I have private loans and some scholarships that I receive. Mainly, I’ve struggled with keeping up with my bills. The only real struggle right now is my car insurance. It goes up as I get older, as a man. My scholarships cover textbook costs, although sometimes I have to spend extra to get online software. So, I have to pay out of pocket for that — usually like $40.

When I was in community college, my car broke down on my way to school and I had to pay $6,000 out of pocket to get my transmission fixed. It kind of broke me. It just stressed me out all the time because I had to work so hard to afford that while going to school.

I am a veteran who served in the United States Air Force for 4 years active duty and 1 year Air National Guard for New Jersey. With the completion of my contract, I received funding for education through the 9/11 GI Bill. This bill pays for 48 months of school, including tuition and part of my cost of living.  I pay for my monthly metrocard, New Jersey transit monthly pass, textbooks, food and rent out of pocket.

Because my textbooks are all at least $200 each, I’ve chosen not to buy any of them this semester.  I just go to library.  If I want to do any reading or studying I have to go to the library and can’t take the book home.   As for the rest of these costs, if they were covered I could use the money I make toward investing in my future career instead of just getting by month to month.  I’ve started a record label but I can’t invest in it the way that I want.  This is stalling my career aspirations.  I really want this microphone that Michael Jackson used in all of his records and that one of my favorite rappers, Logic, is using.  But it’s $400 — which is the price of my metrocard and NJ transit monthly tickets combined.  I’m also trying to buy a house, which would be expedited if I didn’t have all of these costs.

My name is Carola and I’m a foreign student studying at Pratt from Australia. Being thousands of kilometers away means that I have to sustain myself here.  College affordability for me means having enough money to be flexible and make the most of my experience living in New York. Most importantly this means being able to deal with unexpected expenses such as losing an important item, getting sick or taking a cab home when it does not feel safe to catch the public transport. With the cost of art supplies, textbooks and the basic cost of living so high it can feel like you have very little flexibility and even the smaller expenses can easily lead to a lot of anxiety about being able to make ends meet.

I’m currently a senior attending Queens College full-time. I’m currently working toward my second degree on the pre-law track. My first degree was from Hofstra University in Biology.  I work and study very hard to maintain my good grades and recently it’s becoming more and more difficult.

Because I don’t receive any financial aid, I have to work to pay my tuition out of pocket. I work 60+ hours every week as a medical technician to be able to pay my tuition and purchase necessary textbooks for classes that cost anywhere from $500-$1,000. If the state removes the tuition freeze and encourages CUNY to increase tuition to cover costs, instead of providing adequate state funding, it will only make it more difficult for me to pay for my education. I do not want another tuition hike, and am looking forward to the day when CUNY is once again affordable.

I mainly pay for college through loans and I have a grant through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). I’ll eventually be struggling to pay back my loans in the future. I always avoid buying textbooks.

I’ve also worked part-time on campus and those jobs haven’t interfered with my studies. I’ve been able to do my homework at those jobs. I wouldn’t be able to go to college without EOP. EOP grants don’t just help you out with money. They help you with actually getting into college, too. It has its own orientation, pretty much. So, they’re the ones that have accepted me, not necessarily the school.