I am a Theater and Acting major at QCC. When I graduate, I would like to pursue a higher degree. I will be the first in my family to graduate with a completed degree. I receive financial aid: both TAP and FAFSA. I would like them to expand the minimum award size. My biggest challenge is that I was denied from the ASAP program because I apparently had too many credits from the past, almost four years ago. Because I was denied from this program, I was unable to qualify for a free Metrocard. The costs of MetroCards and transportation are burdensome, so I think ASAP should be more inclusive in allowing people into the program. Food is also really unaffordable. In terms of the quality of what campus has to offer, my professors are great and very supportive in my academic journey. However, I’ve had a lot of trouble finding an advisor. I definitely think they can update our classrooms as well. The classrooms are either scorching hot or freezing cold, with no in between. They can certainly stand to improve the technology.

My major is Communication Sciences and Disorders at QCC. I would like to pursue a job in speech pathology. I am the first in my family to attend college. It is a lot of pressure to succeed but I am proud to be the first to pursue a degree. I work and pay for college out of pocket. Rent and affording housing have been the biggest financial challenges because there are a lot of overhead costs to consider when attending college. Food and transportation have been among the greatest costs. In terms of struggles on campus, I also feel like there is a huge disconnect between my advisor and me, with my advisor being hard to find. There is a severe lack of mental health resources on campus as well. We should also have more comprehensive recycling options on campus. CUNY should be free and fully funded.

I am majoring in Paralegal Studies at Bronx Community College. I plan to move on to a four year school and then eventually law school. TAP and Pell’s financial aid cover my tuition. TAP’s eligibility and award size should be changed because it covers tuition, but not the other costs associated with coming to school, like subscription services for specific classes and textbooks, which are expensive in my major. Without these resources, it is easy to fall behind. On top of textbooks, the costs of childcare were really, really high for my two children. We had to either use a credit card or a money order, and I would have to wait for my financial refunds to pay for it. The early childhood center is great though. I don’t think I would be able to manage anything if my kids weren’t there. Being one of the first in my family to go to college, it has hit me that we have been economically at the mercy of all our employers. My parents encouraged us to go to college but they don’t really understand a lot of the challenges that face college students like the need for that work/life/school balance. In addition, I think that if the infrastructure needs and the advisement issues aren’t addressed, enrollment and retention are going to continue to be an issue. I have gotten stuck in the elevator in different buildings multiple times. The constant need for infrastructure repairs means longer routes to classes, which can make you late. There are a few buildings that are not ADA accessible. My advisors did not have enough information about my current degree program to advise me adequately, requiring me to have to do a lot more research on my own and also spend two extra semesters here because I was not put in the right classes. In terms of class options, the electives required are not offered, leading to us having to take classes at other CUNYs. The schedules there don’t always line up with the BCC schedule, so I get home really late two days a week and have to travel to those other CUNYs. Plus, adhering to the schedule the daycare sets while figuring out my class schedule has been hard. And the approval and denial process of taking classes outside of BCC is really complex. With all of the steps, it took me an entire summer to get these classes approved when they should just be offered here since they are part of our degree program.

I am majoring in Paralegal Studies at Bronx Community College. After graduating, I hope to eventually go to law school and become a lawyer. Financial aid from PELL and TAP pays for my college. Before I joined ASAP, books and transportation were my greatest challenge paying for college because some textbooks, especially law textbooks, are expensive. My Family Law textbook was over $500 and is more than 10 years old, so the professor said it’s outdated. I have also had trouble with TAP coverage. The eligibility should be changed to include prerequisite classes that you have to take in order to take classes that are part of your degree program because TAP wouldn’t pay for those. Within my program, I have also struggled with class scheduling. We have to take three elective law classes, however they always offer the same ones over and over every semester, so the students struggle to meet this requirement. On a separate note, I’ve had some really good professors that are really approachable and want to help and the LGBT Resource Center here is really helpful. However, we have no dedicated paralegal studies advisors despite it being a specialized major offered. Due to the lack of advisors, my graduation date gas been delayed (I should have graduated last semester). The classes are only offered every other semester, so if you miss it you have to wait an entire year. The school needs to be able to invest more in advising and class opportunities for my program. Our infrastructure also needs improvement. One semester, there was no heat for a few weeks, so we had no classes. Only about half of the buildings are ADA accessible.

I’m a senior and my major is Political Science. I hope to get a job that works in politics whether that be for a campaign or working for a group that advocates for an issue. I was inspired to major in this because of the 2020 BLM Protests as well as being a Roosevelt Scholar at Hunter College. I receive both the Pell Grant and TAP to pay for my tuition. TAP is great but it could be simplified. One of the things I found confusing was Parent 1 and Parent 2. One time I kept receiving emails saying there was an error with my TAP and that I had to fix it. I never could find the error but eventually the TAP went through. I recommend simplifying it so that it would be less confusing.. Many times I have had to adjust my plans for what classes I was taking in a semester because a class I thought would be offered is not being offered or it is being offered at a time that conflicts with another class. I haven’t really had much advisement after my freshman year of college. I do have a once a semester meeting with the leader of the Roosevelt Scholars. There are also many issues with the upkeep of Hunter. The elevators are often broken, slow and make getting to class difficult at times. Many of the roof tiles are falling apart.

I am in my third year at BMCC. I am graduating this semester and I am transferring to Brooklyn College to pursue a BA in Political Science. As of right now, I have financial aid to pay for the costs of college. I was nervous about this semester because I am a part time student and I didn’t know how I would pay for college without TAP. When TAP eligibility was expanded to part time students it really helped me. When I transfer to Brooklyn College, I will have to pay more for the cost of school because my financial aid won’t cover it all. I am currently working and when I transfer I will be a full time student and I am expecting a heavier workload. I will have to balance being a full time student while working 30 hours a week. Even now, as a part time student I feel like I have to pick between focusing on work to pay my expenses and focusing on school. If we had a New Deal 4 CUNY, I would be able to use the money that I am making at work for actual living expenses, not college. I wouldn’t have to work as many hours and I could focus on school. It is especially difficult now with inflation and the pandemic, because students are struggling with food, rent and education. This plays into mental health and stress. There are not many resources on campus to help with students’ mental health. My current advisors and counselors seem like they have too many students to care about me when I am in a meeting with them.