Dallas College Brookhaven Campus — Local services in Farmers Branch

Extremely frustrating and confusing admissions process. When I submitted my online application there were several options with blurbs. Chose the one I thought was best suited (spoiler alert, I was wrong.) Needed the usual documents submitted, transcript, ACT, vaccines. Graduated HS years ago, so that's a problem, but I have one emailed to me from 5 years ago signed and stamped. I called to ask if that was accepted. They said yes. Went in person to drop if off. They said it wasn't accepted. And that even though i got my meningitis vaccine i needed to redo it since it was expired. Went to the student success center to ask what I needed, and she told me I need an official one but i can get started to enroll in classes. And that I don't need meningitis because im over 22 or something like that. Submitted my official HS, College, and ACT scores. A few weeks passed, wondering why my application still isn't accepted. Went to the student success center. My application was for a transient student, which I am not. Even though im taking classes to transfer, since im not actively enrolled in the university im applying to, im just a regular student. Super frustrating, because why did no one else tell me. So instead of just an application through Dallas college, I had to do ome through applytexas. And I had to wait for that to get processed. Once I was accepted, there was STILL A HOLD on my account. Went to the student success center as online it says I need to meet with them to schedule my classes. And despite them having my address on file they still hadn't classified me as a Dallas resident, so I had to go to financial aid to figure that out. Went back to student success center, got me enrolled in 3 classes but had to get my financial aid figured out. Went BACK to financial aid, and told them my FAFSA was submitted but haven't heard anything. Maybe it's my bad, but they ended up telling me for summer 2025 I need the FAFSA 2024 so I had to do a new application. Why did no one told me that before after my application was for summer. But I digress. I submitted my 2024 FAFSA while still there and they told me it'd be 5-7 days to process. That was April 7th. It is MAY 9TH AND I AM STILL WAITING. April 18th i checked the portal, and it said I had missing documents, but when I clicked it there were no missing documents listed, just a notification about Pell grant eligibility. I emailed and calle and after about a week or two they said my highschool transcript was missing. The one that was submitted a month ago. And that was received by admissions. I told them that, and they said to email financial aid telling them that. I was on the phome with financial aid. Why am I emailing your department telling them to look at my file. Anyways. At that point i had an open case so a supervisor called me (I missed the call) but because at that point my portal had showed i had no missing documents i didnt call back. Ive been on that stage since May 30th. Since then I've called multiple times, been on hold for 15+ minutes so I've hung up, and finally got someone telling me (after a 30 minute wait) that it's stuck in the processing stage because my professor needs to confirm my attendance. When I asked what that meant, the lady on the phone repeated herself. When I asked if I needed to email the professor she just repeated herself and since she obviously wasn't helping I said thanks and bye. A case was opened for me and apparently a supervior will call me within 72 hours. We'll see. Called the next day (today), again a 20 minute hold, explained my situation differently as this was the same lady by saying im stuck on the review stage, need to get my professor to confirm my attendance, and not sure what to do. She said a supervisor will call me. GAH. So you see my frustration. And why I took the time to write this all out. Why did 4 ppl in the admissions department tell me different things. Why is the financial aid department not able to read the documents they received? Why has it been over a month and still not processed?...

My experience with the admissions and financial aid departments has been very exhausting and frustrating. I was asked by the Financial Aid Department to submit a “Not Attending School” form. I brought the form to them in a sealed envelope, and they told me to give it to the Admissions Office. On April 15, I handed it to the woman at window #1. She opened the envelope and said, “Oh, this is a Not Attending form — it shouldn’t be sealed.” She scanned it and I left.

A week later, on April 22, I asked Financial Aid if they had received the form. They said no. I went home, got the same paper, and brought it back — this time in an open envelope. Another woman helped me and scanned it again. She told me it wasn’t there before and that it was strange.

After I finished the summer semester, I checked on my financial aid status, and again, they told me they needed the same form. I went home, got the paper once more, and returned to the office. A different staff member helped me and scanned it again. A few days later, I followed up, and they still said they hadn’t received it.

I went home again, got the paper, and came back. I waited to speak with the woman at window #1 — the same person who opened the envelope back in April — since she was familiar with my situation. Surprisingly, someone else called my name. I tried to explain my situation, but she cut me off and said, “Listen, you need to be quiet and listen to me. I’m supposed to be on lunch, but I’m here trying to help you.”

I told her I’d prefer to speak with the woman at window #1, but she said I couldn’t because she was busy. She forced herself into my case and even went to use the computer at window #1. I stayed quiet, shocked by how I was being treated. When she came back, she told me, “You’re all good — no need to scan it again.” I thanked her and went to speak with the woman at window #1 again.

That woman told me they couldn’t enter the document into the system because it came in an open envelope. I reminded her that she was the one who opened it on April 15. She replied, “Oh God, I don’t remember you.” I told her they could check the cameras, and she said, “You know what, I’ll check with Financial Aid to see if they really have it” — as if I was lying or imagining things. She later confirmed they did have it, and finally, on June 14, it was officially put into the system.

This whole experience made me feel disrespected and like I wasn’t being taken seriously. I did everything I was asked to do, multiple times. Instead of receiving help, I was made to feel like I was a problem. This has affected me emotionally and mentally — I still can’t move past it. If I knew their names, I swear I would take legal action, because no student deserves to be...

Beware when signing up for the payment plan option to pay for your classes. At first I thought ‘how nice of them for allowing students the option to do payment plans…’ wrong. Just a way to get money out of you completely. Very sad as I am on a low income as it is (hence the payment plan needed to pay for my classes) I enrolled in one class last semester and ended up dropping it 10 days after the class started b/c I couldn’t keep up and it was affecting my mental health. I also work full time. Too much on my plate. Brookhaven will NOT let you get out of the payment plan. They will make you pay every last penny of what you owe no matter if you are no longer in the class. I emailed and asked to get a refund for my first payment b/c well duh I shouldn’t have to pay anything for a class I dropped and am no longer attending. They told me no, the only thing I could do was stop the payments. Which still left me with $90 something dollars they already took out. They acted stupid…. They could give me, my money back but refused. Beware doing business with a school who won’t give you your money back even after dropping the class early!! AGAIN ONLY 10 days into the semester…. I disputed the money from my bank & my bank gave me by money back & then the school took the money AGAIN!!! Leaving me overdrawn, thanks….. I won’t be taking anymore classes at Brookhaven b/c of this. Taking advantage of students who are low income is sad...