Northwestern purple spills from the windows of Beck’s Book Store in downtown Evanston. Racks of t-shirts and collegiate wear clutter the walls of Norris Bookstore. There is no mistaking which college is nearby with all the Wildcat paraphernalia on display in our swanky suburb. During the week of freshman move-in, flocks of eager students and their parents stock up on Northwestern gear. It’s a sign of pride, a symbol of achievement and ownership. I got in! This is my school.
Attending Northwestern was Weinberg freshman Marina Mason’s dream. Reclined in the corner of a sofa in Tech, Mason seems initially reserved, unconsciously playing with a loose wave of her morel strands. The St. Louis native eventually mentions how thrilled she is to have been accepted into her number one college, and her mannerisms loosen up as she offers a smile. But for someone as passionate about her school as Mason is, there is an item of clothing missing from her closet.
“I really want a Northwestern hoodie,” she says. “But I just can’t afford it right now.”
Mason has to pay for all of college by herself, without parental support. And for this school year 2009-2010, Northwestern’s annual tuition and fees alone cost $38,461. With room and board sitting at $11,703 and books and personal expenses totaling around $4,000, splurging on a $40 sweatshirt isn’t about restraint—it’s simply impossible.
Today, more than half of all college students have a job, according to the U.S. Department of Education. With the financial burden of college affecting rising numbers of students across the nation, working to pay for eduction is becoming more of a requirement. But financial strain aside, what do the students who are shouldering these hefty payments go through?
For the 2008-2009 academic year, Northwestern gave out $78 million of its own funds for student assistance. Of the 2,078 full-time freshmen enrolled in Northwestern this fall, 1,095 applied for need-based financial aid. Mason qualifies as one of the 841 students judged to have need.
“The school covers my full tuition and part of my room and board,” Mason says. “I only need to come up with about $9,000 a year and I have work study and loans.”
But Mason is no stranger to juggling long hours at multiple jobs. She started working at the age of 15, listing Best Buy, McDonald’s and Avenue clothing store among her employers. As a freshman, her schedule is already packed. She’ll be working as a teacher’s assistant in the America Reads program at Lincolnwood Elementary School in Evanston as her work study position. “I’m also in marching band,” she says. “I play the flute, and we have practice practically every day. I’m actually about to head to practice soon.”
Mason doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t paying for her own things. And because she’s always saving up for a goal, she tends to be a budget shopper. But she asserts that it doesn’t make her feel inferior. In fact, she feels more appreciative of what she has–including her time at Northwestern.
“When I finally buy something I’ve saved up for, I feel really proud,” Mason says. “I think: I totally own this. I have finally aced this!”
Megan Dunham feels the same grateful ownership over her education.
“I take better advantage of my time and the resources offered to me at Northwestern,” says the McCormick junior. “I just appreciate being at this school more.”
Dunham appears gracious and warm, perched on the edge of her chair in her sorority’s kitchen. She cradles a steaming cup of liquid, and though outwardly serene, she’s got a lot on her mind. Her parents told her that if she wanted to attend Northwestern, she would have to pay for her last two years herself.
“I just took out a $40,000 Sallie Mae loan last week,” says Dunham, glancing sourly down into her mug of hot chocolate. “It was really the worst day of my life.”
Sallie Mae is the largest college student loan company in the United States. The student private loan requires a $110 interest payment every month during school, but even these monthly interest bills are financially straining for Dunham, who doesn’t even qualify for work study.
“It’s really frustrating not getting work study,” she says. “I understand Northwestern’s financial aid has certain cut-offs but they are looking at my parents’ salaries. I’m only making $6,000 a year and I’m going to have to pay $50,000!”
Northwestern determines financial aid by looking at both the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). According to Northwestern University Office of Undergraduate Admission, the amount of financial aid offered is the difference between Northwestern’s sticker price and the amount that parents can contribute.
The oldest of three children, Dunham understands why she has to pay for college herself. Although she considers her family to be well-off, covering 12 consecutive years of college tuition changes the story. So, to make ends meet during the school year, Dunham spent her past summer working two jobs, putting in 60 hour weeks.
“I worked my ass off this entire summer,” Dunham says. “I worked at a pizza joint, and I was doing manual labor at a sewage plant.”
Summers in sewage aren’t her only sacrifice, though. One of her biggest regrets is that she won’t be studying abroad because her chemical engineering schedule leaves only her summer quarters free, during which she needs to work to save up for the school year.
“If my parents could really afford to help me out, they would. In the meantime, it’s on me.”
Most Northwestern students don’t bear the brunt of their college finances. “I feel like I’m one of the few people who is paying for college myself,” says Dunham with just a slight tinge of bitterness. “There are a lot of really wealthy people here at Northwestern.”
Stephen Chao is a Weinberg junior studying biology. Having attended private school in California his entire life, Chao correctly assumed that his parents would continue to pay for college.
“My parents pay full tuition and they paid my older sister’s full tuition too,” Chao says simply. “When I was deciding on which school to go to, my parents told me that money shouldn’t be a factor in my decision. I know that my parents will pay for med school also.” Free of financial stresses, he spends summers seeking research opportunities on campus.
And while Chao spends his hours in the laboratory, other students work grittier jobs.
McCormick senior John Marrone is a dispatcher for SafeRide, Northwestern’s safety transportation service which is available seven days a week during the academic year when classes are in session. He works most days of the week and his work hours usually run from 8 pm to 2:30 am.
“It gets a little tiring,” he says. “And it probably interferes with school a little bit too, but I gotta do it so I do. It’s either that or not go here, which I was so blessed to be able to do in the first place.”
Krishan K. Batra, M.D., a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, says it’s a challenge to balance work and study. “If overworked and overstressed, you don’t get enough time for relaxation and socialization. This will deprive you of some growth.”
“Working definitely has its drawbacks, like less time for social events, schoolwork and less of a chance to join extracurricular clubs,” Marrone says. He occasionally skips some of his morning classes because he is too tired from work.
“But it definitely puts the value of a great school’s education more into perspective,” Marrone says. “I think most students take it for granted.”
Chao has a hard time fathoming the lifestyle of juggling both work and school. He feels lucky that his parents are funding all of his academic pursuits.
“I imagine that most parents would pay a portion of their kid’s college if they could,” Chao speculates. “It just seems astounding to fund your way through a private school. If I were to be on my own right now, I’m certain that I’d need to change the way I live drastically.”
But there is something to be said about full ownership rights; more than just getting in to Northwestern, more than just graduating. It’s about earning your degree and your college experience twice over: working for the grades, AND working for the tuition bills.
“Those who struggle to make it learn the hardships of life,” Batra says. “They have robustness, greater self reliance and higher self-esteem. Psychologically and mentally they may have the strength to achieve it all.”