Though there are hundreds of students recieving financial aid each year, the truth is that the amount that many students get is simply not enough.

The cost of living today has sky rocketed in the last couple of decades. It is nearly impossible to live on your own while making minimum wage.

College students, nationwide, are struggling and penny pinching just to get by.

Some students drop out of school just because of the fact that they can’t afford to spend time studying rather than working.

Lisa Barnhart, philosophy major, says, “There are times were I need to take semesters off just so I can work a second job to get my self out of a financial crisis.”

Financial aid does provide some relief, but in particular cases, some students need more help from the government to be able to continue with their studies.

Financial aid is awarded to students based on the total of their parents tax claims, or their taxes, depending on whether a student is dependent or independent.

But taxes don’t let the government know the situations of the students or what all their financial records show and pertain.

Jeff Cohan, a dependant student, says that financial aid does not provide students with enough money.

He himself wants to go to school full time, but he has to work a lot of hours so that he can help his mom support his two brothers and little sister.

“I tried to going to school full time but financial aid did not provide 30% percent of what I needed financially.”

For an example, if a student makes $15,000 a year and the government only awards that student the same amount of money, how is that student supposed to go to school and support himself and make it for a number of years and still attend school?

It is always read that billions of dollars go unclaimed each year. That money should go to the students that are enrolled in school already.

Money that is unclaimed is very valuable, and it needs to be used.

If studies have shown that there are large sums of money unclaimed each year, then the government should give more of that money to the students that are currently receiving financial aid.

Terrisa Warres, law major, says that financial aid has helped her a little but not enough.

She says she can barely even make it and that times are tough for her.

Jesus Gonzalez, medical major, feels that financial aid does not provide students with enough money to make it in this high priced ecomony.

He said that, even though he receives some financial aid, “I need more help from the government”

School is not cheap to attend based on the simple fact that time is money.

The money that the government has is our tax paying money, and I believe that school is important and that our taxes should come back to us through financial aid.

But in order to attend school and live in today’s society students need more help.