It turned out that his original grade sheet had been smudged. He calls his undergraduate years at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst more hassle-free. Judging from the invective hurled at the third floor of Richards Hall, the financial aid office could stand to learn that lesson. It's a big mess this year, with nonstop hassles and not much being done about it. It's the most bureaucratic, the most red tape.
Students just dread going up there.
There are cases of lost aid for no reason at all. Particularly infuriating is the office's penchant for making students stand in one line just to get approval to stand in another line. Getting a response from Financial Aid for a comment illustrates the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of Northeastern's bureaucracy. The head of the office has no direct extension listed, ensuring a ten-minute minuet of beeps, clicks, recorded voices, and elevator music. Then a live voice cuts the connection when asked to link the caller with the director.