Affording college in a tough economy

College tuition is increasing across the state due to rising budgets cuts and a poor economy.

With many parents losing their jobs and going back to school to re-career, it seem like their children would have a harder time affording college, but that is not the case.

"I hear many students say they are going back to school with a parent, but not really anything about not being able to go to college because their parents are re-careering," said Shawn Martinez, a counselor for West Valley High School.

While parents and students are finding a way to afford college, universities are having to cut enrollment and programs due to the current economy and state financial crisis.

The California State University system will only be accepting Fall 2010 enrollment through their website www.csumentor.edu, due to state budget cuts, and many will not be accepting Spring 2010 enrollment in an effort save money.

The priority deadline to apply to a CSU is Nov. 30 and for many of the universities, it is the only opportunity seniors will have to apply for the Fall 2010 semester.

According to CSU Office of the Chancellor, 4,000 students were cut for the 2009 fall semester, and they are expecting to reduce another 6,000 students by the 2010 spring semester. The CSU system is expecting to drop enrollment by 40,000 students over the course of the next two years to compensate for budget cuts.

Tuition is increasing across California colleges, making it difficult to afford college. Many parents have taken it upon themselves to go to seminars like Cash for College and Beyond High School to educate themselves on where to look for scholarship opportunities and how to make college affordable.

"Parents want to know as much as they can. We tell them that 90 percent of jobs require a post-secondary degree," said Martinez. He went on to say that the 10 percent of jobs not requiring a post-secondary degree are not jobs students can support a family with or have a real future doing.

According to Robin Darcangelo, a financial aid specialist at Shasta College, a key form high school seniors need to fill out is the FAFSA (Free Application for Free Student Financial Aid). The priority deadline to file is March 2, and through this application students are eligible for not only grants through the federal government and state of California, but colleges also use the form to determine other scholarships and grants the students are eligible for.

Another great tool for students looking for extra cash to help with the cost of college is http://www.Fastweb.com. This free website helps students find scholarships they are eligible for, then tells students what the requirements for the scholarships are, the amount being awarded, and the deadline to apply.

The counseling office through the high school is another great resource said Darcangelo, they have many scholarship opportunities for different colleges students may be interested in attending or have been accepted to. Students should check with their counselor often to see if any new scholarship opportunities are available to them.

For more information about the FASFSA or to apply online go to the government's website http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.