The Factor of Financial Aid
L. Kozlowski
Posing with her new college apparel Juliana Filipenko is eager to attend UCSD in the fall.
When the time comes for a senior to apply and commit to colleges, money is often times, and unfortunately, the greatest deciding factor.
For some of the school’s demographic, this period of time may be as simple as clicking a button. However, for others such as myself, choosing a school may come down to a single criterium: Financial aid.
When I was going into my senior year, I couldn’t wait to apply for the schools of my dreams. Of course, I was aware of how much college tuition costs mattered in the long run, especially since the average school would amount to approximately $40,000 per year.
I live with my mother, who is a self-em- ployed single parent. Without my father’s active presence in my life, her income is virtu- ally all we have to rely on. When the “college question” arose several months ago, all hope turned to financial aid options and scholarships.
I was lucky enough that my FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, responded to my needs and presented me with a good sum of federal aid, including federal grants and several loan options. This euphoria, however, was short-lived when the tuition, already including the FAFSA estimate, was still completely out- of-reach for a single parent to manage for four years.
As incomes increase, however, FAFSA becomes less of an asset, since it caters to students with need-based eligibilities. For people like senior Rachel Morgan, who will be attending the University of Washington, federal aid offered her a $5,500 option for loans and no free federal aid. With Washington’s high price tag of $50,000 annually, scholarships are her only hope for any more deductions from the total cost.
“FAFSA is a great resource for many people across the United States. However, in respect to our community, it is very difficult to get student aid for families who do need it. FAFSA was written so that it does not take into account cost of living, which is very high in this area, and this is the reason why students need the financial aid, but it is also the reason why they are not getting it,” she said.
While it may make sense for families with higher incomes to pay a higher price for education, it still seems twisted that the cost of education over the course of several years can amount to a down payment for a good house, or years of paying off loans.
I’m certain that my parents, consumed by “American Dream” success stories, were hoping I’d magically receive a full-ride scholarship to the school of my dreams. I knew this wasn’t going to be a reality for me, since I was not a star athlete, nor did I consistently maintain a 4.0 GPA.
According to publisher of FastWeb and FinAid Mark Kantrowitz, only .3% of students in America receive enough grants and scholarships to cover the full cost of college. In other words, less than 20,000 students nationwide are able to achieve a free-ride.
The most disappointing part of this topic is that the cost of college education is only rising in conjunction with increasing competition to get into colleges and universities.
To the younger scholars at Las Lomas, the best advice I can give you is to start assessing your financial options sooner. Do not hesitate to start looking at or completing scholarships now. Be conscious of what schools you are applying to, and if the price of tuition plus room and board is worth the investment, especially for the subject or major you are going into. Lastly, keep your options wide open, and never focus on only one school.
When talking to Ellen Smith in the College and Career Center, she emphasized the importance of understanding how much money is available in one’s family for a college education.
“Students and parents need to have an honest talk before students apply to colleges, and that’s easy for me to say, but it’s very hard for parents to do. It’s hard for parents to be honest. What parents say to their student is ‘apply anywhere and we’ll find a way for you to go.’ I have very rarely found that to be true, because not very many people have unlimited funds,” she said.
Asking for help, especially since I am a first-generation American and only child in my family, was one of the greatest things I did throughout this process. I found out about more scholarships that were local to the East Bay and to Las Lomas through the College Career Center here at school.
In my experience, I had to turn down an opportunity to study in New York mainly due to financial reasons. Instead, after considering my options with the help of Mrs. Washburn and Ms. Smith, I was happy to find another school that offered greater financial aid, a better program for my major, and was closer to home.
While finances definitely account for the biggest part of deciding a college or university, there is always a way around the burden of the price. Whether it is going to a community college for two years and then transferring, taking a gap year, or applying for countless scholarships and grants, there is always a path that can lead a student to a desirable end goal.
Whatever it is you choose to do or pursue in the near future, know that although your chances may at times be limited, your options are limitless.
