As a student who comes from a low-income family, I have faced a lot of struggles here at Carleton College. I'd like to list as many as I can so that maybe some other students who feel the same way will realize that they aren't alone.
1. Financial Aid~ Okay, so a good thing about coming to Carleton College as a low-income first-generation student of a single-parent household is that the need-based aid is met. There are downsides to this. When dealing with financial aid, there is sooooooo much paperwork, and I know that this doesn't apply to only low- income students, but I don't know about all of the verification. Sometimes I feel like we have to do extra paperwork, or have to verify our income about ten times before financial aid folks realize that yes...we are poor...the yearly tuition of Carleton College is almost twice that of our family's yearly income. I realize that a double check is necessary, sometimes a triple check, but this year, I felt like they were just hounding us for more income when there wasn't any.
2. Technology!~ I DON'T HAVE IT! Okay, so I have some technology. I have an iPad that my mother won playing in a tournament on one of those touchscreen games at the bar. An iPad is good, but it's not like a laptop no maYer how much I trick it out to be. I do have a laptop, but it's not a Mac. I look around and EVERYONE has a Mac. I can't afford that fanciness and so I still have to use a laptop that is too heavy to comfortably carry around to the Libe or to Sayles. I know that not having specifically a Mac isn't a big deal but not having one is mildly intimidating. I don't like bringing my Samsung something to the Libe because it just isn't as good, and I know people don't always mean to look/stare....but they do.
3. Food (complaints specifically)~ Uuugh...I hear people complaining about the food here le> and right. I understand when people complain about when they want to be off the meal plan since Carleton won't allow that, but I don't understand why people describe the food as garbage and make fun of wasting food because they are "saving the next person" from having to eat it. Holy #FirstWorldProblems there. It's usually the students who come from upper-middle class that are complaining about how roYen it is, and students like me who come from the lower-middle class that actually appreciate the food. I just want to tell those complainers to appreciate what they get and if they have such a big problem then they can go to St. Olaf for every meal if they want.
Okay, that was all really just a three-part rant but I kinda want to get serious here for a bit.
Being a student from a low income family is definitely difficult. I bet the other classes have their difficulties, too, but I can only speak from what I know. I'm a freshman. I've almost made it through one year but I always always ALWAYS have to keep the harsh truth in the back of my mind that I may not be able to make it next year. The tuition was raised again, right? Well, my mother made $10,000 less this past year and I had surgery this past year that cost around $15,000 in all. Financial aid will only stretch so far. Right now, the tuition my family and I have to pay out of pocket is about $500 per term (and the gathering interest on loans). We STILL struggle with that. I think a lot of people just look at the numbers when they read that but there is sooooo much more.
Carleton College means more to me than just an education. Carleton College is a founda@on of my life. It is the stepping stones of my life. Those stepping stones lead to my goals and my goals lead to my dreams and all of that is hanging on a very delicate thread of, "Can I afford to be here?"
That is a very difficult thing to think about every term. I know Carleton College tries to lighten that load but that doesn't mean the threat of having to drop out because I can't afford it isn't still there. It's scary.
As someone who faces a lot of stress because of this, I have to say that no one should have to worry about gevng a good education. No one should have to worry like this. I broke down into tears while writing. No one should have to worry so much about how their future is hanging on the balance of a bank account.
- Leylah Nude (pen name)
1. Financial Aid~ Okay, so a good thing about coming to Carleton College as a low-income first-generation student of a single-parent household is that the need-based aid is met. There are downsides to this. When dealing with financial aid, there is sooooooo much paperwork, and I know that this doesn't apply to only low- income students, but I don't know about all of the verification. Sometimes I feel like we have to do extra paperwork, or have to verify our income about ten times before financial aid folks realize that yes...we are poor...the yearly tuition of Carleton College is almost twice that of our family's yearly income. I realize that a double check is necessary, sometimes a triple check, but this year, I felt like they were just hounding us for more income when there wasn't any.
2. Technology!~ I DON'T HAVE IT! Okay, so I have some technology. I have an iPad that my mother won playing in a tournament on one of those touchscreen games at the bar. An iPad is good, but it's not like a laptop no maYer how much I trick it out to be. I do have a laptop, but it's not a Mac. I look around and EVERYONE has a Mac. I can't afford that fanciness and so I still have to use a laptop that is too heavy to comfortably carry around to the Libe or to Sayles. I know that not having specifically a Mac isn't a big deal but not having one is mildly intimidating. I don't like bringing my Samsung something to the Libe because it just isn't as good, and I know people don't always mean to look/stare....but they do.
3. Food (complaints specifically)~ Uuugh...I hear people complaining about the food here le> and right. I understand when people complain about when they want to be off the meal plan since Carleton won't allow that, but I don't understand why people describe the food as garbage and make fun of wasting food because they are "saving the next person" from having to eat it. Holy #FirstWorldProblems there. It's usually the students who come from upper-middle class that are complaining about how roYen it is, and students like me who come from the lower-middle class that actually appreciate the food. I just want to tell those complainers to appreciate what they get and if they have such a big problem then they can go to St. Olaf for every meal if they want.
Okay, that was all really just a three-part rant but I kinda want to get serious here for a bit.
Being a student from a low income family is definitely difficult. I bet the other classes have their difficulties, too, but I can only speak from what I know. I'm a freshman. I've almost made it through one year but I always always ALWAYS have to keep the harsh truth in the back of my mind that I may not be able to make it next year. The tuition was raised again, right? Well, my mother made $10,000 less this past year and I had surgery this past year that cost around $15,000 in all. Financial aid will only stretch so far. Right now, the tuition my family and I have to pay out of pocket is about $500 per term (and the gathering interest on loans). We STILL struggle with that. I think a lot of people just look at the numbers when they read that but there is sooooo much more.
Carleton College means more to me than just an education. Carleton College is a founda@on of my life. It is the stepping stones of my life. Those stepping stones lead to my goals and my goals lead to my dreams and all of that is hanging on a very delicate thread of, "Can I afford to be here?"
That is a very difficult thing to think about every term. I know Carleton College tries to lighten that load but that doesn't mean the threat of having to drop out because I can't afford it isn't still there. It's scary.
As someone who faces a lot of stress because of this, I have to say that no one should have to worry about gevng a good education. No one should have to worry like this. I broke down into tears while writing. No one should have to worry so much about how their future is hanging on the balance of a bank account.
- Leylah Nude (pen name)