Brittany Edwards
Karen Morris
English 1102-XX
4 May 2011
College Tuition
Some point in life every individual will have to make a life changing decision, whether or not they will attend a college or university. For some, college has never been an option, for others it seems mandatory. Picture a college life without the benefit of financial aid, is it still possible? There are many ways around the cost of college tuition without the use of financial aid, such as work studies, scholarships, saving, and student loans. Going to college is something that every family can make happen, even without the use of financial aid. Many people feel as though without financial aid college is impossible to pay for, and that is not the case at all. If a student is determine to go to college and willing to put in the work and effort, he or she can attend the college or university of their choice, even without financial aid.
Getting a job on campus can reduce a student’s cost of attendance drastically. Many places on campus will allow a scholar to pay off any form of debt and then the money left over will be presented to him or her in a check or direct deposit. Something simple like becoming a resident assistance can help save money, by not having to pay for housing. Most colleges and universities that have dormitories have assigned residence assistance on each floor; these are well trained students that are there to assist their assigned residence, in case of an emergency or if the residence needs help. Typically a job as a residence assistance will give that student free housing, meaning as long as they agree to help their residence and be an asset to the dormitory they will not have to pay for housing. Simple work studies such as these could help a student in need of help. There are plenty other work studies like working in the café, working in the mail room, or helping with visitation; all of these things can help a student in need of extra money. With a work study, the university works around the scholar class schedule and at the same time the student is working to pay for their education. Even when financial aid is not an option a student should not give up on furthering his or her education. As shown, something as simple as becoming a resident assistant or working in a mail room can help a student attend college, without the help of financial aid.
Granted college is quite expensive, but with adequate preparation and making smart decisions, anyone who really wants to, can attend a college of his or her choice. With the assistance of student loans and scholarships, college can be very affordable. Even taking into consideration a two-year college is cheaper than going to an elite college for four years. For example going to a school such as The University of Georgia, a student is looking at around nine thousand dollars for in-state tuition and fees, and approximately twenty- seven thousand for out of state tuition and fees. On the other hand a student could choose a school such as Valdosta State University and things may be a little bit cheaper. At Valdosta State University a scholar would be looking at about seven thousand dollars for instate tuition and fees, and about eighteen thousand for out of state tuition and fees.
Even if both of those still seem a little on the high priced side a student could always start out at a two year college such as Georgia Perimeter College. Universities will usually cost more than a two year college or institution. The tuition and fees for an in state student at Georgia Perimeter College is only about three thousand a semester and about ten thousand a semester for an out-of-state student. Despite a scholars family financial standings, financial aid will try its best to awards that scholar the most they can, due to his or her personal situation. Reliance on financial aid is not a good idea.
Financial aid has helped many students drastically, but even students who are not eligible for financial aid can still attend college. A lot of times when a student learns that he or she is not eligible for financial aid, they give up on their dreams. There are still ample amount of opportunities to attend college without the use of financial aid. An author by the name of Andrea Hermitt Published an article and she gave many alternatives to paying for college without the help of financial aid. In this article she gave a personal testimony on how she attended college and had to pay for it all out of her own pockets, because she was denied financial aid. “High school seniors are not the only people eligible for college scholarships.” (College without financial aid, Hermitt).
Applying for scholarships can cut down the price of college by more than half of what someone will pay without them. There is plenty of money one can receive simply by applying for a scholarship. There are scholarships awarded to people who are left handed, there are scholarships for people with different colored eyes, there are even scholarships for people who speak two languages. There is money businesses are willing to give away each year, but cannot because people do not even apply for it.
One scholarship that is very popular in the state of Georgia is the HOPE Scholarship. Many college students rely on the HOPE Scholarship because it pays for tuition and gives one hundred and fifty dollars to all receivers for books. Recently Governor Nathan Deals has proposed changes to the HOPE Scholarship, to try and preserver money for upcoming scholars. The credentials to receive the HOPE Scholarship have gone up drastically, making it more challenging to receive the scholarship. With this proposal high school students who earn a three point seven grade point average or higher, and make at least a twelve hundred or better on the SAT will have full coverage of their college tuition. Those students that maintain a three point five grade point average will receive ninety percent of their college tuition covered, depending on the amount of money people invest into the lottery that year. Also with these new cuts there will no longer be any book funding or mandatory fees covered. These cuts will be affecting many of Georgia scholars. Governor Deal fears that if changes are not made to the HOPE Scholarship the funds that sponsor the scholarship will run out by the year two- thousand and thirteen. With these new credentials the number of people attending college with in these next few years many change substantially.
There are also many hidden secrets that students should know about when it comes to financial aid. Simple, common errors can cause a student to get denied financial aid. Applying early can make a difference in the amount of money a student will receive back, do not wait till the last minute to submit the application even if a parent is still waiting on their tax returns. A parent can guess how much they made according to how much they made last year, and if the numbers are not accurate that parent can easily go in and change the numbers, but waiting is not a smart decision. Something as little as placing information in the wrong area will cause the electronic system to deny the application. “A lot of times parents tend to place their information in the student’s portion of the application,” (10 things, Weliver) this can cause negative results.
