_____ Better Have My Money!
Here we go again! We’re dancing the same dance of the financial struggle. I know what you’re thinking. You probably try to hide the fact that as a college student, you’re not banking it like some of the other kids on your campus. You get a little pressed here and there when you can’t splurge on yourself or somebody else, and you probably think you’re the only one that has this problem, right? WRONG! Financial challenges unique to low-income students are shared across the board, trust me. As a college student myself, I always sit up with my friends talking about how broke we are. You actually find humor in it after a while, believe it or not. Don’t be embarrassed either, because trust me, you’re not the only one pinching pennies to make the ends of your tuition bill meet.
It’s Not a Sweet Dream, It’s a Beautiful Nightmare
Now, if you’re a low-income college student, nine times out of ten one of the financial struggles you’ll face is getting the opportunity of living on the dorms like you’ve always dreamed of snatched away in the blink of an eye. Don’t believe me? Well, it happened to me. Valparaiso University is a pretty expensive school. I received the Presidential Scholarship and Indiana’s 21 Century Scholarship. All my fees were paid for, but I didn’t get a full ride, which means I would have to come out of my own pocket for housing fees. Now, as I said before, Valparaiso University is a pretty expensive school, and I don’t know about anybody else, but I just don’t have thousands of dollars stashed away ready to drop a payment. If I did, I wouldn’t be in anybody’s dorms. So while everyone else is enjoying the luxury of getting the full college experience, I’m living at home with my parents driving myself crazy. The ideal lifestyle, huh? Not at nineteen.
When The Racks Leave The Middle
Now, not only is it difficult for most low-income students to stay on campus without taking out loans, but it’s also difficult for us to have enough money to suffice ourselves. I mean, after paying for books for the semester, forcing ourselves to become a commuter because we can’t stay on campus, possibly paying for a meal plan, and spending money on other necessities, who has anything left to kick it over the weekend? Hell, I barely have enough money to buy personal things for myself. I would be crazy if I even thought about spending money just to spend it. Every cent counts when you’re a college student barely making it through financially, but don’t feel bad because this is almost every college student’s story. Trust and believe me!