We as a society believe that the more educated an individual or a civilization, the more the nation and its people will prosper. I understand that the mission statement of the Department of Education is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access”. What if I told you that there is no true equal access? Why is it that people like me, who come from a middle-class family, are annihilated by the financial aid system, therefore we have to pay every penny of my higher education? How is that equal? There needs to be more financial aid options for middle-class families across America. As long as I can remember I always dreamt of going to Gonzaga University
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My parents expected contribution to my education is $30,000 a year according to financial aid. That breaks down to ¼ of their combined salary after taxes. How is that fair when they have bills to pay and want to enjoy their lives, too? Yet, I only qualify for $6,500 worth of government loans. How am I supposed to come up with the rest of the money I need for my education when all private lenders require a co-signer and the Parent PLUS loan’s interest is ridiculous? I’m a young adult, I barely have credit after turning 19. I would hate to put the burden on anyone by asking them to be a …show more content…
How can there be an investment when it’s nearly financially impossible to acquire an excellent education that those speak on? Sure, there are cheaper alternatives to colleges. Yet, when a child’s dreams exceed those lesser costing colleges, where are they able to turn to? How is it fair that they cannot afford their dreams, dreams that will contribute to society and help them become tax payers? How is that equal access if they have to climb mountains, when they could have just gone to one school that would have provided it all for them?
I sat for days, angry, distraught while crying over how unfair this is and why is it happening to me. I watch all my friends going off to their dream colleges, yet I cannot afford to go to mine. I’m a 4.0 GPA student, yet, I cannot attend the colleges of my dreams because I can’t cough up the money to go. Why aren’t there more merit based financial aid options, yet there’s countless need-based options that I will never qualify for until after I turn 24 years old, get married, enlist in the service or my parents keel over? How on earth is that
My parents expected contribution to my education is $30,000 a year according to financial aid. That breaks down to ¼ of their combined salary after taxes. How is that fair when they have bills to pay and want to enjoy their lives, too? Yet, I only qualify for $6,500 worth of government loans. How am I supposed to come up with the rest of the money I need for my education when all private lenders require a co-signer and the Parent PLUS loan’s interest is ridiculous? I’m a young adult, I barely have credit after turning 19. I would hate to put the burden on anyone by asking them to be a …show more content…
How can there be an investment when it’s nearly financially impossible to acquire an excellent education that those speak on? Sure, there are cheaper alternatives to colleges. Yet, when a child’s dreams exceed those lesser costing colleges, where are they able to turn to? How is it fair that they cannot afford their dreams, dreams that will contribute to society and help them become tax payers? How is that equal access if they have to climb mountains, when they could have just gone to one school that would have provided it all for them?
I sat for days, angry, distraught while crying over how unfair this is and why is it happening to me. I watch all my friends going off to their dream colleges, yet I cannot afford to go to mine. I’m a 4.0 GPA student, yet, I cannot attend the colleges of my dreams because I can’t cough up the money to go. Why aren’t there more merit based financial aid options, yet there’s countless need-based options that I will never qualify for until after I turn 24 years old, get married, enlist in the service or my parents keel over? How on earth is that