Tuition costs on the increase.

Is College still affordable?

by Stephanie Meza

With the budget cuts that have been going on, paying for college is becoming more expensive than ever. The highly-stressing college applications are finally over, but many seniors are anxious to know what they’re going to do for the rest of their lives. But are budget cuts really preventing students from getting a higher education? I did a survey with 15 different seniors of different backgrounds to calculate statistics, and these are the results.

•Out of these 15 seniors, 14 want to attend a 4-year university after high school and 1 is considering joining the Military.

•10 of them think financial aid will not be enough to pay for their college expenses, while 5 of them think they can get by with the help of financial aid.

•11 of them would consider going to community college if they can’t afford a 4-year university, and 4 of them are confident that they can afford college.

•Finally, 8 out of 15, more than half, see money as an obstacle that can prevent them from getting a higher education.

These results were an eye-opener on how the economy is affecting the way students look at higher education. Many hard working Raiders are planning to go to a community college before going to a 4-year university in order to save money. Even though community college is often incorrectly looked down upon, you can actually take many general education classes if you want to save money for a 4-year university. Some consider joining the military since 2 years in it pays for your tuition.

However, the most devastating fact was on how more than half of these students actually thought money was an obstacle that prevents them. Obstacles aren’t there to stop people; they are there to filter out those who don’t really want something. There are many ways you can pay for college: financial aid, scholarships, student loans, grants, etc. Money should never be an obstacle. Never let anything or anyone keep you from doing what you have worked so hard for. So whatever it is you decide to do, raiders, make sure to not look at money as an obstacle.