Tuition Cost

Thanks to scholarships and financial aids from the college, George Washington University now costs less than University of Maryland for me. I still remember vividly how I used to worry about high tuition. I believe for some time I did doubt the possibility of going to college. However, thanks to the emotional support from my family members, I kept on trying my best in school and did not give up on studying. Fortunately, it paid off well. Because of my academic record and my economic background, GW gave me a good deal and I am going to college. Sadly, it might not happen to every college-bound seniors.

A friend of mine is going to University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). He is bright and focused on his studies. He takes hard classes, but he does not have the best grade others have. He is also not in the best financial situation in the world. Therefore, he has to pay around 20 Ks a year for his education. He told me that he would work, and his parents would take a loan from a bank. As of now, he is going to college.

But how many families can actually pay 20 Ks a year from their pocket? The bright and athletically strong students can get scholarships from the schools, but what about the mass majority who has no chance of getting any scholarships. Do they have to fall to the next category (going to a community college) or worse (go straight to the workforce)?

It is funny I mentioned UMBC. It is a public 4-year college. What does "public" mean? It means that it is serving the ordinary people, the mass majority who contribute the most. However, the souring cost of college has the possibility of forcing more teenagers to the workforce. University of Maryland, College Park gives me $1500 a year. If I don't have any outside help, I need to pay around 16 Ks myself.

I hope I am mistaken. In fact, there are good signs. Tuition at University of Virginia is still around 4 Ks a year. Tuition at University of California Los Angalses is around 6 K a year. But the trend still tells me that the cost is increasing exponentially.

What are the politicans doing? I suppose nothing but empty talks. Every politican says he/she is pro-education when he/she runs for election. However, what are the results? Nothing. We are spending more money on building a few more jet planes or "increasing" our national security. Speaking of national security, it is kind of funny. Our border to Mexico is still wide open. Or on Medicare or Social Security. Why? Because we, the students, the pillars of the future, are not the main constitutency to the politicans.

I am sad. I am sad because many of my friends have to worry about the cost of going to college. Not just for private colleges, but for public colleges too. Do something, the government. Do something, us!