The scary tale of financial aid

Getting ready to start your first year of school can be stressful. One minute you are celebrating your high school accomplishments, then, in a blink of an eye you find yourself trying to adjust to the life of an undergrad student.

My mind was too occupied with ways I planned on meeting new friends, how I was going to maintain classes, and what the future may hold for me as I started a new journey.

I tried my best to be as prepared as I could be, and at the time I believed I was.

I thought I had everything planned out, but I missed one important detail.

How am I going to pay for school?

I was so used to public school. I thought I could just enroll in classes and just worry about everything else later.

I didn’t know much, but I knew college was expensive.

I had no idea how to pay tuition. I heard of financial aid but I wasn’t even completely sure about what it was and how to apply for it.

I barely knew anything about financial aid and I guess I used that as my excuse on why I never filed for my freshman year.

To anyone who knows the ins and outs of higher education, that may sound crazy. One may ask “What were you thinking?”

If I were to give a truthful answer to that question, I would say that I wasn’t thinking.

I have seen so many people go to college without a problem, I thought I could do the same.

I spent my orientation talking with my admissions counselor on how I was going to pay for school. He saw I was living on campus and told me if I had any hopes of being in school, I would have to apply for financial aid and receive help from my family.

I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was, until the end of the semester approached and I had to pay my bill or go home.

I tried to work out every possible situation I could to pay my bill, but I lost my fight against time.

Things didn’t turn out how I hoped. I was left with a student balance and was forced to pack my things and go home for the spring semester.

I was devastated but I used my despair to motivate me.

My second semester of freshman year was a huge wake-up call for me. It made me realize that if attending university is what I really want to do, I need to be all in and I need to teach myself about a world me or anyone around me has never experienced.

I spent a lot of my second semester of my freshman year educating myself on the fundamentals and secrets of financial aid and how to pay your bill. I was determined to go back. And I did.

After staying home and taking classes at a community college for a semester, I was able to pay off my balance and return back to campus for my sophomore year.

I would honestly say it was an unfortunate, but rewarding experience.

I truly believe that paying my tuition has been one of my biggest struggles in school, especially as a first-generation student. I also believe that if I had known better, I would have done better.

If you are a first-generation student that doesn’t know much about paying tuition, here are some tips that can help you knock that balance right off of your account:

1. Pay attention to your account EARLY!

I made the mistake of procrastinating on finding solutions to pay my bill. I told myself to focus on my grades and classes because if I stressed about my bill too much, my grades would fall. Taking my own personal advice at the time only made me still stress while also not having a paid bill. It may seem overwhelming to handle school and paying off your balance, but being attentive and paying your balance off early will save you a lot of stress later on down the line.

2. Know what loans you are taking out

I’ve seen it one too many times where people are so desperate (maybe too desperate) to pay off of their account balance to the point they take out an excessive amount of loans with high-interest rates just to get by. Trust me, I’ve done it too. I’m not here to preach that loans are bad. I’m just advising that you take into consideration that you are in fact borrowing the money and it will need to be paid back. Although paying your balance off at that moment is important, you want to look out for your future self financially.

3. Scholarships are everywhere…you just have to find them

Remember being a kid and playing hide and go seek? There’s an adult version to that game, and it’s virtual! There are plenty of scholarships waiting for you. You just have to go find them. Believe it or not, there are thousands of scholarships all over that are unrecognized because many people do not know about them, or they do not apply out of fear of rejection. Honestly, the worst they can tell you is no. It wouldn’t hurt to try.

4. Realize that community college is an option!

Starting a community college opened my eyes a lot. A lot of people downsize the credibility of a community college because it’s not your traditional university. I am here to tell you that it is perfectly okay to start off at a community college. It is a much cheaper option and you can still take courses that will satisfy your degree progress for if you decide to transfer.

5. If there’s a will, there’s a way!

There are thousands of students just like you who want to pursue a degree. There is no way there are not plenty of options to help students, like you, stay in school. Take advantage of your resources. Visit your financial aid officer and see what you could do to pay off your balance. There may be something they could do to help you. If you want it, go get it. It’s there for you.

It’s also important to realize that this is not an uncommon or embarrassing thing to discuss. I remember feeling ashamed that I couldn’t pay my bill, so I did not talk much about it. I actually held myself back from resources that could help me. Remember, college is expensive, but paying for it can be manageable.