Getting to college can seem tough for anyone, especially low-income students. Between tuition fees, textbook prices, and the ever-rising cost of living, it may feel like the odds are stacked against you. But there’s some good news: There’s a veritable treasure trove of resources out there to lighten your load and make your dream of a college degree attainable.
College should be about enlightening experiences, broadening horizons, and laying the groundwork for an exciting future, not an endless struggle for survival. That’s why we’ve got a list of resources here to help low-income students get into college and thrive once they’re there.
A low-income college student comes from a family with a household income that doesn’t exceed 150% of the poverty level, per the United States Department of Education. That income level makes it more difficult to afford college expenses without significant financial aid and support. Low-income college students may also live in subsidized housing or be first-generation students, coming from the foster care system, or experiencing homelessness. In other words, they face substantial financial barriers to affording higher education.
Applying for college can be a financial drain on its own, with application fees, testing fees, admission deposits, and more. When you’re coming from a low-income situation, those fees add up quickly and can even be a barrier.
You also have tuition, housing, and meal plans to consider along with those fees. Nervousness about borrowing and going into debt for education is one of the most common problems seen by Laura Zuppo, the assistant vice chancellor of student success at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus.
“They’re worried about going into high debt and not being able to pay the loans following graduation, and that sometimes prevents students from progressing in their education,” Zuppo said.
Luckily, there are several resources you can rely on to help you get to college.
Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may seem intimidating, especially if you don’t want to take out loans and have a lot of debt. But if you’re coming from a low-income situation, there’s a chance you’ll be eligible for other funding that you won’t have to pay back. You won’t know though until you submit your FAFSA. Types of funding you might receive include:
The FAFSA will determine what kind of loan you’re eligible for, but you may qualify for subsidized loans, which means the United States Department of Education covers the interest on the loans while you’re in school or during the six months after you’re no longer enrolled in classes.
Remember those application fees and admission deposits we just mentioned? If you are able to demonstrate a need, you can likely get those waived. You’ll need to contact the admissions department of each school you’re interested in to find out how to do that. At USF, you can email admissions@usf.edu to request a waiver for those fees.
If you still need to take your SAT or ACT, you might be able to waive those fees too. Eligibility requirements for an SAT waiver can be found here, while the ACT requirements are here. Also, if you need help prepping for those tests, you can access free tools through Khan Academy and the ACT site.
What exactly is a college access program? It’s a free resource for both first-generation and low-income students who want to go to college. There are in-person and virtual options, like TRiO, Upward Bound, QuestBridge, and others. Your high school counselor can point you toward the one that would be best for your circumstances. Each one offers resources to help you apply to college and for financial aid. Some also have scholarships, mentors, or internship opportunities.
Looking for scholarships can be overwhelming, as there are a lot of options and it’s hard to sift through them all. Using a scholarship search engine like Appily formerly known as Cappex, Fastweb, or Scholarships.com can help you locate ones that you’re eligible for.
Also, research your local organizations and larger companies as some may give scholarships. For example, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation offers achievement-based scholarships and Xerox provides scholarships to minority college students.
If you’re not sure where to start when you begin applying, talk to the experts around you. Your high school counselor is a great place to begin, as they’ll have insights and access to helpful resources.
The universities you’re interested in can also help you. Talk to the admissions department about your needs — some schools, like USF, have staff who are devoted solely to helping special populations like low-income or unhoused students. The financial aid department is also a valuable resource, Zuppo said.
“Every institution has staff who will help the students understand all the different options available to them, especially if they’re Pell-eligible,” Zuppo said. “Sometimes students don’t know they’re eligible for federal work-study, so financial aid offices can counsel them about what that is and how it can benefit them.”
Financial aid staff can also help you understand the pros and cons of a student loan and can explain alternative options to pay, such as payment plans, parent loans, or private student loans.
“We always encourage students to visit or contact financial aid to talk about all aspects of aid and what’s possibly available to them,” Zuppo said.
You made it – you’re in! But you may still feel financial stress. Food costs pile up, you might get sick while you’re at school, or you may still have housing insecurity.
