Understanding financial aid will just make you angry about it
You’re just paying over $50k for a piece of paper that will maybe help you get a job
Understanding how financial aid works is a key point in understanding how not to drown in debt and swim in obscure policies . Basically not to become a walking billboard of sadness and frustration because you can’t pay off the fees till you’re 50. Student loans, one of students’ greatest fears often get integrated into this and honestly, it just makes matters a lot worse. Classes, jobs, clubs, and on top of that the stress to pay off this huge sum of money, UGH.
Wait, what is that sound? Is it your stomach grumbling? No it’s just your empty wallet. Understand this, 80 per cent of UCI undergrads receive some kind of financial aid. Some kind of financial aid. Basically, some get enough money to buy an empty Doritos bag. The rest get a pat on the back and a big NO-NO from the financial aid office.
Me being one of those financially strapped students can attest to the almost complete ignorance of universities’ financial aid programs to help the students who are just over the margin. They often grant no aid, no grants, and no consideration for scholarships no matter how academically apt the students are.
Let’s face it, not all international students come with Ferraris and Louis Vuitton merchandise. A lot of students’ parents or guardians had to pull many strings to come here and since they are not permanent residents or citizens, they get ABSOLUTELY no consideration for financial aid. At UCI, many of these students have a sibling or two in college simultaneously and are often given 1/15th more money, basically a month’s supply of Doritos, as compensation.
Many a protest has come and gone by, but to no avail. UCI is known notoriously for its students who want to further the idea of reduced money spent on college. These protests ask for free tuition and most of the participants get some form of financial aid, but what about the students that get no financial aid? Who is going to protest for them?
Finally, whether you are in high-school getting stressed over whether you will receive aid, or in college and receiving no aid, hard work and getting a good job after college graduation will help pay off the debt fairly easily. Many students who get financial aid take it for granted, usually don’t work very hard, and end up without a job and financial uncertainty. Persevere, and you will not have to worry about working at McDonald’s!