Jour 305 Blog: News Feature

The end of freshman year at college is an emotional time for many. Saying good-bye to new friends for three months can be very difficult. For Amanda Strempel, she was saying good-bye to many people that she would never see again.

Like many students, Strempel entered college full of excitement for the possibilities that lay ahead of her. Unfortunately for Strempel, she was entering higher education at one of the worst times in history.

Beginning in July 2009, WSU has passed a series of tuition increases to offset diminished state and federal funding. Tuition for the 2009 to 2010 academic year increased 14 percent. It has increased another 14 percent since then. For a student on financial aid, like Strempel, the tuition increase was too much.

“Because I didn’t have time for a job with my classes,” Strempel said, “I wasn’t able to get a loan on my own for the next year. My parents weren’t able to help me so I had no choice but to go home”

Strempel switched from the Pullman campus to the Distance Degree Program so she could live at home and still take classes without the expense of dorm or apartment life. Strempel was sad to be missing out on the college experience, but also frustrated.

“If I had known prior to enrolling for freshman year that tuition would increase this much,” said Strempel, “I would have done my first two years at a community college and then transferred to WSU to finish my degree.”

Due to the limitations on the number of credits distance degree students can take, Strempel is likely not going to graduate on time.

Rachel Harris is another student in a financial limbo due to increased tuition and decreased funding.

“Tuition keeps going up,” Harris said, “But I’m no longer receiving the grants that I used to get because the state has cut funding. I need to take summer classes to graduate on time but summer financial aid isn’t enough to include rent”

Harris lives with her sister who is on food stamps to help make ends meet.

“Having enough money for food is a constant worry,” Harris said. “We have to buy a lot of frozen or pre-made food because fresh food is too expensive, which is also unhealthy.”

Susan Chon is an out-of-state student from Hawaii, paying her way here through federal grants and the Cougar Academic Award. The amount of aid through the Cougar Academic Award has decreased over the past two years.

“It’s hard because my father is the only one working full time,” Chon said. “My mom works part-time and my sister goes to the University of Hawaii so they’re trying to support us both.”

Students not on financial aid are also feeling the effects of increased tuition. Like many families, Tasha Totten’s parents were paying for her education but the increases have become too much.

“Paying for my tuition with the 14 percent increases both years is too much of a burden,” Totten said. “I plan on taking out loans in the fall to pay for what I hope is my last year.”

Similar to Totten’s situation, Harris’s only option for financial aid this fall is the Parent PLUS loan, but she is unsure if her family can afford it with the cost of attendance over $20,000.

The 28 percent tuition increase from 2009 to 2011 has been a major hardship to many students. Unfortunately there is little improvement in site, with the likelihood of 13 percent increases in tuition for each of the next two academic years.

Although Harris is living in Pullman, she also feels like she is missing out on the college experience.

“When you don’t have a lot of money it’s really tough,” said Harris. “I can’t go out to eat, it makes some clubs difficult to join, and it’s embarrassing to ask for money. It’s hard to have the college experience when you can’t afford to do anything.”

Outline

1. What happened?

a. Tuition increases

b. Financial Aid Reductions

2. How it affects students

a. Miss out on college experience

b. Stressed/worried about money

c. Have to borrow more money

d. Have to take longer to graduate

3. How it affects families

a. Increased expenses on tuition/student loans

b. Increased stress