Seyhan Musaoglu '05, an international student from Turkey, has been forced under financial pressure to consider transferring to another school for her last year in college. Musaoglu said the administration has been unsympathetic and unhelpful in devising a plan to allow her to stay at Brandeis.

According to Prof. Alan Berger (PHIL), who has been involved in trying to help Musaoglu, she asked to pay her University charges and tuition approximately four and a half months late.

"(My family) has had difficulty with my dad's business and we scheduled our payment plan to be month-to-month, but when I went to talk the financial aid director, I was told they needed everything paid now," Musaoglu said.

Musaoglu said she contacted administrators to explain her situation, including Executive Assistant to the President John Hose and Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy.

"I tried to talk with John Hose and I couldn't get in to see Jean Eddy and when I went to the financial aid office, they wouldn't even let me see my account," Musaoglu said. "My dad was still paying by the month and so they wanted more money and until I paid, they wouldn't let me register for classes."

Director of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette explained the University's policies regarding this matter.

"Someone cannot attend a semester unless they have the means to pay for it," Giumette said. "Other schools have similar policies and as much as I hate to think of education as a product, it has to be paid for. Every year we go through who cannot pay and those who cannot have to be asked to leave.

"Brandeis goes to greater lengths than other private institutions I have worked at. But if a student does not pay, every other student here ends up paying for them. We would like to be able to help out as much as possible, but we have limited resources."

Hose and Giumette told Musaoglu via e-mail that her balance and charges had to be cleared for her to remain at Brandeis.

"If you do not comply with the above, you will be required to leave Brandeis," Giumette said in an e-mail.

Berger drafted a letter expressing support and sympathy toward Musaoglu to send to Reinharz: Profs. Berger, Susan Lichtman (FA), Paulo Servino (ROCL), Joseph Wardwell (FA) and Nadine Zanow (FA) were signatories.

"While we are sure that there are many hardship cases at Brandeis, Seyhan is not merely 'another student' who has a financial hardship," the letter said. "Seyhan is a very talented student who is loved by all her teachers, staff members and students who know her."

In response to the letter, Reinharz said there are other factors that affect international students.

"One of the complicating factors for international students is that they are generally ineligible for the sorts of loans that domestic students and their families take out in order to meet education costs, Reinharz said.

"International students are eligible for loan assistance if their application is consigned by a United States citizen or permanent resident. This is an option available to her, if there is a family member, friend or relative who is willing to stand as a guarantor for her."

Musaoglu said she feels let down by the administration.

"I'm by myself here and I can't always talk to my dad I had to try to get help on my own," Masaoglu said. "I couldn't get to talk to the president and when I talked to John Hose, I felt he had already made his decision."

Berger said it is regrettable that the administration rejected a proposal that would allow Masaoglu to be approximately four and a half months late with her payments.

"Her father offered to pay a very significant amount of money each month," Berger said. "And indeed this is something that Brandeis should accept from anyone who would be forced to return to Turkey and lose their visa if they can't make payments four-and-a-half months sooner.

"I firmly believe that the administration does not realize how much support Seyhan already has among the faculty and how much support she will have from students, even those that are struggling to make their own payments."

Musaoglu said she finds the situation unacceptable.

"I might have to transfer my senior year," Musagolu said. "I don't understand, it is just a matter of them having the money a few months later than when they want it.