Middle-income students are in a bind whether they should continue their higher studies or just quit and look for jobs. The cause of this dilemma? They don't know if they are qualified for financial aid or not.
A good score of middle-income students have been going through tough times in college, according to The Christian Science Monitor. A great number of them hold two jobs and they often struggle choosing between paying for food and paying the bills -- the most basic of needs. This is happening because of the mindset that they are too poor to write a check but too rich to qualify for financial aid.
According to experts, middle-income students think this way because of the divestiture that has been happening for many years in the public higher education. As a result of these divestments, students and families have carried huge financial burdens. Even if students are able to get help for tuition and other needs, such as housing, food and transportation, they still remain sources of their financial anxiety.
There are universities, for example the California State University, Fullerton, that offer new scholarships designed for middle-income students yet these are not enough. This issue becomes even greater with the election of Donal Trump into office because education seemed not to be his top priority. If indeed Trump will put education in the backseat, many students who rely heavily on federal funding for education will greatly suffer.
Kelsey Brewer, a student who just graduated this year from CSU, Fullerton and was also a recipient of this federal support, said that Trump might not have this clear-cut plan for education but students still have a choice to take over their future. She added that students should acknowledge that they have the power and that the future of the economy is in their hands.
