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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1984)
Monday, August 27, 1984/The Battalion/Page 11C N Campus All Faiths Chapel used for many purposes wtuti III! Him MiH] tafelj i>n I itttei J ikUi ilxmi »nl(l siainl orld-widt, I those >1 tliiswedi sdonr. P'^rai nosi imp Wit if inn! mwilib in those i put into thedasst et involtfi' By PAM BARNES Reporter "Nf\ house shall be called a house of prayer for all |>eo|>les."— Isaiah ad: 7 VW\s n\scv\\av\ou ^veevs vv\\ who \\vv\V. \y<\sv v\\e v\uck wooden e\oovs o\ t\u> AW Vuw\\s C’.hapel on v\se Texas A&M rumpus. The Association ol Former Stu dents dedicated the chapel to the University 2(i years ago for people of all faiths and creeds to use. Today no regular religious services are held at the chapel but it’s still used for prayer meetings, counseling, medi tation, memorials and weddings. Janie Met/.er ol Student Activities said the chapel is especially popular lor weddings. "From May until December there may be as many as four weddings a weekend," Met/.er said. “Weddings at the chapel range f rom small to very elaborate with crossed sabers lining the aisles.” It’s a first come-tirst served situa tion, Met/.er said. Some people re serve the chapel a year in advance and others just a month ahead, she said. Reserving the chapel requires a S’Ab utvli/.alion lee and a $35 security deposit. Requests can be made at tire Student Activities Ottice in the Pavil ion. Since tood isn’t allowed in the cha pel, Met/.er suggests using the Me morial Student (.’.enter tor the recep tion. 11 alcohol is included, she suggests an olt-campus banquet room. She also helps with decorating ideas for the chapel and provides as sistance in selecting a local minister. The worn couches in the library and the chairs gathered in the cor ner ol the meditation room indicate f requent use of the chapel for prayer meetings and couseling, as well as weddings. The Campus Ministers Associa tion conducts an informal counsel ing service at the chapel Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Richard Hume, campus min ister and director of the Texas A&M W'eslev Foundation, said the service provides a listening ear for anyone who needs it. "Since the program just started last sear it’s hard to say if it is a suc cess or not," Hume said. “We’ve seen a lot of people. We are there for any one who is conf used, lonely or hurt ing or tor anyone that just needs someone to listen." A diHerein min ister is there every session and is will ing to talk to anyone about anything, Hume said. Hume is concerned that not enough people know ol the program and he has been thinking ol moving the counseling service to the MSC where it will be more accessible and visible. “But we really aren't sure about that vet,” Hume said. He also said the groups that seem to use the All Faiths Chapel are the groups that aren’t officially asso ciated with a local church or denomi nation. "For example the Methodists have the Wesley Foundation,” he said. “And then there’s the Baptist Stu dent Union and many more. It’s the groups that don’t have a building ol their own that really benefit from the chapel." The chapel is undergoing small changes inside, f he quiet hum of the new air conditioning system, in stalled last spring, is a cool beginning to future plans for interior renova tions. A general interior facelift is planned by next spring. »t pisl * n in the i jfht Fair si t iters./’ i cried on e'd li gh the I Financial aid helps ends meet aid and:' arew r - * bets i ijtion ! xining r its - allege -i. < and »> ffice ( Most old ■ d raisin? i ifi cor\ z^vidifigsi 11 i hat is * -*riselves,'i ss-uis =iut we tigs' W its (lesij* -airing was a p” _ alter® 11 Bins. involve® *1 to the 1 -je system r tries I 1 =fatthel' the d# s Dublis^ zributes leparii" 1 re »P Ji " visM month; loyers year.'"; ■fcd spr 11 ’?’ emP lc ! atiofl s > ecrui |gi -yto^f ^■'-ecrui' Afferent 11 v nntjf »rofj° kl ^ie io |) ( Tiling By MICHAEL CANNATA Reporter The Texas A&M Financial Aid Department has added a counseling service and revised several policies to help students through the compli cated process of applying for finan cial aid. The main purpose of the student financial aid office, on the second floor of the Pavillion, is to provide college money to students who wouldn’t be able to finance an edu cation any other way. Lynda Gilbert heads die counsel ing program, which begins in the fall. The counseling office is staf fed by two full-time counselors, who see students on a walk-in or appoint ment basis. “There has been an explosion of people coming into the financial aid office,” Gilbert says, “and 1 think it is due largely to the economy. People are looking for aid now, who would not normally be looking for financial help." Even though Texas A&M is an in expensive school to attend com pared to other large universities in the nation, at least 50 percent of the students receive some type of finan cial aid, Gilbert says. "Texas A&M is probably the most inexpensive college in the country to attend," Gilbert says. “That is why many out-of-state students come he re." Gilbert is developing a step-by- step outline to follow in applying for financial aid. She also has compiled a list ol the types of f inancial aid avail able on campus. The list contains a brief description of the requirements for each type of financial aid and the method of disbursement. While Gilbert is making the appli cation process easier, the govern ment is making it harder, says Taft Benson, director of student financial aid. In the past, students were re quired to keep a 2.0 or higher grade point average to qualify for financial aid. A change in federal regulations now requires students to maintain the 2.0 GPA and complete a certain number of credit hours for each aca demic year. T he new policy requires students to pass 24 credit hours per year for the first three years. After that, stu dents must complete 30 credits per year to remain eligible for financial aid. “During the first and second year a student can take or pass fewer credits and still be eligible for finan cial aid,” Benson says. “Our purpose for this is to give students that are coming to the University for the first time a chance to make an adjust ment.” He says that although standards for receiving financial aid are get ting tougher and the costs of a col lege education are rising, the money available for financial aid is not keeping up. “If you were to look at the actual overall dollar amount of financial aid available this year and compare it with the dollar amount available last year, the dollar amounts look very similar,” Benson says. “I think what has happened over the last four years is we’ve had a increase in the cost of education, but the dollar amount has remained constant. In essence, we have the amount of money available in 1984 equal to the amount of money that was available in 1980.” For the 1984-85 school year, the cost of going to Texas A&M is esti mated at $5,340. This includes tu ition, books, room, board and mis cellaneous expenses. While the cost of education is ris ing, so is the number of people ap plying for assistance, Benson says. “Every year we’ll have a higher number applying for financial aid,” Benson says, “and very often we end up with a higher number qualifying. I think this is a national trend.” For the 1982-83 school year 35,379 students received financial counseling or funding. A total of $41,324,960 was spent to help these students meet educational costs at Texas A&M. One revised policy for the new school year involves the Little Loan program, which provides loans up to $50. Previously, applications and payment were handled by the stu dent financial aid office. Now, stu dents must apply for Little Loans at Student Financial Aid, but they will pick up their money at the fiscal of fice. The financial aid disbursement procedure also has been changed. In the past, all funds had been paid out in cash, but now, if the amount is $500 or more, the students may ask to be paid by check. Battalion Classifieds Call 845-2611 Get Your Xerox Copies at Northgate Above Farmer’s Market Help us celebrate our fifth anniversary. Bring us this ad and get up to 25 photo copies for only 30 each. (Limit: one per customer.) ON THE DOUBLE 331 University 846-3755 HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-IO p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Your FREE trip to Padre Island Is less than 30 days away! Come to Padre Cafe, home of world-class chicken fried steak, and register to win a free trip to Padre Island. Sun, surf, sand and fun is less than 30 days away! Padre Cafe will provide transportation, lodging and $100 in spending money for a getaway weekend for two on Padre Island. 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