I am majoring in Business Administration at QCC with the plan to become a financial advisor or investment banker. I am the first in my family to attend college, which is a unique experience. I pay for college through FAFSA, ASAP, and the Howard Memorial Fund. I think TAP should award more money. My challenges affording college have come from the fact that winter classes aren’t covered, and I have had trouble getting to campus due to the lack of MetroCards.
Posts Tagged ‘financial aid’
Jose Morataya
Emily Fana
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.
Isaac Ruiz
I study Business Administration at QCC and would like to pursue a higher degree after graduation. I will be the first in my family to complete my degree and graduate. It inspires me; I want to make my parents proud and be the first in our family to graduate from college. My ASAP advisor helped me get a head start in succeeding at building my programs and setting up my schedule. I receive FAFSA, TAP, and have been awarded a merit scholarship. The minimum awards for TAP should be increased significantly. The specific allocation of funds from my financial aid is disproportionate and does not cover the cost of non-tuition items. The skyrocketing costs of textbooks has been a huge obstacle to completing my degree. They are unaffordable and a huge burden. One thing on campus that is helpful is the food pantry, which I utilize from time to time for a quick snack after practice. The advising at QCC is all very disorganized. There is never immediate assistance, problems never get solved right away, and there is always a wait-list. In addition, the website is almost always down, and our Wifi is spotty. I don’t ever take the elevators because I do not trust them; a lot of my friends have been trapped in the elevators before.
Luis Pena
I am a junior majoring in Psychology at Queens College. I hope to get a PhD in Psychology and pursue a career in research. In my family, I’m the older brother and the first to attend college. I’m the first one to navigate these websites and systems like FAFSA and TAP, so I’m learning how to do all this for the first time. I had to apply for FAFSA and TAP myself since I’m the one in my family who speaks English well, so it’s a lot of pressure. I have to translate FAFSA to my parents and then translate my parents’ documents to FAFSA to get them on the website. I usually have to submit the FAFSA application by a certain deadline and I struggle filling it out properly before then. I also feel like the website for TAP is very complicated. It’s not intuitive. I struggle to do what I need to do. I rely on FAFSA and TAP to pay for college. My financial aid doesn’t cover the winter and the summer semesters, so when I take those courses, I have to pay out of pocket. Science textbooks are very expensive. I rely on the library computers since I don’t have a laptop. Whenever I try to find a computer, most don’t turn on or are frozen, and you can’t even log in. Also, the printers are really difficult to use and don’t do a good job printing. In addition, I don’t think there are enough opportunities or programs on campus to help students prepare for job interviews and resume building, but I’ve had some good professors who have helped me get a better understanding of how to get internships, become more aware of how to present myself for job interviews, and connected me with opportunities etc.
Nuriyah Richardson
I am a Junior at SUNY Purchase studying Political Science with the goal of becoming a criminal defense attorney. I am the first in my family to go to school, and I have found that there is a lack of guidance and understanding of finances. It makes it hard to follow a timeline of responsibilities needed to be done. I get financial aid, private loans, and still have to pay a portion out of pocket. I work two jobs on top of an internship and this still doesn’t make ends meet. Jobs and internships also require funds for transportation or they cut into my time needed to be at work to afford school. I have struggled with receiving scholarships or grants to help me pay and feel a lack of support in getting this aid.
Andrew Ackie
I am a freshman at Brooklyn College. I had started college back in 2010 and stopped due to work taking precedence. Working on large commercial city projects, I had very little time to focus on my schoolwork. However, due to the cost-effective nature of the CUNY system and the high return on investment I’d get from attending Brooklyn College, I thought I’d give it another go and get my Bachelor’s in Political Science and Psychology. While I do believe I am getting a valuable education, I’ve recently had to deal with unease and uncertainty about my financial aid getting approved, which has made me unable to fully focus on my studies. Every moment I was ruminating about the possibility of being forced to leave school and be unable to come back unless I was to pay almost four thousand dollars out of pocket. I believe that school should not cost as much as it does. The high tuition only creates barriers for people to get an education and limits the number of educated people who could make effective contributions to society, such as creating jobs.
