As a senior the money that is available is very small. When I started school here I was able to get almost twice as much as I can get currently. This has never made much since to me because a senior has shown that they are willing to stick it out, while the chances of a freshman dropping out of college are very high. Why not reverse the system and give more money to the people who have shown they are hard workers?

I believe that the Governement should take into account how much money the student makes and pays towards school. My parents make a good amount of money and still claim me as a dependent. Though they pay nothing to me for school. So because of that I had to take out loans to pay for school, I have $80K of school loans. The FASFA didn’t help out enough.

I feel that tuition should be lowered, not raised 8%; therefore, we would not need to worry as much about student loans.

I’m a junior at WVU and my sister is a freshman at Ohio State. My parents make a sufficient amount of money, but there are no scholarships or loans that are centered toward a “normal” family. FAFSA is not centered toward the “normal” family either. I feel like no one, whether its here at WVU or any college, cares enough about the students and the families and how they are paying for college

I could really blame this mostly on the person in the political office right now, as he cut 8.4 Million dollars for education, but I guess I have to do with what I got. My parents make enough, but its really cutting into there retirement money, which sucks. I am hoping that I can get enough money next year so my father can retire, since i will be independent, but I doubt that will happen.
Also, this did not effect me, but one of my friends received a 2000 scholarship from a school we are suppose to be joined with, but since she transfered this semester to another campus. PSC said, nope you can’t have the 1000 for this spring. She now still owes a 1000 on her account, and is having a really hard time getting a lender to cover the amount even with her parents co-signing.

This is all affecting us in some way, and it sucks!

Being from a household that isn’t financially stable and the extra costs of being out of state has been hard to handle. My first two years I received a private loan from a bank but last year they changed credit policies and I was denied my renewal. Then this year I found another private loan but with higher interest rates. Now with the economy and student loans being the way they are I’m once again forced to search into the depths of private loans and hope to find some assistance. Last semester because of not receiving the same loan amount I charged the remaining balance of my account to a credit card and have been paying that back since. Rent was raised for next school year and the other costs of living don’t help things. I receive work study but the hours never matched up to make a significant amount. It’s all very hectic and a little shocking when in high school we’re pushed so hard to get into our choice of college but not told that we’ll need to fight to stay in it just because our parents financial history influences ours.

So yea its tough, which makes me wonder why a few ivy league schools lowered tuition to assist students in the tough economy yet we raise tuition every year that I’ve attended by more than 5%.

When I turned 18, my senior year of high school, my mom moved across the country, leaving me here in West Virginia. I worked hard in high school and was able to come to WVU with the Promise scholarship. While it pays tuition and fees, I was left with housing and book costs. Because my mom has a good paying job, although I haven’t lived with her or she hasn’t given me the first dollar in over three years, I have to fill out my FAFSA as a dependent of her. As a result of that, I get no other financial aid because they think she should be paying for my school. My freshman and sophomore year my grandfather co-signed for a private loan, but since has passed away leaving me without a co-signer. I tried to take a loan out for the summer session and have been denied from several lenders. Now, I am left working forty plus hours a week while trying to maintain a 3.0 to keep the promise. I don’t think it’s fair to students like myself who really try, but are held down because of dependency restraints.

I believe that the current system for assigning loans is extremely flawed. The current system rewards families who do not make much income, and punishes families who would be considered to be middle class. I have a friend from a family who is on welfare, and he recieved enough in grants (no scholarships) to pay for all of his tuition and living expenses, with enough left over to buy a dirt bike. I come from a middle class family who cannot spare the extra money for my education, so I am forced to take out loans.

I don’t think a person should have to wait until a specific age to be deemed “independent.” If I was able to declare as independent I would have more available help, but since I’m only 22, I have to wait two more years. I don’t understand because I do not live with my parents and have taken out my own loans in the past few years.

The current system is flawed. As an undergraduate, I was considered dependent on my parents even though I had little to no contact with them. They did not help me with any expenses, but since they make six figures, I was punished by limited eligibility to school and government loans. In response, I obtained a fulltime job, and I had to seek a private loan. Having limited knowledge, I got myself into a confusing loan and the APR was outrageous. I needed the money though so I could go to school and survive. The private loan was devastating and a major burden in my life to date. The current system punishes students that come from middle class families by excluding us from grants and scholarships that are based on our parents? incomes. It would be nice if the administration and the financial aid office realized that not every student who goes to WVU is supported by their parents. In America, we are considered adults at 18, but you use our parents? income to base what aid you will give to us. If I claim myself as an independent on my tax return, WVU should consider me an independent when I fill for financial aid. Also, the addition to some student friendly workers at the financial aid office would be something great to consider.

