Poor at a private university

Students at Boston University talk of the Maseratis outside Questrom School of Business, those with thousands of dollars worth of convenience points, and others who shop on Newbury Street several times a week.

Too often are the students who come from low economic backgrounds overlooked, and their stories are rarely heard above the talk of those more privileged.

Recently, two students created a Facebook group, #PoorAtAPrivateUniversity BU: A Support Group. The purpose is to help low income students share their experiences and help each other pull through the difficulties of attending one of the most expensive universities in the United States.

Students in the group come from unstable economic backgrounds, the lower middle class and countries in economic crisis, to name a few. There are even some who join as allies or to learn more about the experiences of their fellow students.

In an effort to bring awareness to issues faced by these students everyday, we asked students to share their experiences.

Dev, Sophomore, Acting

I live with my single mother, who’s a dislocated worker due to a disability; my grandmother; and little brother. Our house is one that we don’t own. Even with the combined income my mother receives to support herself with her disability, the limited financial assistance from my brother’s father, and no support at all from my father, we live below Florida’s poverty line.

BU was on my radar since sophomore year in high school. BU’s theatre program became my top choice after a year of research and correspondence with the admissions team. I feel like steamed corn on the cob for saying this, but I genuinely felt I could pursue an education here that aligns with who I am and what I want to learn.

My expected family contribution (EFC) is zero, but a generous amount of financial aid secured my attendance. I qualified for work study, but I will have to maintain at least one, possibly two jobs.

I felt like BU invested in me, that despite being black, queer, non-binary, and poor, I still deserved the opportunity to succeed. I only started to fear financial issues after talk of an increased tuition. My real worries started as a slow burn as unexpected small fees piled up. Then I received my bill for the coming academic year and realized what we had to ‘magically’ create. I knew I couldn’t give up.

I increased a loan and student debt to swing things favorably for my appeal. I chose a cheaper dining plan, refused my sports pass, and waived BU’s medical insurance, all to increase immediate aid. I’m beyond happy to do these things to continue attendance at Boston University.

Why do you think it is so difficult for students in need to receive financial aid at BU?

It’s clear that wealth inequality is a global problem, and it’s no surprise that BU is limited in what it can provide. This is also impacted by being a private university, meaning there’s no state funding to help mitigate the problem.

Private universities run on private contributions and tuition, causing tuition to be higher. I’m unsure if there’s an actual order in which aid is given, but I believe there’s a greater willingness to award money to incoming students to convince them to attend. I perceive this in my freshman financial aid package compared to my current one, and many of my peers have noticed this trend, as well. If a continuing student has to fight for aid because BU gave them less money (or the same amount while tuition increases) to entice a freshman, there’s a problem.

Why did you create and why is ‘#PoorAtAPrivateUniversity BU: A Support Group’ so important?

Pamela Muñoz (CFA ’18) and I started using #poorataprivateuniversity after others’ attitudes on talking about financial struggles left me feeling isolated and helpless. It’s easy to feel alone when dealing with financial issues- you have to suffer in silence. Some systems in our society teach those of us who have less to be quiet and feel ashamed.

During my appeal process, this hashtag helped me receive support from people who could help or direct me to those who could. As a result, my appeal came back favorably. The money my family now has to provide has been reduced by over half and I can come back this fall.

People began approaching me partially because they did not know who else to talk to, as very few of us talk about this. I knew I couldn’t be there for everyone on my own, even if I’d like to be.

That sparked the idea of creating the support group. People receive advice, talk about problems, and vent frustrations. We don’t all have the same experiences, but we’ve all dealt with similar feelings. It’s helpful to be around people who get it.

How else can BU help low income students?

Clearer language surrounding financial aid policies and expectations would be useful, too. Changes in financial aid caught many students off guard because nothing changed with their personal financial situation or academic standing. For me, there’s a limit to the aid I am eligible to receive year to year, but that information is not readily available. I do not know when I will hit aid ceiling.

Additionally, work study isn’t relevant to immediate costs, so it shouldn’t be included within a student’s total financial eligibility. Work study money is earned throughout the course of the school year and is incapable applying it to urgent situations. There’s also no guarantee a student will earn the maximum amount of money awarded via work study, meaning money not earned is lost. Class schedules can prevent students from earning their total work study award and some are forced to prioritize work over school.

