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STUDENT SOUND-OFF


STUDENT FINANCE I


was told from a young age that the way to a happy, success- ful fulfilled life was through education. As a daughter of two well-educated individuals, and a mother who is an educator her- self, I have long understood the importance of life-long learning. In my family, there was never a question of what I would do after high school; in fact, I never even thought of taking a year off. It was just assumed I would attend a four-year university. Tis isn’t to say that my parents were controlling or made decisions for me; instead, my parents offered support and pushed me to make the most of myself.


When I began touring and applying for colleges, I quickly was drawn to private, four-year univer- sities. Not only were the academic programs top-notch, the amenities and what seemed to be endless opportunities drew me in. I wanted smaller class sizes to build relation- ships with faculty and staff, and these schools offered that.


It was not until my FAFSA was


returned and financial aid packages received that I realized my dream of attending one of these private universities was not without a substantial investment, and in my case, a large debt load. My parents sat me down and explained the reality of such an investment and the harsh reality that these schools were no longer options. Tough in my teenage years this decision was dramatic and “the worst thing that could have happened,” I look back on the conversation with appre- ciation for my parents and pride in the decision to attend a public university.


It did not take long for me to find my place at St. Cloud 20 JULY/AUG 2012 • TODAYSCAMPUS.COM


State University (SCSU) in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Tough I knew no one, I was quick to get involved in the campus community. Trough joining student government and mak- ing connections with faculty and staff, I quickly realized the small class sizes, endless opportunities and top-notch academic programs I had been looking for were all right in front of me. I did not need the allure of a private university to have the best academic experience; in fact, I have experienced more than I ever dreamed I would here at SCSU. As I prepare to graduate this December and begin my career, I realize how different my position would be if I were graduating with substantial student loan debt and the struggle I would face just to get by.


Te reality, though, is that I


am the exception to the norm. Te average student graduates with $28,000 in debt. For the first time in our country’s history, student loan debt has surpassed that of credit card debt and totals over $1 trillion. At the same time that reports of high student loan debt have been produced, funding for programs which help offset student debt have been debated and private, for-profit lenders have made a name for themselves in the student loan business. It is a difficult time to be a student, and an even more challenging time to be a student borrower.


Our country has prided itself


on having strong, intelligent and innovative citizens. If we wish to continue this, we must make education a priority. Te disinvest- ment in higher education alone has caused tuition at public universities


STUDENT WORTH


by Amanda Bardonner


to double over the last decade. Universities have been required to reassess expenses in terms of course offerings and services to students in order to counterbalance the de- crease in appropriations. However, those cuts were not enough, and universities have had to make the difficult decision to raise tuition to maintain the service to students.


As I have spent time lobbying


for support for higher education, the number one argument I hear from legislators and their staff is that “students need to work to afford the lifestyle they want.” My response to those people is simple: students are working. At SCSU, over 90 percent of our student body holds at least a part-time job, many of whom hold several jobs or work more than 40 hours a week to afford basic living expenses along with their tuition, books and fees; this holds true across the country. Gone are the days when students could work full-time in the sum- mer, making enough money to finance their education and living expenses during the academic year.


Now, when students are strug- gling the most, and our country is faced with the highest student loan debt in its history, programs such as the Pell Grant and Subsidized Stafford Student Loans have been at the forefront of every budget conversation over the last two years. Tese programs benefit the students who need them the most: non-tra- ditional students, students of color, first-generation college students and students from low-income


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