What is the hardest part of paying for college?

Here’s why the student Hillary quoted in the debate was right

During Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Yale Law alum Hillary Clinton quoted a college student she had spoken with, who told her “The hardest thing about going to college should not be paying for it.”

For many students at the moment, though, it certainly is.

And that is especially the case at Hillary’s old school, given that Yale’s tuition costs a whopping $253,000 for all four years (including room and board).

So The Tab went out to speak to Yalies to find out about the struggle of paying for school.

Mao Shiyuan ’17

“The hardest part would be the pressure of keeping my grades up and getting the most out of my college experience to repay my parents for all they have given up for me.”

James L. ’17


“It’s hard having the illusion of financial independence. I try to use my own money for miscellaneous things, but I know that is nothing compared to what my family is paying for me to to Yale.”

Lily Mirfakhraie ’19


“The thought of taking out loans for thousands of dollars that I know I can’t pay back now is the hardest part. I’m basically betting on myself that I’ll make the money back after I graduate.”

Johanan Knight ’19


“I’m the youngest of three, so my parents have already put both of my sisters through college. So for me, the hardest part is knowing how much financial stress I’m putting on my family.”

Lydia Keating ’17


“There is definitely a lot of guilt in terms of how hard my parents are working for me to attend this school and achieve my goals.”

Micah Rosales ’17


“Scholarships, financial aid and the pressure on my family really creates a feeling of dependence on others for me to attend Yale, which can be difficult to deal with. I can try my hardest to be financially independent, but in reality there is no way I would be able to afford this education on my own. It’s just a matter of pushing your pride aside and coming to terms with gratitude.”

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