I’m still #poorataprivateuniversity. I’m already planning for next year and years after. I want to avoid not being able to afford to continue and appealing again. That’s a concern many of my peers are privileged enough not to have.

Eli*, Sophomore, Film and Psychology

My country is going through an economic crisis with the negative shockwaves from the turbulent areas around us. My parents were extremely impacted by this, and we barely have enough to make it through our daily lives. I wanted to go to the States specifically to get away from the anarchy we’ve been suffering from.

I wanted to go to BU specifically because of its diversity and it was where I could thrive in both my degrees. At first, I was worried to apply to BU because it is an expensive school and I heard it doesn’t support it’s students as much as they need. Fortunately, because I’m an American citizen (I was born in Baltimore), I received enough financial aid to make it through. I’m definitely looking forward to junior year to become an RA to cut down the burden on my family.

Why do you think a group like the one created by Dev is so important?

Fortunately, I’m glad I haven’t experienced economic prejudice from some of the wealthier students in the school. However, being ‘poor’ does add upon the stress load that we college students are already battling. There were times I thought of dropping out of college to help my family. I really do think we need a support group like ‘#PoorAtAPrivateUniversity’ in order to show those in need that they’re not alone, and there are those who can advise and relate to them.

How else do you think BU can help?

I think every little thing counts. Maybe BU could help low-income students by keeping some of the dining halls open during Thanksgiving and spring break. We can’t afford to go back home, yet we’re still forced to pay large amounts for meals because we don’t have the supplies to cook (or we could get a kitchen during these vacations).

Erica, Sophomore, Biology- concentration in Ecology and Conservation

My family lives in South Carolina now, as my stepdad transferred there last year (he is in the Air Force). Throughout my life, I never thought of my family as being ‘poor’ until recently. The transfer and BU changed everything.

My family has been middle class. My mom, the primary breadwinner of the family, lost her job last year as a result of the transfer and has not found one since. As a result, our financial situation has suffered terribly. Any sort of extra ‘thing’ that may happen, such as surgery or repairs, we can’t pay for. My mom, who suffers from anxiety, cannot afford to buy her medicine anymore.

I didn’t want to take a typical biology track and BU allowed me to specialize in ecology. Not only that, but I was captivated that I could join an Antarctic research team (which I did end up joining), other opportunities, and study abroad options.

Before receiving my first financial aid package, I wasn’t worried. I was shocked by how little BU gave me and so my worries started. The only reason I can go to BU is because my stepdad sacrificed his GI Bill money to me. Without that money, I wouldn’t be able to go. Even with the loss of my mom’s job last year, my financial aid did not increase for this coming year.

I feel like I’m running my family into poverty just because of my college choice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried because I’m genuinely worried BU won’t give me enough to go to school next year, or any year after that.

Why is having the Facebook group so important?

It’s extremely difficult to find students like me. I think I might’ve met one person whose family does not own multiple houses (something I never really heard of before coming here). I have a hard time fitting in with a lot of people because there’s such a, for lack of a better term, culture difference causing trouble relating to each other.

It’s incredible to have a place you can go for support and feel like you aren’t alone. I love the awareness it brings, too. Honestly, before the group was created, I thought I was the only one struggling with money issues because I never heard my peers say anything about it. Now I know I’m not alone, and I feel a lot stronger and more included.

How else can BU help students of low-income backgrounds?

I think having more jobs for students which don’t take up as much time, but pay something can help.

I think BU could help families a lot by not requiring a meal plan or adding cheaper options. I rarely ate two meals a day every day at the dining hall, but there isn’t an option to buy fewer meals and simultaneously save money; we’re just wasting meals and money. BU could also include more food places for students to use dining points. After all, dining points come with meal plans, so it makes little sense why so few places accept them.

All three students agree- if BU creates a group for discussion, support, and advice for low-income students, that would be, as Erica put it, “awesome.” Support on the administrative level can reduce or even eliminate feelings of isolation for good.

As the group’s slogan goes, ‘much love, never forget, we are poor but united.’

*Name changed for privacy