HAMPTON, Va. — Less than two weeks before graduation, a group of Hampton University seniors said their diplomas are in jeopardy because of a mix-up with the school's financial aid system and graduation policy.
Hampton University requires a student's balance to be fully paid in order to graduate, participate in commencement ceremonies, or receive a diploma, according to an HU spokesman.
Multiple Hampton seniors said they're scrambling to raise money to graduate with their classmates after an unexpected change to their financial aid in their final semester left them thousands of dollars short of requirements.
David Barnes, a senior mathematics major with aspirations of earning a doctorate degree in chemistry, completed on-campus research over the past few years and earned 'research stipends' which he used for additional bills and expenses.
Barnes said the research stipends functioned as income and did not affect his tuition or financial aid in previous years. However, Barnes said this semester the university decreased his financial aid because of his stipend earnings, leaving him about $10,000 short of graduation requirements.
"I won't get my final transcripts which means I won't be able to start my job and I won't be able to go to graduate school," he said.
Barnes said he doesn't have any documentation that shows his research stipend would affect his financial aid. He said he didn't need to apply his stipend directly to tuition in previous years and didn't expect to need to repay almost $10,000 just months before graduation.
"I wish they would not do that and allow me to use my stipends to pay the bills because that's what I needed them for," he said. "If I knew I couldn't do that I would've gotten a different job."
Barnes said he thinks communication from the school's financial aid office should be more clear.
"I wish it would be more consistent," he said.
Barnes said he doesn't believe the university should count research stipends as part of the student's financial aid package, creating a need to decrease scholarship funds. He said this deters students from pursuing on-campus research opportunities and encourages employment outside of Hampton University.
A Hampton University spokesman said he is looking into the claims of research stipends affecting financial aid, but can only confirm that students must pay all remaining tuition fees before graduation.
Last month, another Hampton senior said she started a GoFundMe after the university notified her she must pay back her "research stipend money in order to graduate" because it exceeded her total cost of attendance in financial aid. She raised the remaining balance on her account through donations.
James Weaver IV said he's heard multiple other stories of seniors affected by this confusion, and he's at risk of not graduating himself.
"They're making this graduation process more difficult than it has to be for students who deserve to walk," Weaver said. "I feel like they're robbing students of that experience."
Weaver is not affected by research stipends, but he owes Hampton University a final $9,000. He said he was unaware he wouldn't be able to walk or graduate provisionally with a plan to pay the last part of his $140,000 tuition.
"If I don't get the opportunity to walk I probably will hold some resentment in my heart toward Hampton because I've invested a lot," he said. "And I love Hampton and will do my best to represent [this university] after leaving here, I just feel like we're being shortchanged."
Weaver is also raising money for his final tuition costs. He said he hopes his mother gets to see him walk across the stage at May 12 commencement.