Features Editor
Lost information, more money and dreaded deadlines for CSU Bakersfield students who are coming close to graduation.
The deadline to turn in graduation checks for spring 2017 graduation is coming up on April 29.
Unlike high school, the luxury of having a free graduation check is no more, nor are all CSU Bakersfield students fully aware of the process needed to graduate on time.
For $55 students must print out a graduation check from off the CSUB website and fill it out with the classes they still need to take a year before the scheduled date to graduate.
After turning the paper and money into admissions and records, the graduation check will be looked over and approved or denied through an email that is sent to the student between four to six weeks.
Though it seems like a cut-and-dry process, there are students finding road bumps along the way.
“I haven’t really gotten a lot of information regarding it. They haven’t notified me at all,” junior liberal studies major Dezirae Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez’s said her only information she received on graduation checks was from her roommate reminding her of the deadline.
Gonzalez was displeased with the graduation check charge.
“I think that’s steep, especially because they don’t tell us what the $55 is for,” Gonzalez said.
Some students utilized advisers to go over their graduation checks to check for mistakes and clarify any questions needed to be asked.
Accounting student Eddy Garcia, 23, was one of the students who went to see an adviser for help.
“I went to see a counselor various times,” Garcia said noting that the advisers were very helpful.
Communications adviser Christina Chavez said she thought the amount of students who ask for help was small.
“Probably 10 percent,” Chavez said stating that most students just look at their Individualized Academic Plans for help.
With Individualized Academic Plans being set last quarter is it still necessary that CSUB students pay $55 and possibly more with the pricing scheduled to raise?
Some CSUB students have found glitches in their graduation checks which set them back a bit.
While others close to graduation haven’t been informed of the graduation checks missing the fall 2016 deadline for graduation.
Not every student has found the process a problem; however, some find it a struggle and have overloaded their classes this quarter to graduate on time.
“I wasn’t informed, and I missed deadline,” senior criminal justice major Jesus Meraz said. “Transfer students are less informed of graduation checks.”
