Many seniors will be attending college next year and overcoming the obstacles of the cost of tuition can seem like a lot to handle. It is known that the costs of schooling and tuition have increased tremendously. But students are lucky to now have resources like financial aid and a variety of scholarships and loans to guide them. It’s also very important to be financially educated for the next few years.
Economics teacher, Nicole Mobley, is familiar with the process of applying for financial aid as one of her kids is currently attending UW-Oshkosh, while the other will be attending UW-Platteville in the fall.
“Economics and Personal Finance are highly important for everyone, knowledge on how the economy works and managing money are valuable to be an informed citizen,” Mobley said. “Any education is valuable, knowledge is power. State colleges and Tech colleges offer great programs at an affordable price. Private colleges have higher tuition which can be costly in the long run for students stacking on large amounts of debt.”
Some students have taken up the opportunity to attend college out of state. The financial burdens of attending out of state colleges can be a significant factor in their decision making process. The average cost of out-of-state tuition is around $12,000 a year, double the cost of the average in-state tuition for the state of Wisconsin.
Senior Brynn Hegedus plans to attend Eastern Kentucky University in the fall, after many months of deciding the best school for her.
“I originally wanted to go to the University of Kentucky but I would not want to pay $51,000 a year. EKU had a more price friendly option for me. I’ve been saving money for years now and I plan to get a job on campus,” Hegedus said.
Senior Sadie Pierzchalski plans on attending the University of South Dakota.
“South Dakota was my top choice. I didn’t really plan on going anywhere else. I’ve been saving up money since freshman year and every other paycheck I put into my savings account, I have also applied for a couple summer jobs to keep saving until I leave,” Pierzchalski said.
As the school year comes to an end, the class of 2025 starts to worry about what the next years of their life will look like and the types of problems they will face in the near future.
Senior Carly Antzczak is heading to UW-Madison in the fall.
“I’m really worried that my student debt will affect how much I have to cut out of my future paychecks back to back; I really want to pay it all off in five years after I graduate but Madison was by far the most cost effective option for the education I will get,” