This semester, Case Western Reserve University students who utilize work-study paychecks to cover rent, groceries and other essential expenses have faced delays in receiving their payments. A mix of staffing shortages and a late release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) left many students without paychecks for months. The delays created stress and financial hardship for students across campus.
These delays were not only a result of understaffing but also systemic inefficiencies within the university’s Human Capital Management (HCM) portal, a critical component of processing employment forms.
The HCM portal, which processes student employment, started having problems in early September. On Sept. 17, the Office of University Financial Aid sent an email explaining the situation, stating that only two full-time staff members were managing over 2,100 student employment forms. One position was vacant, and, typically, temporary staff are hired to help. However, this year, only one temporary hire was made, leaving the team with more work than they could handle.
By Sept. 20, another email from Director of Financial Aid Mike Collins said that staff had processed about 1,600 students and left 400 still waiting. However, many students didn’t gain access to HCM until mid-to-late October, leading to frustration and confusion. The office said that the final 400 students were new hires, which required significantly more processing time due to incomplete documents or other issues. Returning students were processed more quickly, but even they experienced weeks of delay.
At the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) General Assembly meeting on Nov. 19, President Eric Kaler acknowledged the widespread frustrations, noting that there was a “perfect storm” of issues, including staffing shortages, FAFSA delays and incomplete student documentation. “Yes, this was absolutely a real problem, and I apologize for that,” Kaler said. He admitted that the Office of University Financial Aid was using an outdated system of paper forms that slowed the hiring process and revealed that staff who should have been entering records into the HCM system were bogged down by financial aid-related tasks. “I was a little appalled that we had paper forms in the hiring process,” he said, raising questions about why these inefficiencies hadn’t been addressed earlier. Kaler outlined steps being taken to address these challenges, including eliminating paper forms from the hiring process and collaborating with University Technology ([U]Tech) to improve streamline workflows.
“Whether or not these changes will work is unclear,” a student said, adding that many students are still skeptical after years of HCM issues. “Students just want the administration to focus on clear accountability, not just quick technical fixes.”
The delays were made worse by the late release of the 2024-2025 FAFSA, a nationwide issue. The late FAFSA release caused a backlog during the busiest time for financial aid and student employment. The university stated that staff worked overtime and additional hires were made to resolve the issue, but the volume of delayed forms remained significant.
With a lack of income, some students had to borrow money from family or friends, some had to pick up jobs and others applied for emergency funds through the Office of Student Affairs. The university’s decision to stop offering pay advances made the situation even harder for those in immediate need.
“Over the summer, I didn’t receive my financial aid package until two days before school and after the payment plan cutoffs,” a student said. “I’m on the maximum aid given by [CWRU] and cannot afford to pay my semesters without a payment plan. After that, and the many emails saying not to contact the office, I was nervous to go talk to student employment about why I still wasn’t in the system to the point that when I did go in and ask, they asked me why I waited so long.”
The delays also affected campus employers, with some departments holding off on hiring new student workers to avoid payroll complications. This created staffing shortages within departments and reduced employment opportunities for students.
This is not the Office of University Financial Aid’s first time experiencing issues with HCM. The system has experienced maintenance problems and other difficulties for years. While CWRU has partnered with [U]Tech to streamline processes, students and staff are questioning whether the system is reliable.
“HCM is okay at doing what it is intended to do, but it’s way too often that it is inaccessible or only partially functional,” one student said. “Students are not provided much guidance on how to use the system, and it makes logging hours difficult and more challenging than need be,” another student expressed.
According to university officials, a team from [U]Tech, Human Resources and Enrollment Management has been formed to address these issues. Planned improvements include faster verification of Federal Work-Study eligibility and more efficient processing for returning students.
The delayed payments highlight larger issues within the university. Many students suggested that returning workers, especially those with high financial need, should have been prioritized. Others criticized the need for more transparent communication about why pay advances were no longer an option.
As FAFSA delays are expected again for the 2025-2026 academic year, the university has promised to implement changes before the fall semester to prevent similar issues. These include streamlining the HCM system, eliminating paper forms and expediting the processing of returning students.