The rising cost of college is a difficult issue that many students face today. Fortunately there are resources for students to help them plan how to pay for college, and also to help students discover different scholarships they can apply for.
One major resource for affording college is help from scholarships and grants. Mrs. Hemmett says that in her experience the average scholarship amount that students receive is about $2,500. She also recommends getting to know your counselor because they can help with scholarship announcements, recommendation letters, and “the personal connection with one person as a counselor is beneficial to students and families.” Scholarship announcements are always posted in the counseling center for all students to see. Also the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is very important, almost necessary, to fill out. You never know what scholarships you may qualify for “even if your parents make more money than you think you might qualify for FAFSA” because the government may determine some sort of level of need based assistance on something they see.
Also, the cost of community colleges are still relatively low, despite the rapid increases in price from year to year. Mrs. Hemmett says “it [community college] is much more of a preferred option because it does save a pretty significant amount of money.” She also warns students to be sure that their credits will transfer if they intend to finish a bachelor degree at a 4-year university after attending community college for 2 years.
Many will still argue that the cost of higher education is worth the return of investment, because college does greatly increase chances of employment after graduation (depending on the major). Something else to consider is that our wealth, on average, for the majority of Americans has also rapidly increased, making it possible for many parents to pay for all or some of their children’s college degrees.
For more information on the rising cost of college, check out the new edition of the print oracle!