Student Union
Back Up Plan for Transferring to a 4-Year College: Paolo's Story Part II
My first year as a student at North Hennepin Community College had been a success. I made some great friends, more than kept up academically, and thrived as part of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. When I came back for my second year, though, everything changed.
Second year struggles
At the end of my second year in the U.S., I expected to be completing my time at North Hennepin. My aunt had only agreed to pay for my first two years of college - once I transferred to finish my degree at a university, I was on my own. Unless I managed to get a full scholarship, my dream would be brought to a halt.
On top of that, I had my classes, projects with Phi Theta Kappa, and I was working on campus to earn extra money. I had applied for a work-study position during my first semester, and had been working at the Records and Registration office ever since. I have to admit that I entered a period of tiredness. It felt too much of a burden to bear, and I just wanted to go back home to Peru. I wanted to give up.
Towards the end of the semester, my friends, co-workers, classmates, instructors, advisors, and also family, friends, and other loved ones in Peru were there for me.
One way or another, they made sure I remembered that it’s not only my own dream and hope that were at stake, but also theirs. They have all been supporting me since they have always believed in me and wished for my success. I dove into a whole new country on my own to chase my life goal, and they were cheering me on. If there is one thing I hate, my biggest fear, is to let someone down. And I will never let them, or myself, down.
[Inspirational stories to get you through hard times]
Refocused, I detached myself from all my groups and college activities, devoting my attention to clinching a transfer scholarship big enough to allow me to finish my degree.
The path forward
Taking advantage of Phi Theta Kappa’s member-exclusive college search site, I selected a few colleges that offered transfer scholarships in states where I had family or friends nearby. Unfortunately, there were no available schools in Minnesota, so I looked for colleges in Florida and Texas. Additionally, my EducationUSA advisor suggested applying to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
To broaden my chances, I decided I would go for other types of engineering, like mechanical or electrical engineering. I knew I could eventually obtain my Master’s degree in aerospace once I had the chance to settle some more and get a better chance of financing such education.
Sadly, MIT did not let me in, but I was admitted into the Florida Institute of Technology and St. Mary’s University in Texas. Both gave me the same amount of financial aid ($13,000 per year, a transfer scholarship exclusive to Phi Theta Kappa members), but FIT’s tuition is about twice as much, so I set about the task of finding how to cover the missing $10,000 per year that I would still need to attend St. Mary’s.
I also formulated a backup plan. Before the semester ended, I applied for a scholarship at my community college, and if I got one, I would stay another year and finish the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, which is a package of general education requirements that all colleges and universities in the state accept. According to my advisors here, this will give me greater transferring opportunities, even if I don’t stay in Minnesota, and will save me having to take those courses once I transfer.
The last week of July, North Hennepin contacted me and informed me I had obtained a scholarship, and that I got the highest scholarship amount I was eligible for. That settled my future.
I already paid the tuition deposit for St. Mary’s, but fortunately my admission and scholarship can be postponed until Fall 2013.
As I finish this essay, I have completed 60 college-level credits with a 4.0 GPA. I will spend the next year fulfilling the general education requirements I need in order to get my Associate of Arts degree (an AA degree is usually 60 credits, but I took mostly math and physics courses, so I still need to meet the other course requirements). I’ve been here for exactly two years, and my adventure has just begun. I’ve had my ups and downs, met amazing people, and had the chance to reach for opportunities that I would have never known existed had I stayed home, or had I decided to attend a four-year college, mainly because four-year colleges were too far for me to fetch.
I feel like I’m scaling this wall of life, and instead of jumping from rock to rock, I take small steps and climb little by little. Reaching your dreams is not so much about taking huge leaps and bounds, but more about the commitment, determination, courage, and faith one has that truly improves a person’s life. And that has been my real education.
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FAFSA Delays Prompt California to Extend Deadline for Financial Aid Applications
The California Legislature on Thursday voted to give prospective college students more time to apply for two of the state's largest financial aid programs after a glitch in the federal government's application system threatened to block up to 100,000 people from getting help.
California had already extended the deadline for its financial aid programs from March 2 to April 2. On Thursday, the state Senate gave final approval to a bill that would extend it again until May 2. The bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom.
"Clearly, our students need our help," Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, a Democrat from Riverside who authored the bill, told lawmakers during a public hearing earlier this week.
California has multiple programs to help people pay for college. The biggest is the Cal Grant program, which gives money to people who meet certain income requirements. The state also has a Middle Class Scholarship for people with slightly higher incomes.
Students can apply for these state aid programs only if they first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA.
This year, a computer glitch prevented parents from filling out the form if they did not have a Social Security number. That meant many students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents but whose parents are not were blocked from completing the form and thus could not apply for California's aid programs.
California has a large population of adults who are living in the country without legal permission. The California Student Aid Commission, the state agency in charge of California's financial aid programs, estimates as many as 100,000 students could be affected by this glitch.
The U.S. Department of Education says it fixed the problem last week, but those families are now a step behind. Democrats in Congress raised alarms last month, noting that the delay could particularly hurt students in states where financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, including Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon and Texas.
Advocates fear that the chaos of this year's process could deter students from going to college at all, especially those for whom finances are a key part of the decision.
The computer glitch is just one part of larger problems affecting FAFSA.
The notoriously time-consuming form was overhauled in 2020 through a bipartisan bill in Congress. It promised to simplify the form, going from 100 questions to fewer than 40, and it also changed the underlying formula for student aid, promising to expand it to more low-income students.
But the update has been marred by delays, leaving families across the country in limbo as they figure out how much college will cost.
The form is typically available to fill out in October, but the Education Department didn't have it ready until late December. Even then, the agency wasn't ready to begin processing the forms and sending them to states and colleges, which only started to happen this month.
The problems appear to have already reduced California's application numbers. Through March 8, the number of California students who had completed FAFSA was 43% lower than it was at the same time last year.
"The data most concerning me seems to suggest that these drops are more acute at the schools that serve low-income students or large populations of students of color," Jake Brymner, deputy chief of policy and public affairs for the California Student Aid Commission, told lawmakers in a public hearing earlier this week.
The issue has caused problems for colleges and universities, too. The University of California and California State University systems both delayed their admissions deadlines because so many prospective students were having trouble with FAFSA.