2008 Woodie Awards
Financing College: Final of 3 parts
Financial aid transition: Four-year university costs increase student need for aid
Amy Lake
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: The Weekly
When students finish their associate degrees at Amarillo College and want to continue their education, they attend four-year universities.
Increases in tuition at West Texas A&M University may cause tighter financial strains for some students.
Shawna Simmons, a financial aid adviser at WT, said the school offers the same assistance as AC.
A student can apply for FASFA, the Texas Grant, the federal Stafford Loan and other scholarships or private loans.
One advantage WT offers is its emergency loan.
"If a student's financial aid does not come in before the first tuition payment is due, they can apply for an emergency loan," Simmons said.
The loan will cover the first tuition payment, 25 percent of the total tuition cost. According to Simmons, it holds the student until the financial aid is received.
Behnoush Jaberian, a pre-med major at WT, attended AC for two years and upon completion, received her associate degree. She continues her education at WT and hopes to go to medical school.
Jaberian received an emergency loan this semester because her financial aid had not arrived.
She said you can receive up to $1,500 and even apply for the loan up to 10 minutes before the tuition due date.
The loan has to be repaid within three months with no interest in three payments.
"The cost of one semester at WT is pretty much the same as three semesters at AC," Jaberian said.
She has been in the United States since September 2004. Jaberian and her husband traveled to the States from Iran, where she had a professional career.
The federal Pell Grant is the same amount for WT as it was for AC, she said.
Robin Blanchard, director of retail operations at the American Quarter Horse Association, has a daughter at AC and one at WT as well as a daughter still in high school.
Blanchard's oldest daughter attended two years at AC and majored in elementary education.
His second daughter has just started her first year at AC and is undecided on her major.
"Because we did not handle college when they were younger, we adapted more," Blanchard said.
His wife has been teaching for 27 years and is the curriculum specialist at San Jacinto Elementary School.
Blanchard said he believes that because they are considered financially middle class, his girls did not qualify for financial aid.
All three of Blanchard's daughters started working part-time when they were 16 years old. A total of 50 percent of their income was placed in a savings account specifically for college.
When they graduated, each of his oldest daughters had saved more than $4,000.
In their family system, each child must pay for half of the college expenses and Blanchard and his wife pay the other half.
"By having to contribute, it gives them a sense of ownership and gives them additional responsibility and accountability," Blanchard said.
His youngest is a junior at Amarillo High School and has the same goals.
Increases in tuition at West Texas A&M University may cause tighter financial strains for some students.
Shawna Simmons, a financial aid adviser at WT, said the school offers the same assistance as AC.
A student can apply for FASFA, the Texas Grant, the federal Stafford Loan and other scholarships or private loans.
One advantage WT offers is its emergency loan.
"If a student's financial aid does not come in before the first tuition payment is due, they can apply for an emergency loan," Simmons said.
The loan will cover the first tuition payment, 25 percent of the total tuition cost. According to Simmons, it holds the student until the financial aid is received.
Behnoush Jaberian, a pre-med major at WT, attended AC for two years and upon completion, received her associate degree. She continues her education at WT and hopes to go to medical school.
Jaberian received an emergency loan this semester because her financial aid had not arrived.
She said you can receive up to $1,500 and even apply for the loan up to 10 minutes before the tuition due date.
The loan has to be repaid within three months with no interest in three payments.
"The cost of one semester at WT is pretty much the same as three semesters at AC," Jaberian said.
She has been in the United States since September 2004. Jaberian and her husband traveled to the States from Iran, where she had a professional career.
The federal Pell Grant is the same amount for WT as it was for AC, she said.
Robin Blanchard, director of retail operations at the American Quarter Horse Association, has a daughter at AC and one at WT as well as a daughter still in high school.
Blanchard's oldest daughter attended two years at AC and majored in elementary education.
His second daughter has just started her first year at AC and is undecided on her major.
"Because we did not handle college when they were younger, we adapted more," Blanchard said.
His wife has been teaching for 27 years and is the curriculum specialist at San Jacinto Elementary School.
Blanchard said he believes that because they are considered financially middle class, his girls did not qualify for financial aid.
All three of Blanchard's daughters started working part-time when they were 16 years old. A total of 50 percent of their income was placed in a savings account specifically for college.
When they graduated, each of his oldest daughters had saved more than $4,000.
In their family system, each child must pay for half of the college expenses and Blanchard and his wife pay the other half.
"By having to contribute, it gives them a sense of ownership and gives them additional responsibility and accountability," Blanchard said.
His youngest is a junior at Amarillo High School and has the same goals.
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