Every year your financial aid changes. It is suppose to gradually increase because college expect more out of you. This will be the biggest challenge you’ll face. Maybe your parents make more as a result your school expects more, or maybe another sibling just graduated and then the bill goes up, or maybe your school is requiring you to take a loan instead of supplying more aid. Or maybe in my case all three things are happening to you. I can honestly say I’m nervous about it all. Especially since this summer I know I won’t be earning as much as I need to. But that’s ok. Because I’ve learned if you pester people and tell them about your situation then money magically starts coming out of thin air. You need to understand that it’s not just a computer or some application that is deciding how much money to give you. There’s an actual person sitting at his or her desk- and that desk happens to have a telephone. Amazing, right? So call the financial aid office and let them know over and over again what you can and cannot afford.
I completely understand the idea that you should work/pay for your education. It makes sense. But sometimes I wish life was like the movie “In Time” where time is money. The means to buy my education and pay my bills could have some cool relationship with how much sleep I’m willing to give up (which in my view I’m already giving up a lot ) or how much time I’m willing to invest in being at the library. I could log in the hours I spent reading, writing and thinking. And, then my bills could get paid. But sadly that’s not how I can pay my bills. How do I? Not by begging, borrowing or stealing. I just work at school, I only buy the necessities’, and I’m always at campus events where there are free things. If you don’t already you’ll learn to appreciate the word FREE and you’ll love the phrase FREE FOOD! You need to be wise with money, which is why I suggest you pay things in cash so you don’t overspend and you plan ahead. Also, like Kevin Hart said, “Stay in your financial lane.” Know your limit not the people’s limit around you.
One thing no one really warned me about was how others project their financial stability. It’s still uncomfortable for me to overhear students’ talk about their 3rd home and how they’re going to Spain for spring break. But then I think just imagine how uncomfortable they might feel if they heard me complain about how the price of detergent has gone up $0.50. So, remember you’re not on everyone lane. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter about how much money you have or how you got it because you all are doing the same job: being a student. And, you all get rewarded for your hard work.