|
Gas prices, financial aid burden students |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 14 October 2008 |
|
by
JAMES PUFER
Intern
Online News Reporter
As big
businesses like Wachovia and AIG are bought out and the price of oil only goes
up, the economy is starting to affect everyone, including students at
Appalachian State University.
Gas is
a widely used commodity, and both upper and lower-classmen have felt the crunch
from oil prices.
“Fifty
dollars a tank adds up fast,” Jack D. Foley, freshman history major said.
With
gas in demand in the High Country and oil prices rising, it doesn’t look like
relief is coming soon.
Off-campus
housing is an option most students take advantage of after their freshman year,
and the recent mortgage crisis has driven rent cost up for many Appalachian
students.
The
United States Census shows the median rental cost is up from $523 in 2000 to
$548 today, and students, along with the bureau are noticing the rising rental
prices.
David
T. McMillan, junior exercise science major has been living in the same
apartment for two years, and has seen the effects of the housing crisis.
“My
rent has gone up just from last year…it costs me $25 more per month, and it’s
just to cover for the rental company’s mortgage,” he said.
According
to Appalachian’s yearly tuition and fees report, the cost of tuition has nearly
doubled, from $5,085.00 in 1998-99, to the $9,606.00 at which it is currently.
This
figure includes on-campus housing and the basic university meal plan.
Tuition
certainly isn’t cheap, and students have to find ways to combat the cost.
An
average of 61 percent of students receive some form of financial aid, with the
number of students receiving aid up 30 percent since 2001-02, according to the
Office of Student Financial Aid.
Many
schools across the country have been increasing financial aid to compensate for
the rising tuition cost and changing economic environment, and Appalachian has
been following trend.
Lori
Townsend, associate director of the office of financial aid said, “The Appalachian office of student financial aid
annually reviews and adjusts the costs of attendance based on documented
increases in cost of attendance components.”
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments