*disclaimer: everyone’s life experiences are different, and this is my perspective from my own life experiences*
The other day I explained to a classmate of mine that the housing contract for me was waived, for it is cheaper for me to live off campus as I am a low-income student. When I say low-income, I mean low-income. Not middle class, not lower middle class. I mean low– drop it to the floor low. Low-income itself is not necessarily understood; it is sometimes hard to know what it means when you have not lived or are not living the low-income. Low-income is worrying about my family at home being able to eat or pay the bills. Low-income is questioning myself going to school since I could be at home helping my family financially as I did in high school. Low-income is constantly thinking about money and what you need to pay next. Low-income is wondering always how you’ll make money to pay for books, extra food, etc. Low income is becoming clever and resourceful knowing and learning each day how to save the most money possible. Low-income is passing on social events that cost too much money you could use for your books or the next meal or savings for the next school year. Low-income is saving work-study money to pay for non-recreational things while my peers want it for fun spending money.
To continue the story, I proceeded to tell my peer about my EFC (estimate family contribution, i.e. how much money a family can give up to pay for college) being $1. To this they responded, “Oh, wow, you’re so lucky.” Pause. WTFlavorblasted just happened. I’m lucky that my family only has $1 left over to contribute to my education? I’m lucky that even after scholarships and grants I still owe DU $9,000 when the CSS Profile determined by family only has $1 to spare? Now I understand the initial logic of saying I’m lucky when you isolate my personal life from academics. I pay a relatively low amount to attend such a prestigious university; however, deeming me lucky ignores why my EFC is so low and why I pay such a low amount.
I am not lucky to be born into a low-class family. I am not lucky to have to constantly worry about my family’s finances as a teenager. I am not lucky to struggle buying basic school supplies. I am not lucky for missing out on social events my friends go to because I need to save money. I am not lucky from missing out of my senior trip since it cost more than a quarter payment for DU and I needed to save my money. I am not lucky because I am low-income; however, I would say I am grateful for the experience.
I am lucky I was born into a resourceful family that has taught me the value of love, trust, morals, ethics, cleverness, respect, and other non-tangible ideas.
I would to now like to dispel the myths of lower income and/or minority backgrounds saying that we are accepted to universities to make them more diverse and inclusive. While this statement is true to an extent, it ignores the obstacles low-income and minorities face daily creating them into powerful, unstoppable human beings ready for any challenge presented, including the academic rigors at universities. Living a life other than the privilege, rich white life forces children to become responsible and strengthens their critical understanding. For example, if you worked at two jobs while maintaining a GPA of 3.5 instead of never working and maintaining a GPA of 4.0, you are more likely to handle taking classes at Stanford or DU or Haverford while working and doing other activities at the school.