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The Great Financial Aid Misconception
The Great Financial Aid Misconception
By Eileen Fenn '02"I'm from Connecticut," I said over and over that humid afternoon
in late August. It was my first day at St. Lawrence University, and fellow members of my first-year college wandered in and out of my room as my roommate and I unpacked. Having lived in Connecticut my entire life, I was largely unprepared for what my statement immediately led those from other states to assume about me."So, is that your Saab in the parking lot then?" asked one neighbor after he learned where I was from.
"No, I don't have a car," I laughed.
"Really?" he asked. "Not even a Volvo?"
"Maybe if I saved up and bought myself a used one," I said from behind a pile of sweaters.
"Oh come on! You're from Connecticut!"
I suppose that at first glance I seemed like the typical St. Lawrence student of yesteryear. I am a white New Englander, and I'd just graduated from The Taft School in Watertown, Conn., one of the most prestigious prep schools in the Northeast. I knew little about financing an education as a high school senior, only that a reason I was able to go to Taft was because they gave me financial aid. Likewise, one of the reasons that I came to
St. Lawrence was for the financial aid package I was offered. In fact, in receiving financial aid I am among the majority of St. Lawrence students, regardless of where they come from (see box at right).There may be an archaic, preconceived idea that all St. Lawrence students are wealthy, but that has not been my experience at all. Although there are plenty of people who don't need to hold down a campus job and who have their Spring Break vacations funded by their parents, a lot of students here have to budget to pay for their books every semester, too. The economic status of students varies as widely as our interests here.
I often bristle at the "Larry" stereotype - that St. Lawrence is largely populated by wealthy, unmotivated students who are here to party for four years - because overwhelmingly that is not what I found. Of course there are students who can look forward to a jaunt around Europe after they graduate, but there are plenty who hope to find a job immediately so they can begin paying off their student loans.
Likewise, I don't think that economic disparities generally prevent St. Lawrence students from forming friendships. I have friends who pay full tuition and some who get full aid. I had to budget my savings and work every summer, although not all of my friends did. I couldn't go out to dinner twice a week, and would usually choose to see a movie free on campus over paying to see one in town. I don't have a car, so I often had to ask friends for rides or sometimes take a bus home for vacations. Often, one of my parents would make the drive up to get me. Ultimately, if I wanted to pay my phone bill I had to prioritize how I spent my paychecks. It was sometimes frustrating to see people around me be frivolous and carefree about spending, but I realize that in life there is always going to be someone with more money than I. On the flip side, there will also be people who are really battling to get by financially and are far worse off than I. I more often felt blessed rather than uncomfortable simply because I was a scholarship student.
Receiving a scholarship from St. Lawrence made me realize how incredibly fortunate I was. Even though I needed financial aid in order to attend St. Lawrence, I know four years ago that I would eventually attend a college, if not here, then somewhere else. I met people from small towns, big cities and even quite a few from Connecticut who received aid. My need always seemed marginal when compared to that of some first-generation college students I knew; in fact, it paled in comparison. In four years I gained immeasurable perspective on the sacrifices different families and individuals make in order to afford a college education. Appearances can be deceiving. I'm not sure if there is a "typical" St. Lawrence student anymore.
A Phi Beta Kappa and English honors graduate, Eileen Fenn wrote this essay as the culmination of her internship in University communications during her final semester at St. Lawrence. Over the summer, she headed for Mississippi to begin a stint with Teach for America.