Melissa Queliz
I am a senior at Brooklyn College. I started going to Brooklyn College in Fall 2024 to pursue a degree in Political Science. I had gone to a SUNY previously to study illustration, and took a break after graduating. During this break, I realized that I had a passion for current affairs, the exploitation happening in the global south, and the current global climate. Knowing that CUNY, specifically Brooklyn College, was nearby, had a strong political science program, and was the most affordable option, I decided this was the place for me. I believe that I am getting a good return on investment for this degree for several reasons. The political science degree is rather small, meaning that there is more individualized focus from faculty who are heavily invested in the information that they teach. There is also a great focus on diversity and student life; there are many groups and resources for students that contribute to my success and overall well-being, such as NYPIRG. I feel like I am a part of a blossoming community that wants me to succeed. If I did not have to worry about tuition, I would have started school earlier and would not have to work as hard while in school. I also would have been a full-time student for a longer period, as while I was a full-time student, I could not work and had issues with financial insecurity. Financial aid should not be just about merit, but it should be about the fundamental need for education to become a well-rounded individual and excel in life.
Travon Peters, College of Staten Island
I am a senior at the College of Staten Island, studying English. When I graduate, I hope to become a speech language pathologist. I pay for college with TAP and other financial aid, but that does not cover the full cost of attending college. Since my mom is the only one working in my household, I have also taken on side jobs and I try to get as much overtime as possible, but when other expenses come up, it becomes challenging to keep up with everything. It is difficult to balance work and school at the same time. Even with financial aid, there are still a lot of out-of-pocket costs that I need to manage on my own. I believe that the TAP award amount should be increased to better support students who are trying to stay in school and manage financial challenges. I am part of the ASAP program, and the MetroCard they provide really helps, but it still doesn’t cover everything. Since CSI removed the direct bus to campus, commuting has become even more difficult. It takes me about three hours to get to school and back. Those long rides add extra stress and costs. During the semester, I often have to make tough decisions between buying a textbook or covering my daily expenses. Being in a single-income household makes it hard to keep up with everything, and even though programs like ASAP make a difference, there’s still a big gap between what students actually need and what we can afford. I think more needs to be done to help commuter students. Traveling across boroughs every day can be exhausting and expensive, and not everyone has easy access to resources on campus. Providing more transportation support or commuter assistance would take a lot of stress off students who are trying to balance everything at once. Additionally, class offerings have been a challenge for me at CSI. One of the biggest problems is that classes fill up really quickly, especially during the off-semester or when you’re trying to fit your schedule around work. Sometimes the times that are left don’t match with my availability, so I end up taking classes that are harder to manage just to stay on track. Campus infrastructure at CSI could also be improved, overall the campus is decent, but there are areas that could be better. Some classrooms and buildings feel outdated, and the elevators or computers don’t always work properly. When things like that happen, it slows down learning and makes the environment less motivating. The computers in the labs can be slow or outdated, which makes it hard to complete assignments on time, especially when you’re trying to balance class, work, and a long commute. Sometimes, small things, like technical problems or limited resources, make the learning experience more stressful than it needs to be. Keeping the facilities well-maintained would really help students feel more supported and comfortable on campus.
Isaac Johnson, SUNY Purchase
I am a senior studying liberal studies looking to get into business. I pay for my tuition with financial aid, loans and paying out of pocket. I would like to extend the years and money that is allowed to to be received from TAP. For example students who are in college a little longer than the regular 4-5 years aren’t allowed to receive some financial aid. Everything has been a big challenge for me due to the fact that I don’t receive certain financial aid programs and is paying out of pocket while being a full time student athlete. Transportation, food, textbooks all cost a lot of money while I am still paying for my tuition on my own.
Matthieu Rodrigues, SUNY Purchase
I’m a senior majoring in sociology still figuring things out. I pay for college by paying out of pocket and working while I’m in school. I think the eligibility for TAP should be way less strict and more accessible. One of my biggest challenges paying for college is the timing in when you have to pay. I always pay my semester fee late causing me to miss out on opportunities on classes I want to take.