Once upon a time, there were thousands of college kids heading home for the holidays. We texted our parents our Christmas lists and waited until December 25th to open our gifts. All we ask for Christmas is a few extra hours of sleep and a spring schedule that won’t have us knee-deep in regret. Christmas morning arrives with crystal-white snow covering everything in sight. With gift wrap strewn across the living room floor, every college kid jumped in galore: Mom got me a Keurig! Dad gifted me some pots and pans for my new apartment! And FAFSA gave me … nothing! What a surprise. My application was denied, same as the year before. Gee, the least you could’ve done was given me some coal so at least my stocking looked full. “Maybe next year,” they say with frowns on their faces. But little do they know, this Christmas story will show that FAFSA will never grant their student-aid wishes.
This Christmas story is all too familiar for so many of us college kids year after year. But, I’m here to tell you something, FAFSA, and I think I speak for a majority of the college population when I say this:
1. Just because our parents make X amount of money every year DOES NOT mean they are paying our way through college.
I know. Shocker! Mommy and Daddy could buy bricks of gold to pave my way to each of my classes – but they don’t. And they won’t. And therefore, I’m broke. And, for some reason, there is no question on FAFSA’s application asking you your stipend of cash from your parents’ bank accounts. Because apparently, they don’t care.
2.We work really hard for our degrees ,put hours of work in outside of the studio, lab, and classroom, just to receive nothing in return.
Are you kidding? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t need a round of applause after every little accomplishment in life, but no one works an 8-5 job to get a $0 pay check at the end of every 2 weeks. So, tell me why so many of us 4.0 all of our classes, put in hours of volunteer work, and join as many clubs and extra curriculars as possible just to receive a notice that we didn’t qualify for financial aid.
Why should my academic hard work go unnoticed? Yet, when someone can throw a football pretty well, FAFSA and scholarship agencies basically throw money at them.
3. I may not be a minority. I may not be an all-star athlete. And I may not come from a poor family. But that doesn't mean that my college career should suffer because I can't afford to put myself through school.
Mom, I appreciate the kind gesture of a Keurig for my 18th birthday, and trust me, the pots and pans you got me last year are being put to good use. But, all I want this Christmas are a couple of crisp $100-dollar bills. Unfortunately, for my family, this money will be coming from their bank accounts instead of the government (and who doesn’t want to take advantage of the government?).
I hope that one day this Christmas story is used to scare little kids into going to college, even though college is scary enough on its own. But for now, this will continue to be the real deal for so many of us across the country.
With that being said, as much as I would love to take your loan, FAFSA, and as much as I'd love to pay it all back plus interest the minute I graduate, I think I will stick with the debt that I have and continue to work my a** off with no reward.
So, FAFSA, from my family to yours this holiday season, VA FA NAPOLI!
