By Matt DeBlass
Covering the cost of even a community college education gets harder as life gets more expensive and, of course, students complain when tuition rises. But, according to the RVCC financial aid office, those same students are letting opportunities for grants and scholarships slip through their fingers.
Evelynne Blatt, RVCC director of financial aid, says many students simply “aren’t going through the effort” of filling out forms or submitting essays for scholarships that would help with tuition, books and maybe even living expenses. She says many students look at scholarship applications and say, “I’m not going through all that work.”
The end result is that, while students struggle to pay tuition bills, thousands of dollars in financial aid go unclaimed every year.
“There are a lot of scholarships that are very specific,” Ms. Blatt says, and not all students are eligible for all of them. But almost all students can get some form of help.
The process may seem complicated, but the Financial Aid Office exists to help match students to aid. It sends out emails and may even call students to inform them of scholarships for which they may be eligible. Still, students have to make an effort.
“I’ll walk you through the process,” said Ms. Blatt, “but I’m not going to bring you home, go through your stuff and make sure you and your parents get together everything you need.”
Scholarships, in particular, often go untapped. RVCC has more than 30 scholarships listed on their website, and even more are available from outside sources. Many apply to specific programs, such as nursing, science or law enforcement, but some are based on academic achievement or financial need.
Some scholarships are endowed by private individuals with RVCC connections. Others come from successful RVCC alumni who want to give future generations the same opportunity that they had. Some are created in memory of a loved one and go to benefit a student who has something in common with the deceased. Still others are simply acts of philanthropy.
Donors like to see the beneficiaries do well. When a scholarship makes a difference, they will sometimes give more or encourage others to do donate. That benefits the students and the college. But many students are discouraged by some scholarship requirements, such as community service, or writing an essay — typically fewer than 500 words, shorter than this article.
If state aid to community colleges decrease, or fail to increase with inflation (both of which have happened in the recent past) more of RVCC’s operating budget must come from tuition. Whatever happens, the cost of going to school won’t be going down in the foreseeable future and getting financial aid may make or break a student’s chance for a college education.
But it’s up to the student to take the first step. “I hear a lot and see a lot of articles where students complain (about the cost of tuition),” Ms. Blatt says, “but I don’t recognize the names of many financial aid applicants.”
Where to start:
The first step in almost all cases is for the student to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA can be filled out on paper or online. The financial aid office uses the FAFSA to determine how much aid a student may receive. Many students can receive federal grants that cover some, if not all, of the cost of an RVCC education. Students can also apply for student loans or for scholarships that, like grants, do not need to be repaid.
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