College Experiences Come With A Price

Walking across the stage of your high school graduation, you have two things on your mind: how far you’ve come, and what’s left to come. After their high school journey’s, about 66% of these graduates further their education at a secondary college or university, according to the Bureau of Labor  Statistics in 2012. The young graduate thinks of all the new challenges and opportunities they have yet to accomplish during their college career. College allows one to join organizations, obtain an internship, even become part of their schools Greek life by joining a Fraternity or Sorority. With endless experiences being offered, a college student typically wants to make the best of their college experience by being involved as much as possible. However, a college student should keep in mind financial responsibilities that come with the “college experience.” Tuition is generally the largest bulk of college expenses followed by housing and meal plans. Without financial aid or help from scholarships or grants, students often find themselves having to take out loans for most of their college experience. In the state of Florida, public institutions can range anywhere from $8500 to $20,000 for a year according to The Board Of Governors 2012-2013 Accountability report. This accountability report also states that a little thirty thousand Florida students receive financial aid, which leaves the rest of the students to pay out of pocket or take out student loans. Loans allow students to take out money for school and some give the option of paying back the money after they graduate from the university; these lenders can also charge students interest fees. Students need to be aware that the financial responsibilities of their “college experience” can potentially haunt them long after college if they take out a significant amount of loans. With today’s economy, it can even be difficult to find a job out of college, making it impossible to quickly pay off these college loans. Students should strive to make the most of their college experience while keeping in mind their debts for the future.