Why is it so hard to explain that money should not be a factor in making a college decision?

Question

it frustrates me terribly living in this house full of worries about money issues. i understand its expensive to go to the college i want to go to. and i understand that i will have to live up to my debts after graduation. but im so irritated hearing my own family say "why dont you just go to a community college" and so frustrating for them to NOT understand that money SHOULD'NT be an issue for education. im 18 and im stressed out and this should be my problem, and i should have their support, but coming from a dif culture, its so hard. and im on the border line of bursting into pieces. ;( its so hard to explain to them that i will be fine. ill take out the loans & ill work hard and deal with it when im done. and that everyone goes thru this. i hate this. i hate this so much, don't you ?

Answer 1

I think its because they have been through it, and they know how hard it can be to pay off school loans after its all over. I know this probably isn't the answer you were hoping for, but in all reality you CAN (not always) but can get just as good of an education going to a community college first and then transferring to a 4 year school to finish up. This takes away from the whole experience of college and isn't really something people do unless they don't have the money or can't get into a 4 year school.  The fact is that when you graduate and have to start paying your bills you may not be making a whole lot of money right off (depending on what you go for) and on top of those college bills you will have rent,cellphone, car, car insurance, heat, water, etc, etc etc and it makes a big big difference.   That's why people are concerned i am sure.  I am not saying community college is the answer, but the thing Is there are a lot of schools that you can get the exact same job at when all is said and done, where one school will be twice as much as the other. Its just something to take into consideration. Tell your family why you want to go to the school you are choosing, what you like that it offers, and make sure you check out all that is available.  Money shouldn't keep you from going to school, no but it certainly is a factor.  

Answer 2

Hang in there. If you're the first member of your family who is pursuing a college degree then it's a natural reaction that they couldn't understand why you are pursuing a college education when they're probably satisfied now with their careers or jobs without obtaining a college degree. What you can do is study hard and finish what you started. Show them that it is not a wasted struggle to get a degree. Though college education doesn't necessarily guarantee success in life, it will pave way to a lot of opportunities to be successful in your chosen career.

Answer 3

you sound just like I did this time last year, before my school raised the cost of tuition and made policy changes that forced me to have a $2,000+ meal plan when that wasn't what I'd agreed to, before I applied for loans and was denied and couldn't get any extra aid from my school or any other source and was forced to withdraw for an unknown amount of time because I can't afford to return this semester.

Answer 4

money is always an issue when doing anything, especially going to college.  many students end up with student loans they cannot pay or struggle to pay because they can't make enough with their degree.  instead of disagreeing with your parents, try to understand their feelings, they are worried about you being in debt.  they are worried about your future.  you don't seem to have a solid plan for how you will pay off the debt "i'll deal with it when im done" is what you say.  show them a more solid plan and maybe they can understand.  money SHOULD be an issue for education and you need to have a solid plan for how you will do it.  but also listen to their feelings about you.  they care about you and let them know you understand that.

Answer 5

I understand how hard it is to think that family should be on your side not against you. It just doesn't seem fair does it? But think about this. You go straight to a four year school maybe even have to be there five depending on what your major is. With the way tuitionn keeps going up every year lets say you come out in four years with 40,000 dollars in debt (student loans) and who knows at what interest rate. Do not forget even in deferment your loans are racking up that interest rate. Now depending on what you get your degree in you might not find a job right out of school. It might be a year or so before you get an entry level job in your degree field. Even if you do get a job in your field most jobs will be entry level and don't pay that well. So now not only do you have living expenses but also you have that huge student loan debt. If you went to a two year college first your debt would be small compared to a four year university. You could probably try to get pell grants and scholarships to pay for that because of how low the cost would be to go to a community college. When you are ready to transferr to a 4 year institution you will only have two years left to get that degree so your debt there should be minimal.

Just remember sometimes that job is elusive coming out of college unless you go into something that is in high demand of needing bodies to fill positions. Either way the ultimate decision is yours to make after all you will be the one getting the degree. Good luck to you!

Answer 6

Sorry it's so frustrating. Your family will come to terms with whatever decision you make, eventually. By the way, everyone in my family got their general education classes out of the way in community colleges, then transferred to universities for their "real" degrees. It does make more financial sense to do it that way and they're just as successful in their careers now as they would have been otherwise.

Answer 7

Yes, my dad is the same way. I have the ability to get into any school and he doesn't even want me to try because they're all out of his price range. If he could have it his way I'd be going to community college, or none at all! Whatever you do, don't let it stop you from going where you want because you don't want to look back and regret it just because of your parents unfortunate mistakes!

Answer 8

I know what you mean. I got accepted to an Ivy League college but couldn't attend it because I wasn't smart enough to get a scholarship there...haha. Instead, I had to go to a university in a lower tier because it gave me full scholasrship. I do pretty well now, but often wonder how different life would be had I gone to my first choice. Oh well....

Whatever you decide, don't go to a community college! I'm not trying to be condescending, but the quality of education and its payoff....

Answer 9

u should definetely go to the college u want, not community college. ull m ake more money if u go to a real unversity  

Answer 10

The college financial aid system is designed to assist you based on your need.  Apply using the FASFA form under title IV of the Higher education Act, revised.

Answer 11

But money is a factor in deciding on a college! Its not the only factor but it is a serious one. Apply to different schools (dream BIG) and wait for the financial aid package to come through and that will help make you decision (dream SMART). Your family worries because of the growing legions of college graduates suffering from extreme debt. The cost of getting a bachelor is surpassing the benefits you should recieve upon graduating. It is still better than a high school degree but you need to keep in mind how much debt you can accrue while also chasing your additional education (masters, doctorates, etc). I come from a large Mexican family and I was the first in my family to get a degree. We had a lot of conflicting ideas on how to support my dreams but I see now that their concern over money and moving far was for my benefit. It was their way of saying they cared for me.  

And don't always listen to the stories about how an Ivy League college can get you more opportunities and better jobs. This may be somewhat true for certain majors but it depends on what you want to study. A college degree is a college degree is a college degree. Case in point- I was offered partial funding to go to a prestigious school far away from my family but that meant I would have to take out a serious loan for just one year ($20,000) and it was not guaranteed that the government would meet my entire need.  I was jealous of some of the friends I had in school who did not have to worry about this like I did. Instead I took another look at the schools that offered me a better financial aid package with no loans and went to the state university. When comparing our classes it  turned out we took the exact same classes with the almost the exact same jerky teaching assistants. And then after a year I switched my major into a different field and found out the state university had a top ranking program for that major.  I worry about how I will pay off these loans now because its starting to add up but it makes me feel a little better to know those same friends who went off to my first choice college are not only struggling to find a job but had to move back home to get help with those loans.

Answer 12

They are just looking out for you.

It;s hard paying for college, they know that...they probably assume you want help from them too.

Anyway they are just trying to help... it's your decision though so stick with it.

Side note.... check out Army ROTC.... free college! email me with questions.