I pay for the majority of my tuition through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and I have to pay out of pocket for the rest of my tuition and other costs which these programs don’t cover. In addition, since TAP takes an excessively long time to process for me, I  sometimes have to pay, on average, about  $1,500, up front.  This is to ensure that my classes do not get dropped in the beginning of the semester. Some semesters my classes do get dropped, without my knowledge, or any warning that there was a standing balance.  This is a huge problem, because due to limited class availability, seats fill up in classes very quickly.

I always expect TAP to not process properly for me, so I work during the summer to try to avoid this. Because I have to work long hours to make money in the summer, I lose the opportunity  to pursue internships related to my career goals.  My only  challenge should be learning new material, not dealing with all the hassles of getting into classes. Not to mention,  high tuition is not the only challenging cost that I am faced with. Books, transportation, and food are also costly and finding money for these expenses is equally difficult. This strain is not only taking a toll on my finances, but also on my health. The panic of finding out that my classes are dropped, that it might be too late to re-register, being forced to take a semester off, and struggling to afford all of these costs, has taken a toll on my mind and body. 

The recent divestment in CUNY and SUNY funding has affected me in many different ways.  I work in order to pay for the entire tuition out of my own pocket.  The job I work provides me with just enough to pay my tuition fees while leaving me with less to save for the future. I sometimes completely opt out of buying the textbook of a class in order to save the hundreds of dollars they can cost.  I instead have to spend time in the library waiting for the textbook to be available and then rent it out to do my studying and homework.  

This, along with working the same days I have class, is very exhausting and negatively affects my state of mind and how much I get out of my classes.  The job I have has nothing to do with what I want my future career to be.  I would love to be in a position where I can become an intern and gain valuable work experience in the field of my major. I hope that one day everyone can have the ability to become an intern in a field of their choosing.

My college is being paid for by financial aid but it will be ending this year.  I still have another year before I graduate and get my bachelors degree. Now I am faced with the fact that I need to find a way to pay for another year of school. Neither my mother nor my father earn enough to pay for my school and no entry level position I have ever had has paid me a wage where I could pay day-to-day expenses and save for school.  

I am twenty-one years old and I am a proud daughter of two immigrants. My mother and father crossed the border twenty-four years ago. Today both my parents are citizens and work as truck drivers. When I was six years old my parents divorced and my mother worked night and day to pay for the food and the roof over our heads. My brother and I are the first generation of college students. 

Understanding my mother’s struggle to get an education, makes it clear that I would not be able to pay for college if I did not qualify for financial aid like the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Although my mother’s experience differs from mine, I know if she had access to opportunity programs or financial aid to help her pay for education, she would have finished. I recently quit one of the two jobs I had at the beginning of the semester because my jobs were taking a toll on my academic performance. It is stressful to manage time when you constantly must decide on whether you need to work to have money to pay for groceries or to use that time to study for an upcoming exam

As first-generation college students, my mother always encouraged my siblings and I to continue with our education to have a financially stable future, nothing like what we experienced as children. My mother valued the little education she received in her hometown in Mexico, and wished to continue her education as a college student but like most of her neighbors, she had no money for it. Although against all odds, my mother followed her passion to learn and enrolled herself in a public college without any financial support from her parents.. She barely passed the first year and failed the following year; whenever I ask her what held her back from going back to school, she explained the lack of resources. Students should not carry such a financial burden before they are even given the chance to better themselves.  

In the beginning of August, me and my mom started talking about the fall semester of college and how to pay for it. We looked at the cost and my mom was worried because it was over $8,000. I told her that the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) would cover the costs associated with college, but not everything.

Then we drove to the college and we spoke with one of the representatives at the financial aid office. She told us “The financial aid would not cover everything”. My mom then asked “How am I supposed to pay it” and the lady said “I don’t know.” When I got home that day, my mom and I had a talk about what to do and we decided to take out loans.  The problem about that is I won’t be able to work on my career because I have to find a job ASAP and work for who knows how long to pay off the loans.  My career will be on hold for weeks, months, or even years.

I use financial aid to pay my tuition in college. I qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). However, the TAP award is too low.  It should be more.   I have to buy books, food, and pay for transportation costs and housing.

This semester, my textbooks cost almost $300 and  my metrocard costs $120 per month. Because I am a full-time student in college, it is not possible to work.  I hope I am going to graduate on time so that I do not run out of TAP money.

As an Environmental Studies major, I’m happy to have the experience of pursuing my passion and learning about what I love. Paying for college is my biggest hassle. My parents “make too much” for me to be able to get financial aid so I’ve been forced to take out private and unsubsidized loans to pay my tuition. Because of the ridiculous interest rates of the private loans, I watch my balance increase every month. With each increase, I wonder how I will be able to pay these loans off and how long it will take me. As someone who wants to pursue a graduate degree, I also wonder if my current debt will affect my ability to do so and how I will pay for it. I had to take a semester off 2 years ago because of a hold on my account due to unpaid fees that I was not able to resolve in time.

Like many other students, I’ve had to get a job on campus to earn money to pay for tuition, textbooks, a monthly metrocard, buy food, and pay bills. Despite what FAFSA has determined about my family’s financial standing, depending on them to provide me with money for all these expenses is not possible, especially considering the fact that I’m one of two children currently in college. While I feel that learning to manage time is an important skill to have in college, I don’t believe that struggling to stay financially afloat is a struggle that college students should have to face. I hope to see a change in what is considered low-income and a greater and more comprehensive approach to helping students pay for education as it should be a right and not a privilege.

I am currently relying on my parents’ income to support me, but to be honest, a lower-middle class family supporting two children in college is hard. So I am forced to work in order to pay for school.

My schedule is so tight because I must work until 12 or 1 AM for a restaurant and still take a full-time course load to qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).  I am also paying for my own textbooks. As a student who majoring in biology, textbooks are a major burden on my wallet.   I am also paying for my own transportation.

I’m a student at Queensborough Community College. I work in a pet store as a full time employee. It’s hard for me to maintain my job and study,  but I believe hard work will gift me a brighter future. I get a little help from the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and  some monetary help from my mom. My mom said that she will soon stop helping me because she wants me to be self-sufficient. She does not make that much money and is also raising my half sister on her own.

I will be in a horrible situation if the tuition increases or if I get less financial aid. I wish to see an America that treats all of her children equally regardless of social status or economic level.

I was born and raised in New York City where I have seen violence firsthand as a teen, and soon figured out that higher education was my ticket to success. During my senior year in high school, my mother was laid-off from her job and my hopes for affording a college degree became a bit dimmer. I chose to attend Tompkins County Community College because of its affordability, and then transferred to SUNY Cortland. The financial aid package I receive for SUNY Cortland covers a majority of tuition.  However the additional costs force me to work two jobs, one at a local grocery store and the other as a tour guide on-campus. The additional costs such as transportation, housing and food would have to be satisfied by my long working days, and two separate student loans.  I accept little financial help from my parents to lessen the burden on their shoulders.

I am a psychology major and will be a first-generation graduate in my family. My post-graduation goal is to start a non-profit organization in New York City dedicated to adolescent outreach and empowerment. I believe that if you’re lucky enough to be in college, you should never take it for granted and make use of the opportunity. I am from a troubled area and would like to incite a college culture within youth from my community, and enlighten them to the opportunities that set me on a path to success.