Across the United States, the cost of college tuition has risen nearly 3% annually for public universities and almost 5% for private colleges. Because of this, many students have become very familiar with FAFSA as well as the ins and outs of their school’s financial aid opportunities. Today, about two-thirds of college students receive some form of financial aid. For those students, these things are found to be universally true. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly of financial aid.
The Good:
The cost of tuition alongside the numerous extra fees and necessities for courses is overwhelming for many families. In many cases, financial aid can solely determine whether or not someone can go to school. The moment your school notifies you of the scholarships and grants that will be applied to your account, you realize that the future you wanted and the education you need is entirely within your grasp. For those not receiving aid directly from their school, FAFSA gives many students the opportunity to get loans to help with the burden of tuition. Given that this loan is intended to help students get an education, it comes with a much lower interest rate and in some cases, doesn’t require payments until you reach graduation.
The Bad:
Despite the positive intentions of financial aid, it never seems to be enough. With strict caps on federal aid, it doesn’t ensure that you will be able to afford your education. Even if you are fortunate enough to receive the maximum amount of federal aid possible, including lower interest rate or subsidized loans, there is still a large portion of college tuition and expenses to make up for on your own. By the end of it, those who are of lower socioeconomic status who do qualify for federal aid have no way to make up these additional costs and the promises and intentions of FAFSA fall short.
The Ugly:
In 2015-2016, the average cost of attending a 4-year university was above $32,000 according to the College Board. This hefty price isn’t easy for anybody to pay. At the end of the day, colleges and universities are out to make money, not help their students financially. Treating students as profit centers only causes further tuition hikes and lower graduation rates. This eventually leads to higher poverty rates and increases in the average age of individuals being forced to work minimum-wage jobs because they couldn’t afford an education.
We live in an innovative and changing world that requires the fresh, creative minds of hopeful college students. No matter how much federal and university aid has helped some students, there is a huge need for improvement. The only way to guarantee a brighter future for the students of America is to actually invest in them and guarantee that there is a way for any individual to get an education regardless of their income.