I sad how the system is set up. My dad makes $70,000 a year and I get nothing, no help. My loans are mostly in his name and since the 12 month period is up I am making payments of $150 each month. This is a major dent in my money and I still have rent utilities food etc. Lower class people get it all and middle class are screwed. The tuition gap between out of state and in state is ridiculous. Financial policies of this school need changed!

As a veteran and a non-traditional student, it is difficult to tell how the lending crisis will affect my family. I do receive money from the US Army while I am in school; howvever, the money I receive comes at the end of each month. This makes paying even 60% of the semesters tuition (around 1800 dollars) within the first two weeks very difficult. In order to alleviate some stress on my family, I am forced to take out a loan in order to cover tuition and ensure that house payments and health insurance bills are paid, not to mention saving a little money to eat. I am married and have to work full-time as well as going to school full time, so difficulty in getting loans to cover tuition will be yet another obstacle that we will have to face. Perhaps if there was a better system or payment plan for people using VA benifits the would not be as much of an issue.

What I’d like to know is why do tuition rates go up every year at a rate that exceeds inflation? The problem is not just with the availability of student loans, but with the actual cost of attending WVU. As a WVU employee, I can assure you that there is a lot of waste that goes on at the university and eliminating that waste will definitely help in cutting program costs and eliminating the need to have such large tuition increases.

I’m one of those low socioeconomic students everyone is complaining about. My mother raised two teenagers alone on only $10,000 a year. Yes, I receive grants for college, but they only cover about half of my total costs. The rest are loans. I’m up to about $28,000 (considering I transferred from a private school, that’s not bad). I haven’t lived with my mother since I was 17, and yet I was still forced to use her on my FAFSA, regardless of the fact that she hasn’t supported me at all. That being said, her credit is horrible and I couldn’t get any low-interest loans at all. All of them have outrageous APRs.

The rules of dependency should be changed. Students living on their own by 18 should not be required to use their parents information on the FAFSA. Allowing people to claim us that do not support us only gives them money we never see.

I agree with Amber, and most of the other comments thus far. I do not think that I am alone in saying that the entire system is backwards. Everything is all about money. Everybody wants you to go to college, and get the best education you can, but how you are going to pay for it is a mystery. On top of this, the costs are ASTRONOMICAL and continue to rise every year, with no real justification.

Here is a question for you Mike: How could you raise tuition rates so much, then have the audacity to ask us if we have been affected by the loan crisis? Are you serious?

Furthermore, the drastic price difference between in-state and out-of-state students is disgusting. It feels as if students coming from other states are being punished for coming here, while the students from WV get a free ride, with all of their grants and scholarships the state gives them. Do you not want us to come here? I understand you need to make money, but stop preying on us; it truly is unfair.

We are the future of this nation and we deserve better, much better. From the schools to the government, nobody is innocent in this. Stop asking if people are affected, because you know the vast majority of us are. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, MR. PRESIDENT.

I am done my rant. Now to go find some loan money for summer courses, great.

Where can I get scholarship information?

Copy of correspondence sent to the University’s Board of Governors:

valerie.lopez@mail.wvu.edu
Secretary to the Board of Governors
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6201
Morgantown, WV 26506

Dear Board of Governors,

Please do the right thing and schedule a Board Meeting as soon as possible and request the immediate resignation of President Garrison, his administer, Provost Lang, the Chief Counsel, and Dean Sears. This is the only appropriate action the Board can take in response to the panel’s report on the granting an unearned degree to Ms. Bresch.

This situation has caused significant damage to the State’s flagship university and is a huge embarrassment for WVU, its students, staff, and alumni around the world. The Board must act immediately to begin the restoration of the University’s reputation, the value of the degree’s earned at the University, and the perception of the University’s many excellent programs.

The appointment of Michael Garrison to the position of President of West Virginia University last year was a huge mistake that resulted in improper and possible illegal actions almost immediately upon Mr. Garrison moving into Stewart Hall. Hiring a lobbyist to run a major educational institution has proven to be a disaster. Mr. Garrison needs to be removed from the office of President of WVU immediately, replaced by a respectable proven administrator in the role of Interim President (hopefully you will consider asking David Hardesty).

A real, national search should take place to find a respectable, qualified, and experienced educational administrator to fill the vital role of President of WVU. If possible, the Board should put together a search committee comprised of experienced educators from outside the State…. Gordon Gee and others of that caliber should be contacted to seek assistance.

The Board of Governors made a terrible mistake in hiring Mike Garrison. Please take immediate action to correct this situation. Until such time that you do, most alumni cannot support the University in any way.

David Gross
Class of 1983
Bethesda, Maryland

As professionals who have worked in the financial aid field for a number of years and as parents of college age students, Kaye and I both understand the sacrifice and difficulty that students and their families often face in paying for a college education. We?d like to take this opportunity to address some of the questions and perceptions that have been raised in the responses to the blog on the loan crisis.

