_____ 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! 

Faith Smith, Valparaiso University ‘22

Who Really Gets the Degree in the End?

We all know the story. You’re trained from the beginning of time to know that you’re going to college. If you don’t, you won’t receive the opportunities you deserve (so they say, and of course these beliefs are very debatable). However, what no one seems to bring up is the question that hasn’t been brought to the table probably ever, and that is: who really gets the degree in the end? You do all this work, spend all this time and money dedicating yourself to your studies, but who’s really coming out on top? Let’s talk about it. 

The American Dream...Somewhat 

Now, you might be pushed toward getting the degree because that’s the American dream. Society has trained us that you’re supposed to graduate high school, go straight into college, and get your degree so you can jump-start your career and live the white-picket-fence lifestyle. It’s just that easy, right? Wrong. Because what they don’t tell you is you have to already be in a certain position to achieve those dreams. Now, don’t get me wrong. People work hard and get the outcome they want, but we never take into consideration the circumstances over certain groups that keep us from moving forward. So, let’s open the floor to throw out some scenarios.

Let’s start with economic backgrounds. Now, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, not everyone is born into money. Therefore, certain families are forced to take out loans and at certain times these students can’t afford to pay tuition, so what do they do? They have to put their degree on pause and start working a few jobs to save your money, but along the way you get distracted from your goals and start to stray away from your dreams, so guess what? These people are less likely to return to school, and therefore don’t get the degree. But do we mention this when we push the idea of college on every child? No. That’s why I’m telling you now. 

Don’t Get Discouraged: Beat The Odds! 

There are inequalities with everything you do in this world, but even with the odds against you, don’t let that deter you from what you want to accomplish in life. You can and you will get your college degree if you are currently enrolled in a college or university. If you’re thinking about furthering your education, then don’t just leave this as a thought. Go for it! Just because there is an inequality in who graduates and who doesn’t, you can still be that shining star you were made to be. You can do this, so let’s beat the odds! 

Faith Smith, Valparaiso University ‘22

Summer Romances: The College Commitment

Doesn’t the idea of finding the love of your life during your college years sound nice? Don’t sit there and act like that thought wasn’t sitting in the back of your mind going into your freshman year. We’ve all been there and done that, mostly because TV sells it to us good. We all remember the to-die-for love story between Quincy and Monica from Love and Basketball. Or how about the lasting romance between Dwayne and Whitley from A Different World? Oh, and you just can’t forget the lovely duo of Moesha and Q on Moesha. It looks great when it’s put together, sounds even better, but in reality, those summer romances that you force into college commitment isn’t as sweet as it seems. 

Thinking about getting into a relationship coming into college? Don’t 

College is meant to explore not only what the world out there has to offer you, but you’re also on a journey of developing yourself with your skills, personality, and experience. I’m not saying relationships are bad for our health, because everyone deserves happiness in our own way,  but I am saying don’t try to jump into anything serious right away. Trust me, I know all too well. I tried working something out with this guy my freshman year, and I thought everything would be great because we knew of each other since high school so there was already a connection is. The only problem was he was all the way in Arkansas and I’m here at Valparaiso University doing my thing, and around that time I barely had a handle on my class schedule, work, and writing for The Torch, but guess what my main focus was? Him. Of course, that’s my fault, but unless you’re really sure you can handle the balance of being in a relationship and your classes, trust me you should avoid the distraction. 

You’re Not Looking To Run To The Altar….Are You? 

Let’s just be honest--no one’s looking to get married in college, and if you do actually find that special someone at this time, I applaud you and ask you to please put me on to whatever worked for you. However, when it comes to dating in college, we should enjoy ourselves. I’m not saying just get a herd of girls or guys and just do whatever you please, but I am saying take your time and keep your options open. You only get this time once, so make sure you make it count. 

Faith Smith, Valparaiso University ‘22

FAFSA Season: 3 Week Checkpoint

FAFSA season is upon us, and to keep us all on our toes, the U.S. Department of Education has made several changes to the filing process this year. These changes include the launch of a mobile-responsive IRS Data Retrieval Tool, synchronization of fafsa.gov and the myStudentAid mobile app, and more. You can check out the full list of updates HERE, and find a comprehensive FAFSA Completion Guide focused on the most common pain points HERE.

In other FAFSA news, the Department of Education has launched a FAFSA demo site where you can go to complete a sample FAFSA. The site has been updated to include the 2020-21 FAFSA questions, and you can check it out HERE.

Before you kick off your FAFSA journey, be sure to prep accordingly with this guide on the 7 things you need before filing. Guide included HERE.

Finally, our friends at Credible have put together the epitome of a cheat sheet when it comes to prepping for the FAFSA and getting to the bottom of any commonly asked questions. Check it out HERE, and godspeed.

Finally, it’s important to remember that filling out the FAFSA form does not need to be overwhelming or confusing. We’ve included some simple steps below that we hope will make the process smooth and headache free:

1. Create (or remember!) your FSA ID

An FSA ID is your Federal Student Aid Identification. You will need to create a username and password that will then give you access to US Department of Education websites. If you’re returning to conquer the FAFSA yet again, you’ll just login with your login from the prior year(s).

2. Gather Documents

You’ll need the following documents to make sure you’re able to fill out the FAFSA in one sitting:

• Your Social Security Number

• Your parent’s Social Security numbers (if you are a dependent student)

• Your driver’s license number (if you have one)

• Your Alien Registration number (if you are not a US citizen)

• Federal tax information or tax returns for the past two years. You’ll need your parent’s and your own if you are a dependent student, or your spouse’s if you are married.

• Records of any untaxed income including: child support, alimony, interest income and veterans non-education benefits.

• Information on your current assets including checking and savings accounts, stocks and bonds, real estate ( not including the home you live in.)

3. Fill out the FAFSA application

Head on over to www.fafsa.gov and click on ‘Start a New FAFSA’.

Here are the following steps you will take:

• Fill in your personal information including your name, social security number and other identifying details.

• You will list colleges and schools to receive information from your FAFSA form. You can list up to 10 schools if you have not decided which institution you’d like to attend yet, or just include the school you currently attend.

• You will have to determine your dependency status, whether you are a dependent or independent student.

  • If you are a dependent student you will report your parents’ financial information

  • If you are independent, you will report your own

• Sign and submit!

Have any individual questions? We want to help! Reach out to us at info@a-m.money for additional insight on the FAFSA, or questions on our work.