Student Senate will vote on a piece of legislation that seeks to improve the financial aid advising process at its Tuesday meeting.

Student Body President Jake Torres authored the bill, which encourages SMU to extend walk-in hours and add two financial aid advisors—one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students.

“I personally know several students that have had to leave the University because of financial aid problems,” Torres said. “Not necessarily because of conduct problems or academics, but because they could not figure out how to find money.”

There are currently five undergraduate advisors and two graduate advisors. Walk-in hours, where students do not need to set up an appointment, are available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Torres told Senate that he has received many complaints from students about the financial aid advising process, especially from graduate students, who say it’s hard to get in touch with their advisor.

To add two advisors would means that SMU would need to find the money to pay their salaries. Torres estimated at the meeting that it would cost approximately $30,000 plus benefits per advisor. Torres said he

didn’t think extending walk-in hours would cost anything.

If Senate approves the bill, it would go to President R. Gerald Turner for consideration.

“I think that if you’re a student at this university, and you want to be able to talk to your financial aid advisor, you should not be limited to a three-hour window every day,” Torres said.

Torres said the Financial Aid Office told him that most complaints come during peak times at the beginning of fall and toward the end of spring, not year-round because, for example, students have turned in forms late.

But Torres argued that “the students that come to talk to them in person are usually the ones in the most dire situation and they need [help] the most.” Torres also argued that costs are continuing to grow and become more complicated.

“If they continue to increase the cost of the school,” Torres said, “I think they should increase the office that helps us pay for that cost.”