Another option is possibly attending a more elite college, because in fact those colleges are usually the ones that will give out more scholarships and financial aid tend to grant those students a larger award. The higher ranked private schools may seem more expensive but in all actually those might me the schools that save you the least amount of money. At these elite schools there are plenty of scholars that tend to give back to the school after they graduate and things such as this allows the college to offer more money to an incoming scholar. Something many students tend to forget is, usually the more expensive the school, the less applicants they will have, due to this they have more money they can award to the applicants they received that meet their credentials.
Granted, college is expensive, but making smart financial decisions, and using the help that is offered, things will seem a lot easier. Saving also plays a big role in paying for college. If going to a two year state college is not the route a student has planned, parents could not save enough money, and financial aid is no longer an option, do not give up. Even though it would be nice to have a full scholarship with everything school related paid for, not everyone is that lucky. College is possible for every single student, it may be harder for different students with different situations, but it is most definitely possible. Grabbing a part time job over the summer could help pay for books or even those mandatory fees that has to be paid. Learning to save and distinguish the things wanted and the things a scholar needs, may be the difference between a two year college and a university. Even when financial aid does not help, a student that saves and uses their money wisely can have the same luxuries a college or university has to offer, as someone who was awarded financial aid.
Many times the proper saving for college can really make a difference, it may not cover the complete amount, but it can really make the difference you need to see. Even though the price of college tuition is still on the rise, saving properly can make things seem more affordable, rather than having to pay for the full cost of tuition at one time. Students that come from a less wealthy home tend to have more saved for college than a student coming from a wealthier home. Many times students that know their parents are working hard to save for them to go to college, tend to have better grades in high school, than those who rely on financial aid. Students cannot rely on financial aid, because there is always the option of them denying that student. Financial aid is very beneficial but not reliable at all. If a student is granted financial aid great, but if not that student should never give up hope on their dreams, so always have other options.
When all else fails a student could apply for a loan or even a credit card. Many students fear getting a loan or a credit card, due to all the negative things they may have heard, but making smart decisions will not hurt that student in the future. When looking for a loan find loans that allot time after a student finish school, to pay back without receiving interest. As far as credit cards, a student wants to find a credit card that has a lower interest rate, so that he or she will not have to pay back so much money after graduating. Credit card companies make their money off of the interest they place on the card. Loan companies make their money off of the interest they place on the money they loan you, so to avoid debt, make sure you are aware of all the small incentives they place on the card or the loan.
Many places give out student loans other than the government, in case a student was denied financial aid. There are places such as banks that will offer a student a loan that will generally have lower interest rates than places that specialize in loans and credit cards. Learning the proper way to use a credit card will also benefit a scholar. Often when a student thinks of a credit card they think of having money now and paying it back later, which is the general idea but not knowing the small things will make the difference later when it becomes time to pay back. When using a credit card a student needs to know that the longer one waits to pay back the more money they will end up spending due to interest rates, which is why a scholastic learned needs to find credit card companies with lower interest rates. Improper use of a credit card or not paying back student loans is the number one way that college students mess up their credit later in life. Perhaps dormitory life is not for the student, when trying to move off campus, many places run your credit and if a student does not pay on a loan or make payment on their credit card they may be declined housing making things more difficult for the student. Paying the bill on the card on time and making sure loans get paid off will increase the student’s chances of increasing their credit score, making things better off for them later in life when trying to buy a car or maybe even a house. These small steps will help a student that did not receive financial aid, better their life in the future and save a little more money.
After researching, financial aid is great, but not the only option for a scholar. Resorting to other options such as work studies, scholarships, saving, and student loans, scholars can attend any college or university of his or her choice. If an undergraduate is attempting college and is not granted financial aid, do not give up. Many people who were not awarded financial still tended to make something of their lives such as Andrea Hermitt, she was denied financial aid due to the fact her parents made too much money, when in fact it just so happened that one of her parents income changed for that period of time. She did not give up under any circumstances and still made a great living for herself. If saving does not work out and you cannot seem to get any type of scholarship, working or getting a loan is always an option. Simple, easy, jobs such as becoming a resident assistant could make a difference just by paying for a student’s housing. If a scholar is determined to go to college they should not allow anything to stop them, even financial aid.
Work Cited
Agustin, Heidi M “Parents Dip Into 401k for Kid’s College Tuition.” The City Town Informational. 6 October. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
Hermitt, Andrea “Paying for College Without Financial Aid.” Yahoo. 28 Sept. 2006. Web. 10 Jan. 2011.
Huelsman, Mark “Help Families Save for College.” New America Foundation. 2 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
Wang, Penelope “Ease the Tuition Squeeze.” MONEY. 14 April. 2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2011.
Weliver, David and AnnaMaria Andriotis “10 Things Financial Aid Offices Wont Say.” Smart Money. Web. 7 Jan. 2011.
“What It Cost to Go to College.” College Board.com. College Board .2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
