Salt Lake Community College is a good school compared to others around it, but it is still too costly for most students. Lower tuition would encourage more people to attend college and improve the workforce.
Many people in America plan on attending college after high school, but for many, that dream is over before it begins. A large number of these people attend college many years after they have a child, serve our country, or were forced into the workforce and had to make a living for themselves to have a roof over their heads and food to eat.
Once two-to-four years have passed and dedication to their jobs has not resulted in adequate compensation, a drastic change must take place. The financial aspect of school makes going back nearly impossible for most who would like to attend and educate themselves.
Working full-time and being a part-time student leads to potential burn-out because school is still a second or third priority.
The tuition at SLCC needs to be lowered, or the amount of money from Pell Grants needs to be increased. At the community college level, most students are paying their own way through school, and those same students are applying for financial aid and being shot down left and right.
Plenty of students are denied financial aid because their parents make too much money. Yet oftentimes the student never receives money toward school from those same parents.
Students who work are struggling to survive, but financial aid says that they earn too much income. Only those who are on the verge of being homeless and are unemployed are eligible for the entire amount of financial aid, which usually results in a refund of the left-over tuition ranging from $100 to $1,500 back to the student.
A majority of the students pay their own way and are forced to apply for student loans. These loans are much easier to acquire but are due for repayment six months after they have completed college attendance.
In today’s economy, that is hardly enough time to be hired at a quality job, and now students are paying for an education before it has made them a single penny.
A student obtaining a two-year degree at 12 credits or more pays about $1,585, and that’s not including books or a parking permit that costs $35 for limited parking spaces.
The student can expect to be approved for a student loan of $3,000 at a freshman status. Students in their second year can expect $4,400. That’s per school year. The summer semester is not covered. That’s a possible $8,000 in loans just to be halfway done. If the student attends a university afterward, those numbers can skyrocket.
Tuition increased about a year ago from $110 a credit to $167 a credit. These numbers need to come down.
Lower those rates and raise the amount of a Pell Grant that students can receive so they don’t feel punished for wanting a better future or making more money. Being able to attend school is said to be a privilege, but students are facing negative consequences for not having parents to carry them through it.
Students have the power of numbers and can gather together to push for lower costs. If enough speak out, the message will be heard by someone with the power to make a change.
