Lindsey Boerma
Perspectives Editor
A few days ago, an ATM machine issued me a receipt with a printed bank account balance of $2.41. This was not a mistake, nor was it even remotely surprising. Rather, it was an indication of the currently obscene economic circumstances for today’s college student.
Having just returned from interning and living on my own in the notoriously pricey city of New York this summer, I can confidently say that getting ahead professionally is not as easy as it looks. I was trying to cope without any kind of paycheck or sense of rationality as to sensible expenditure.
My peers and I have grown up during an era in which obtaining a college degree has become entirely requisite to survival. Financially supporting the education necessary to achieve such a degree has become a more daunting chore than the academic experience itself.
Certainly, the fiscal responsibilities for college students during this recession in the United States’ economy are not even comparable to those of adults, particularly those in the lower to middle working class.
Aside from astronomical price inflations in virtually every area of the market, the ability to take on the essential role of consumer has been drastically deterred by the increasing lack of available jobs. The month of July alone was predicted to bring about 60,000 job losses.
Still, the financial situation of the average college student trying to jump into this tide of career options, is a concern in its own right. This is especially true, as the current is going against our stride at a frighteningly fast pace.
Drawing from this topic, I could set off on a tirade about the Bush Administration’s failure to acknowledge that domestic tax cuts cannot suffice for the recovery of our country’s escalating economic crisis, but I will not. Frankly, we’ve heard it all before.
This is no longer merely a governmental issue, or, at the very least, it shouldn’t be. The ever-increasing gap between the need for college education and the ability to afford it can be closed with a simple nod of cooperation between students and privately funded organizations.
Admittedly, I am the last person who should be calling for a financial reality check, as my idea of a daily necessity is a venti iced coffee from Starbucks. However, pinpointing this blatant lack of monetary management is where the wallet mending begins.
During my stint in New York City, I was forced to find the absolute cheapest means of survival, including airfare, a chief staple for many college students. Fortunately, I came across the Web site of studentuniverse.com, an organization that provides discounted airfare for students who are able to provide proof of college enrollment.
Furthermore, my near-daily trips to the neighborhood Chipotle were facilitated by the restaurant’s offer of a free beverage to anyone with a university ID.
Regarding the means of actually paying off the annually growing tuition costs, there are groups dedicated to helping students do just that, including fastweb.com and collegescholarships.com.
Pepperdine is among the top 10 Pell Grant recipients for private schools, and additional scholarships are provided through families and university alumni who donate money from their own hard-earned savings, according to Vice President for Advancement and Public Affairs Keith Hinkle.
So, while John McCain rambles about the potential for off-shore drilling to lessen foreign oil dependence and Barack Obama preaches about the impossible-to-attain prospect of fixed tuition rates, we, as college students, would do well to focus our attention on a more private sector — one that is filled with institutions designed specifically for our benefit.
The resources are there, but it is up to us to take advantage of them and form a bond of collaboration with these privately funded organizations. Upon doing so, we will finally start to expose the economic silver lining for which American college students have been waiting.
08-25-2008