This quarter Ohio State’s financial aid department has been put on special status, the Quality Assurance Program, by the Federal Department of Education, said Natala Hart, financial aid director at OSU.This program exempts OSU from the federal rule on collection of the 1040 IRS tax forms.OSU was granted this status because for the past year it has held a default rate of less than 5 percent, and is debt-free, Hart said.There are 8,000 applicants for this program, and 110 were granted special status this year. ‘This status is an honor and we hope to keep it, and use it to the full advantage,’ she said.Part of the Quality Assurance Program is the statistics and a sampling group, Hart said.The sampling group is a random computer sample of 263 students, who undergo a special analysis of their financial aid. Characteristics can be observed and applied to a large group of financial aid students, she said.’This will help to concentrate on identification of glitches, and aid the financial process, because we receive 40,000 applications a year,’ Hart said.Another way the department will try to improve the program is through the faculty at OSU.’Many of the default loans are with students who drop out after the first year,’ Hart said. ‘With faculty trying to assist students to do well in class and stay in school, we hope to lower the default percentage even more.’ Financial aid would also like to eliminate long lines and waiting by making the staff more accessible through phone and in-person service, she said.’One goal is to have students with routine procedures not be required to visit the office to get their aid processed,’ Hart said. ‘This would eliminate waiting time and let staff be able to concentrate on students with unusual circumstances.’With statistics and follow-through procedures, the department hopes to identify the glitches in the present system and move forward to develop a more efficient aid service, she said.Many students are frustrated with the workings of the financial aid office now and look forward to change and hopeful improvements.Kristan Collins, a graduate student, said, ‘I have had many problems with the department, it’s always such a struggle to get checks and very often it’s unorganized and not efficient. ‘You go to the financial aid office hoping to pick up your check today and stand in line for hours to hear that they can’t help everyone today and if not serviced come back tomorrow,’ Collins said.Other students share similar stories.Kelly Archer, a sophomore majoring in English, said, ‘The office opened at 8 a.m. and I arrived there at 8 a.m. with a long line ahead of me. I took a number, 104, and heard them call 11. I was instantly frustrated.’ Research and sampling will help the department to find new solutions to these and other problems.’Students see us (the department) rated as a 5 on a 1 to 10 scale,’ Hart said. ‘Our goal is to strive to be rated as a 9 by the fall 1997 and a 10 plus in fall 1998.’