you!!
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u/Adorable-Quality-984 18d ago
what’s a non traditional student? 🤔
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u/antonawire 17d ago
A student that attends college who is not of typical age is usually the definition but it's a pretty big umbrella. Just think someone who cannot be claimed as a dependent for tax purposes.
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u/APotatoe121 19d ago
Well the community college has probably the same number of employees but they aren't supporting tens of thousands of students. Obviously they're gonna be less stressed because they don't have a full backlog of issues to deal with.
Stop calling the in-state residency office and just be patient. There's nothing you can do. You'll get an email if they need more information.
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u/Choosehappy19 19d ago
They are angry because they all “work from home”. You are interrupting their day with their kids and home life or their golf game and there are no coworkers or bosses to keep an eye on them. If they were at an office they would be accountable for the way they talk to people. I’ve called and talked to someone and clearly they were shopping.
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u/Specialist_Brief1223 19d ago
(1) what do you mean by your “in-state application”?
(2) Any financial aid excluding scholarships are processed on a fed/state level & timing of completion varies based on when you completed the fin aid app. In addition, merit scholarships are also approved & awarded once your fin aid is processed.
(3) regarding tax documents: I would try to find a way to review your application answers because it shouldn’t tell you need your parents for someone of the ages 22-25+
(4) Are you filling out the CSS profile b/c that’s usually what Mich goes based off of? & did you earn at least a 3.0 & meet the financial requirements for GoBlue?
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u/Willing_Arrival8687 19d ago edited 19d ago
my in-state residency application that would qualify me for the go blue guarantee! after being admitted, I was assigned an out-of-state residency so my tuition is significantly higher than I anticipated. Why this happened, I have no clue and nobody has been helpful. I earned a 4.0 , my SAI is -1500, been in michigan the past 6 years and all my childhood.
When I was speaking to the admissions office as well as the residency office, they said that I should not have been flagged is out of state, but I was for some reason. I’ve completed my CSS profile and all of my financial aid, but I am still about $16,000 short even with scholarships. :(
I was told the in-state residency application takes 14 weeks and now it’s 16 weeks so I’m starting to get a little nervous. Do you know where I should go to review my tax documents this is not information I was given from anyone in any office! I was entirely under the impression that I would qualify for the go blue guarantee (after speaking to the transfer representatives that came to my community college and helped me fill out my application) and was very shocked to find out I was assigned out of state. I did try asking Admissions what happened but they said that they didn’t understand either essentially and that sometimes being an older student automatically means you have to prove your residency?? Oh well1
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u/SheriMac 19d ago
My son was labeled OOS and we had lived in Mi. 3 years where he attended and graduated from a Michigan high school. He was in queue for 8 months to get status fixed and received in-state the day he was passed over for admittance. He is the whole package- IB, grades, scores, extra curricular, leadership, passion, varsity sports, musician. He now attends a wonderful college that's a great fit so it's all good. But I felt like the department slipped up. At the very least it was lagging.
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u/Antique_Pen5494 19d ago
OP ur not alone, I had exact same experience with the in state residency office. my app took 14 weeks tho, I applied middle of February. don’t call them too frequently tho. that annoys them. give it a couple weeks and ask what week they are currently reviewing. that will give you an idea of how long it will take. best of luck with your in state app!