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photo by McGarey Amy VanGuilder (left) and Sarah Curtis were mistakenly promised scholarships.

When junior Amy VanGuilder went to her mailbox this past February, she found inside information that was going to make work this summer a great deal easier. $1,500.

According to a letter from the Financial Aid office, she had received an Achievement Award for her academic performance this semester. However, about two weeks later VanGuilder found, along with 50-75 other Calvin students, that they had received this scholarship in error.

“I was really excited, I can use all the money I can get to pay for Calvin … it was $1,500 less that I would have had to make this summer in order to come here,” said VanGuilder. “I had been praying a lot about paying for college and when that letter came. … It told me to disregard the previous letter. How can you just disregard $1,500?”

According to Wane K. Hubbers, Director of the Financial Aid Office, the problem resulted from a computer programming error, but his office takes full responsibility for the mishap. “Computers do what humans tell them to do, so ultimately it was a human error that ultimately it was a human error that had to do with programming.”

The false letters that the Financial Services office sent out were primarily letters announcing the Achievement Award. This is an award given to students who do not have a Calvin scholarship, but have a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher, and to those who have earned Honors, Faculty Honors, or Dean’s Scholarships and earn a grade point average that is significantly higher than required for renewal of their scholarship.

The retraction letter from the Financial Aid Office said, “We apologize for the error and any confusion or misunderstanding this may have caused and have tried to bring this to your attention as soon as possible so that you can plan accordingly.”

“I don’t think they can afford to make mistakes like this,” said VanGuilder. “I almost started crying when I heard the news … I know one student who was so upset about the news she was crying and stormed into the Financial Aid office to demand an explanation.” VanGuilder said that as a result of this incident she has “lost faith in the whole financial aid process.”

Hubbers said that he has received some written communications and had talked to a number of students on this issue. “Our office is very sensitive to student’s finances. We operate an office with a great deal of integrity. … Unfortunately, there are mishaps that we have to deal with from time to time.”

“It’s completely unfair,” said junior Sarah Curtis, another student who received an Achievement Award of $500 erroneously. “I realize that people make mistakes, but at the cost of students? It’s just not fair.”

Maria Vanzee, a junior, had a similar experience with a letter she received, but her experience was unique in that two of her roommates received bunk letters as well.

“I called my dad up and he was all excited because he helps me pay for college so it would have been less for him to pay,” she said. “Personally, I wasn’t all that upset, but my roommate was promised $1,000 more than me,” said Vanzee who was falsely awarded a $1,000 scholarship.