Your university likely has a deep pool of resources that you can access to get the help you need. Even if you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, start by taking things one step at a time and find the staff on campus who are ready to help you.
Zuppo, who also serves as the ombudsman at USF St. Petersburg, frequently meets with students experiencing financial challenges or even crises, such as food insecurity. She helps low-income students by offering information to help them understand their options both on and off campus. Low-income students are often unaware of the resources available to them and can feel overwhelmed with where to start looking for support.
“I always try to figure out what is the immediate need, and if there’s an immediate urgent need, I want to address that first,” Zuppo said. “Then I’ll try to break it down from there. Is it a safe housing issue? A budgeting issue? Is it that you don’t have enough money to cover your tuition, or to eat or pay rent?”
Campus staff are often aware of resources on campus and in the local community and can help connect students with those resources to help them continue to progress in their education. Here are a few examples:
If you get sick while you’re at college, you’ve got a great resource available to you in your Student Wellness Center. At USF, services provided include medical, psychological, victim advocacy, telehealth, and more.
“We want to make sure students are aware because if a low-income student needs service, we want them to get access to good medical care,” Zuppo said. “They don’t know necessarily that many of those services are free and offered right on campus… we always encourage students to check out campus medical services before they pay out of pocket somewhere else.”
Experiencing food insecurity in college? You’re not alone. A recent report from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission found that college students experience food insecurity at a much higher rate (33-51%) than all U.S. adults at 9.8%.
Many colleges provide a free food pantry with perishable and shelf-stable items as well as other necessities like period supplies, toothpaste, and more. The USF Feed-A-Bull food pantry is available across all three campuses and any student in need is welcome to utilize it. It’s completely confidential, too.
You can also ask if your university participates in a meal swipe donation program, where students can donate their unused meals to others in need. USF participates in Swipe Out Hunger.
If you need more help outside of the university food pantry, consider applying for government benefits that are there for you. Apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in your state that can provide you with food stamps that will help you get the food you need. In Florida, we have Fresh Access Bucks as well where SNAP recipients can pay for fresh fruits and vegetables at produce stands, farmers’ markets, and other mobile markets.
Need help getting around campus or the surrounding area? Your university may offer free transportation which could come in handy. For example, USF St. Petersburg students get free transportation on the Pinellas County bus system and can also use the SunRunner to get from downtown St. Petersburg to the beach. Ask your university about the free transportation options available to students so you can make a plan to use it whenever needed.
Struggling with your schoolwork because life is stressful? Your university likely offers free, accessible academic support services that you can use like a writing center or tutoring. You’ll also have an academic advisor who can help you chart your course progress and point you to resources that will help.
Your college library can also help, as many offer free workshops and laptop loans if you need a computer. Some libraries, like USF’s library, also work to make textbooks more affordable through the Textbook Affordability Project. More and more professors assign books that can be downloaded or checked out of the campus library to help students save money.
Your university may also have an emergency fund in place to help students who are in need. It usually involves an application and a committee review. Once your request is approved, they’ll distribute the funds to you.
“There are often institutionally-funded or donor-funded support programs for students experiencing an emergency. Many institutions have emergency grants or scholarships for students,” Zuppo said. “Emergency funds can support a student who experiences a fire in their apartment and needs to buy a new laptop, for example, or perhaps they had a parent who lost income and they can’t afford to pay the balance of tuition.”
Along with the help your university provides, there are also lots of local nonprofits ready and waiting to help get you the resources you need. If you’re not sure where to start, call 2-1-1. It’s a free service provided by United Way, and they’ll work to link you with places that can assist you with anything from housing issues to utility payment assistance.
No matter where you are in your college journey, whether it’s in the application stage or your last semester of school, people are ready to help you work through the challenges of being a low-income college student.
At USF, we offer several resources to help, from our caring admissions team to the staff in our Student Wellness Center. If you’re unsure where to start with finding the help you need in college, contact the Student Success team who can help or point you in the right direction!