Out-of-state college students are wholly paying for their tuition by themselves. CUNY students are overwhelmed with the pressure of maintaining satisfactory progress to ensure the help of financial aid and still having to pay a lot out of pocket.
Financial aid is based on giving students with unprivileged backgrounds an opportunity for an education , but this takes a turn when financial problems still exist with these students.
All students enrolling in college can fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), but most financial aid office assistants do not tell students about the complications and requirements to be accepted for either part time or full time financial help.
According to a financial aid office assistant at Baruch College, the selective process for aid is done by the Department of Education’s federal guidelines which are solely based on the student’s parent income and how they file their taxes. The office assistant states that full time financial aid is typically given to students with a low-income background and that any student can get partial aid which usually range from a family income of $1,000-5,198.
A Baruch student, Morgan, says she was not eligible for financial aid as her single parent has an income of $35,000 a year. A federal aid eligibility requirement says the cost of education must be greater than the estimated family contribution. However, the struggle financially for families still exists although by the Department of Education may consider them “privileged.” “Textbooks are expensive and with all other supplies needed for my classes, my mom can barely keep up with bills at home,” Morgan says. The financial aid eligibility guidelines are not practical for all students as some still struggle with college expenses.
For out-of-state college students, financial aid is an issue. An out-of-state student, Sophia, says that only federal aid is available to her, but most students are not eligible based on their family incomes.
Eligibility for financial aid also requires the student to make satisfactory progress towards completing a degree. Two Baruch students state that this adds immense pressure on them when taking classes. They say that during finals they are filled with distress because their grades determine if financial aid will still be available to them.