I just wanted to take a break from the overall theme of my blog, which is commenting on someones feedback on a controversial topic portrayed in the media. I have a good reason I promise.
I wanted to talk to about a friend who is going through a troubling time. I am adamant about her being my topic this week because she is the greatest person to come across. She has the brightest smile along with a personality to which anyone can connect. Her grades are exceptional for one double majoring in Biology and Psychology and minoring in Spanish. Holding several executive positions and putting many programs together for the various organizations she is a part of, you can say my friend is an expert at time management. She is also the most hardworking person I will ever know. I am pretty sure I have not finished meeting people yet, but I just wanted to express the extent of which she is respected.
The problem arises because she is from the Virgin Islands which means her tuition is about $10,000-$15,000 more than those in state. Her parents do not have the funds to pay off her education for this semester which means she is currently left with a balance of over $12,000. Because she is an international student, scholarships and loans are limited and even restricted in some cases. I spoke to her about her plans and she simply replied, "I booked my flight for ten days from now, and I am going home." Just like that. She is leaving. How do you throw everything away so easily? Establishing such a respectable career in her freshman year is more than commendable, it's unheard of. I want to give her advice but in this situation words don't matter, actions do. I figure writing a letter to the President of the Campus or maybe to the government would suffice. The problem is, I don't know where to start and quite frankly that's a problem. How is it that getting a college education is most prominent these days yet it is the hardest to pay for? Why is it that it is so easy to get to college but so difficult to stay and get that degree on a piece of paper? In other words, that piece of paper is super important but this college and the government are cutting funds and raising qualifications so that that piece of paper is almost impossible to obtain? Where do we go from here? How can we help my friend because I truly believe that her future is worth more than that plane ticket.
This is a terrible story that is an all too common problem. I consider myself lucky that I am able to get my education payed for via the GI Bill, but at the same time my brother and sister are both struggling with how to finance their education. I figure that at Penn State the problem is magnified because even the in state tuition is steep. Clearly, something has to be done.
ReplyDeleteI feel awful for your friend, and I believe so strongly about this. It is so unfortunate when one comes across stories like these because everybody tries extremely hard to attain the best future for them but then somebody money becomes an issue. I really hope that writing a paper to the president of the campus helps your friend out in the long term. Wish her all the best!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a sad story. Being an out-of-state student, I know just how hard it is to pay for college and I struggle with it as well. It is very saddening to hear how much she has accomplished her first year here and now she has to throw it all away. I feel like the whole college system isn't fair. We are all expected to have a degree after high school but the prices of colleges are so expensive, that it makes it impossible for some people. I hope everything works out!
ReplyDelete