I hope this email finds you and you’re able to gain a new perspective on the matter of financial aid. The un-justification of distribution of money is a foreign concept to me. I’m fully aware of the process that one needs to endure when seeing if they fall under the intended requirements of receiving aid. I’m truly against this system, as it is flawed in many aspects. I should be sending gratitude as your organization allowed me to live stress free without having to juggle my studies and worrying about ways I could make enough money to pay off my tuition. I was able to get two semesters paid off with the help of financial aid. I’m eternally grateful though I’m not fond of leaving others in the dark. Let’s get started with the basics, in this case it would involve the media. I’ve noticed there seems to be a lack of advertisement, though recently I’ve seen more promotions than I had when I was still a freshman in high school. I feel there needs to be a bit more. Although we are now seeing posters on bus stops, even the headers on train station carts, you need to be able to connect with everyone on a more personal level. You need to understand your audience first before taking any sort of actions. What do young adults love/have in common ; the usage of social media, and with the excessive amount of screen time one achieves you will be guaranteed that almost everyone will have come across it at some point in time. Along on the same topic, start making bill-baords, like they say “go big or go home”. What we need is for the new incoming freshmen to be well equipped having some background knowledge on what they should be preparing for, what they need to be on the lookout for. It is in the best interest for young adults to start off from being well informed at a young age. Students should not have to be worried and in their own heads about the fears of staying in debt, or the heartaches of not being able to live out their dreams in their ideal college that they had planned out for themselves in their head.
Now that we have that portion out of the way, let’s get into the nitty gritty of the situation. Having to fill out the process for financial aid (FAFSA,TAP, etc.) is not something kids are truly prepared for. What schools need to incorporate into their system are college advisors who will help guide you in your time at school, or even take time after school and dedicate it towards helping students through the application process. I’m fortunate to have had help. My school had made it their priority to not only help students but also help choose out the college for their best fit/interest.They even offered office hours at the end of day and take one on one time with students. They made it a point to go class to class, scouting out students and asking those who did and did not file out their application. Now this is the type of dedication I want to see in schools around the state. During my time at college I’ve met various new people, and throughout these first two semesters it has come to my attention that my fellow peers were not fortunate enough to have had the same supplies/guidance as I once had, this may not be the case for all but definitely a huge majority is missing out.
I suggest holding meetings for parents, as we all know students will give the excuse “I was too busy” or “I didn’t get around to it” and forget to inform their parents of these concepts that the school is offering. Sending out emails for starters would be one step in the right direction, or assigning it as extra credit homework just to motivate students to do something about it. The first step would be getting students to even acknowledge the schools need in helping them out. Tricking students should be fun and what better way than offering a prize in exchange, preferably a trip to any place of their liking. There are solutions to these problems, it would be calming to see more effort placed in the school system around the state. Something simple, no need to go over the top.
We need the school system to bring in students of the same age range and talk to fellow peers, to understand the importance of taking their lives seriously. I personally regret not taking full advantage of my resources. Now I’m confused on what further steps to take. There should be more normalization of seeking help whilst in college. It is a misconstrued concept that in college you’re on your own. There are still advisors but somehow they’ve been deemed frightening. It is intimidating seeking help. No one should have to have this feeling.
Leaving students in the dark, making them feel clueless or even just expecting them to know everything there is to know about life in general could be overwhelming. We do not need students falling victim to this concept. Having high standards on one’s knowledge could be discouraging. Adults/teachers should be the ones to help out, since most students find it hard to confide in their parents, adults must take on that role. They do not understand how much of an impact they could have on the lives of their students. Take the time to reconsider what I had to offer.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Michaca
