Students Struggle With Surprise Costs, Don't Know About Help

"Students link trust in higher education to affordability and financial stress to their academic performance. A new round of results from Inside Higher Ed 's Student Voice survey series, out today, delves deeper into the connection between students' finances and their success. One key finding: Most students report some level of surprise with the full cost of attending college, including but not limited to tuition and other directly billable expenses. At least a quarter of students have trouble budgeting as a result."

"In another set of findings, 36 percent of students say that an unexpected expense of $1,000, or even less (see breakdown below), could threaten their ability to stay enrolled. Another 22 percent say the same of an expense between $1,001 and $2,500. This is the kind of need that many emergency aid programs are designed for, but 64 percent of respondents don't even know if their institution offers such assistance."

"Mordecai Ian Brownlee, president of Community College of Aurora in Colorado, is walking 71 miles over three days next month to raise awareness of his own college's emergency fund-specifically, to get community members to match a $71,000 donation. The fund started at just $8,000 during the pandemic, Brownlee said, but the college's students frequently face unanticipated medical, utility, transportation and other costs. Without a way to bridge those gaps, their persistence is at risk."

Most students experience surprise at the full cost of college, including non-tuition expenses, and at least a quarter report budgeting difficulties as a result. Thirty-six percent say an unexpected expense of $1,000 or less could jeopardize their enrollment, and 22 percent cite $1,001–$2,500 as similarly threatening. Emergency aid is designed for these gaps, yet 64 percent of students do not know if their institution offers such assistance. Community College of Aurora exemplifies local responses: a fundraising campaign to expand an emergency fund, multiple assistance forms, staff outreach, advisor case management, and community food partnerships.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs