As an out-of-state student, I’m one of the few and far between at SUNY Cortland. I’m a student-athlete and attend Cortland with my brother, effectually doubling the financial burden on our family. Going to school with my brother has been a great experience, however it has definitely been harder for my family to get by. I know the importance of a college degree and have worked countless hours over the summer and winter breaks to save enough money to cover the cost-of-living expenses as an off-campus resident. On top of working long hours, my brother and I have taken on a substantial amount of student loans to cover the sky-rocketing tuition and related academic costs at SUNY Cortland.

I currently am an intern with the Marketing Department on-campus, an All-American Red Dragon football player, and a full-time student with the accompanying course load. Should I also have the added worry about covering the costs of higher education? Most would agree that I shouldn’t. I have had such a great experience here at Cortland as a student-athlete and a communications major. I would hate to see this opportunity that I’ve been given made more exclusive through increasing tuition and costs. That would be a shame.