Money Over Passions
Throughout my time at Yale, my family and I have received financial aid to cover about 70% of the cost of attendance. I chose to come to Yale in large part because of that generosity.
As a freshman, I was slow to find a student job and work adequate hours at that job, as I adjusted to the academic rigor and unfamiliar prep school culture of Yale. The summer after my freshman year, I decided to take an internship in New Orleans focused on food justice, because I was deeply interested in the political issues of the city. That following fall semester, I took out my first student loan, to make up for a summer in which I had earned nothing. Since then, I have taken two more loans because my parents could not afford a greater financial burden they then the one they already bear. While I will not be saddled with the same amount of debt as my peers at other colleges, the loans were not part of the package that Yale marketed to me. It turns out that first financial aid letter was a little too good to be true.
The summer after my sophomore year, I sought out fulltime paying work in order to meet the expected summer earnings requirement. In doing so, I dropped out of the application process for an environmental organizing fellowship that promised to develop my skills for work to which I want to commit in the long-term. While I still had a formative summer experience, I still remember the way I was forced to choose money over passion.
When it comes to managing tuition payments and loans as well as corresponding with the financial aid office, I have heavily depended upon my father. I recognize the privilege of having a college-educated, financially literate parent to support me. My parents may have few ‘assets’ or inherited wealth, but their high educational achievement is built on white privilege and economic privilege.
As a freshman, I was slow to find a student job and work adequate hours at that job, as I adjusted to the academic rigor and unfamiliar prep school culture of Yale. The summer after my freshman year, I decided to take an internship in New Orleans focused on food justice, because I was deeply interested in the political issues of the city. That following fall semester, I took out my first student loan, to make up for a summer in which I had earned nothing. Since then, I have taken two more loans because my parents could not afford a greater financial burden they then the one they already bear. While I will not be saddled with the same amount of debt as my peers at other colleges, the loans were not part of the package that Yale marketed to me. It turns out that first financial aid letter was a little too good to be true.
The summer after my sophomore year, I sought out fulltime paying work in order to meet the expected summer earnings requirement. In doing so, I dropped out of the application process for an environmental organizing fellowship that promised to develop my skills for work to which I want to commit in the long-term. While I still had a formative summer experience, I still remember the way I was forced to choose money over passion.
When it comes to managing tuition payments and loans as well as corresponding with the financial aid office, I have heavily depended upon my father. I recognize the privilege of having a college-educated, financially literate parent to support me. My parents may have few ‘assets’ or inherited wealth, but their high educational achievement is built on white privilege and economic privilege.
