Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Why did I fill out the FAFSA again?
This year I have spent many hours filling out paperwork and trying to get as many scholarships as possible. My parents made it clear that in order for me to attend a school other than a community college I would need to receive a large amount of financial aid. I filled out the FAFSA, along with countless other forms, only to be told that I am not eligible because my parents have already saved up too much money for my college education. According to the government we have enough to afford tuition, but the reality is that a substantial part of the money my parents have saved is set aside for their retirement and my three younger siblings’ college. It seems unfair that because my family has saved money and been responsible enough to prepare ahead of time, we are now being punished and told that the only financial aid we will receive is unsubsidized loans with huge interest rates. Being the oldest of four children, I know that my parents cannot afford to spend all their money on me when they have three other children to send to school. Unfortunately, it seems like the government does not see this.
I understand that low income students are in desperate need of financial aid. However, I would really like to see the government offer more to the middle class as well. Most people fall into the middle class, and yet many of us are not receiving the financial aid we need, and our families are struggling. The cost of college is getting out of hand, and it is also becoming more and more necessary to get a college education. Please help make college more affordable for all students, by supporting bills that provide more financial aid for the middle class.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuition increases as financial aid decreases
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As state governments are beginning to run out of money to give to college bound students, parents and students are beginning to worry about how they are going to pay for their education. Supposedly, the reasoning behind the shortage of grant money is due to the higher number of applicants this year compared to other years. Now, I do not doubt that this is true, but there probably is a reason behind the sudden increase in applications. In the past few years college tuition has increased tremendously causing families of college-aged kids to worry about their financial future. Due to this increased worry more and more students are applying for loans, grants, and scholarships to try and alleviate the cost of college. But there has to be another way to fix this problem.
Instead of colleges continuously raising their prices and causing students to suffer with the stresses of paying off their debt and loans, they should no longer be allowed to increase tuition, and actually should begin to lower them. There is no reason for a college with 20,000 people to charge each individual $30,000 per year. If colleges actually cost less, more people would be able to attend and colleges would not have to give out big financial aid packages. With more people in attendance and smaller amounts of money going out to students, these colleges would end up making more money than they already do. Of course, college is a business and for some reason many post-secondary schools are under the impression that they will appear superior with higher ticket prices.
It seems as if colleges are losing sight of their original purpose: to educate people so they can get jobs and make money as well as so that our country is more educated and can therefore be one of the powerhouses of the world. With the way tuition is going now less students will be able to attend college, our economy will suffer even more and the U.S. will continue to lose its credibility in the world.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Real meaning of tuition increases
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Is it worth it?
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For an average student, a 4 year college degree can cost anywhere from about $70,000 to $150,000. For that price, it is hard to justify going to a school that costs more than double what an in-state public school costs. This is why more and more students are trying to find alternate ways to get a college degree, forcing them to make tough sacrifices in order to make it work. It's easy for the government to say that they are giving out "more financial aid to those who need it". Well, that’s great, but the reality is that most people in the middle class won't see any of that money. Most people are trapped in a catch-22: too rich to receive aid, and too poor to be realistically expected to pay for school. Yes, our parents might have money. But as a student, I don't. And with four kids to put through college, my parents really don't either.
Even if a student does quailify for aid, they have tough decisions ahead of them. It's hard to decide whether it is worth it to put yourself thousands and thousands of dollars in debt just to attend the college of your dreams. The reality is- it's not worth it. Many of us think think better of a student from Harvard than one from a community college. But a few years after college, employers care more about what you've done after school than during school. If you can go to a community college, and get out of school with less debt, you're more likely to be able to build a portfolio of accomplishments that will impress future employers. Meanwhile, that Harvard graduate will be living on the street desperately trying to earn enough money to pay his bills. He will constantly be playing "catch-up" instead of being the successful person he strived to be. I realize that this is just a hypothetical situation, but as a student its something I know we're all thinking about.
http://learnfinancialplanning.com/is-a-college-degree-too-expensive/