As someone who has never “lived lavishly” because of her financial situation, stepping into college was a complete shift in my life.
There’s nothing quite as sweet as the very first time your financial aid hits your bank account. I think it was my first time seeing four digits in there.
And, naturally, the impulsive decision is to spend it all just as quickly as it arrived on food, clothes and the way overpriced colorful pens you absolutely needed for efficient note-taking.
Then you remember all the other expenses that come with being an adult: rent, utilities, gas, groceries and of course, the price of the inevitable towing that comes with your first semester in Gainesville. Now, you’ve got $450 to last for the next two months. And, no, mom and dad won’t be able to assist.
I’ve gotten better at budgeting in almost four years of living on my own, but one recurring theme still manages to get me every time: life happens. I’ve learned you must have emergency cash saved up (trust me, something always happens). Whether it’s getting towed or having a sudden health crisis, there’s a chance that “rainy day fund” will find its purpose sooner–and more frequently–than you think.
With my safety net gone, I have to make sacrifices for the rest of the semester to adjust to my tighter budget.
For many college students, such sacrifices to battle their economic hardships are usually a hindrance to a proper education.
Students may have to prioritize their job over their classes in order to scrape together the money they need to afford continuing their education. Do you notice a cycle here?
Missing classes, devoting time to one’s job rather than having extra time for studying and homework… it all comes at a price: the quality of education received.
According to an article from CNBC, “59% of low-income students who work 15 hours or more had a C average or lower. They typically don’t have time to get internships related to their field, which when combined with a low GPA affects their ability to compete for jobs when they get out of school, especially in a tight labor market.”
Not only does this affect one’s ability to learn, but it also has a lasting impact on students’ searches for careers after graduation.
I have worked on and off over the course of my time in college, and I can assure you it is way easier to focus on studying when you’re not worrying about who can cover your shift on Thursday.
Additionally, there have been times where I haven’t been able to afford a textbook for class. Luckily, there seems to be a shift in digitalizing said books, or professors at least going out of their way to upload PDF copies online. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. I can’t express how frustrating it is to attend all the lectures for a class and miss exactly five questions on your weekly quizzes because they’re directly from the textbook.
Again, I’m not alone in this dilemma. A 2014 survey from the Public Interest Research Groups found that 65% of students opt out of buying course materials because they could not afford them.
The reality is the U.S. education system has classist nuances that put a large number of students at odds with receiving the education that their more affluent counterparts do.
While financial aid helps, it doesn’t help enough most of the time.