The system we use to determine financial aid eligibility was established by the federal government to distribute ?limited? financial resources. Most state governments and institutions have also adopted this formula to determine eligibility for state and institutional funds. Grants are usually available only to the neediest students. Work opportunities and loans (both student and parent) are available to most students. Scholarships are typically available to students with high academic achievement or special talent. The real dilemma is that there is not enough funding available to assist every needy or deserving student.

In our replies to the comments above, we?ve tried to address specific questions or concerns raised in the responses to the initial blog.

Fortunately my dads insurance allows me to stay on until I’m 25 but he has to claim me as a dependant which greatly decreases the amount of financial aid that I can receive. He makes pretty good money but not enough to pay for my school. In turn I joined the military to help pay for my school but even with that I can’t afford to live. Tuition and rent are increased every year and it just keeps getting harder and harder to make it up here in college. I want to better myself and get my degree but it seems like everyone is working against me. I just want to borrow enough money to complete my goals at a relatively decent interest rate so I can begin working and use my knowledge to help others. Something needs to be done or it’s going to be really hard for average income families to send their kids to college.

As the cost of attending school increases exponentially, student loan options need to change. For instance, as a graduate student you are only eligible for 20k in federal subsidized loans! That does not even pay for a year of out of state tuition at a reasonably priced institution like ours.

As a graduate student, I rely heavily on my student loan package. This year my eligibility for aid has changed and the loans I am eligible for are weighted very heavily towards unsubsidized loans instead of subsidized. While fortunately my need is met (for the most part), these loans are unfortunately higher interest and will cost me in the long run.

From what I have heard, I have it good. It will be a said day when one of our inalienable rights, the pursuit of happiness, is not afforded to a student due to lack of financing options.

How about lowering tuition, The rate of increase is pretty steep. You are a prick for asking this current question, while knowing how enormously overpriced school is, and is to be in the future. the crisis at hand primarily is that school is outragousley expensive. How can students pay for our outragousley expensive school during this loan crisis? thats a better question. ask that

I have the Promise Scholarship, so my tuition is covered, but there are still a lot of expenses to be paid. Between my brother (a WVU student without any financial assistance), the amount my family was expected to pay per year went from $26,000 to $38,000. It more than doubled the expectancy of money my parents have to pay; more money than my mother makes per year as a teacher. All I have to say is, how does anyone expect for students to afford the college education that is the requirement for being accepted into the work force today?

I read through these comments and agree with a lot. I am a senior getting ready to graduate in 2weeks. I will have almost 50K in debt (I pay the out of state cost) now my parents make good money but they also have 2 other kids in college at the same time. I applied for a number of scholarships through the school and other places and almost all were based on financial status determined by the FAFSA form. I am not afraid to work hard so why can?t the school give out more scholarships based on merit not financial need.

Another thing that bothers me is how the FAFSA form does not take into account cost of living. I grew up in northern Virginia where it costs significantly more to live and therefore my parents make more, but to the government they see it as a lot of money because they base it on the national average.

Way to go Ross! You said it all!

Why is it that everyone feels that its the government’s job to provide you with an education? A college degree benefits you. If its important enough to you, then you work or take out loans to finance it. Tution goes up because the costs of the school goes up. Its not like the university is just trying to get rich. Its a non-profit organization. Everything is put back into the school. Take some responsibility for yourselves. Complain about the student loan crisis and how the economy has effected the loan market, but don’t complain that the government isn’t paying for your education.

Assistance is provided to lower income students as a way to help them work their way out of the lower class and into a middle class life by assisting with the funding of their education. This helps to prevent the lower class from growing and hopefully shrink it. The money isn’t just there as a handout for everyone because school is expensive.

I really feel that WVU does not provide our students with enough finiacial aid in the first place so to lower what’s already low just shows us what our economy has come to. Every year tution goes up and it really upsets me as a minority.

For the past two years at WVU my parents have used Federal Loans to pay for my tuition and it has not been easy. While the loans have covered my tuition costs, the interest on the loans has been giving us grief. In all the money my parents have paid towards the loan, they have only paid interest, they havent even started paying for the actual loan. So basically, the Federal Loans do not help in the long run. I came to WVU from out of state because when I first started attending the university, it cost less than the schools in my state. Now the price is close to that the in state schools. It is ridiculous for this school to want to bring in more students, especially those from WV, when they keep increasing tuition so much that we struggle to afford it. I don’t expect the gov’t to pay for my education since its my choice to attend college, but something has to be done to lower the cost of attendance because its getting just plain ridiculous. It’s really hard for me to get scholarships so my parents are relying on loans for pay for my tuition. Somethings seriously need to change if this university wants to keep its current students and bring in more.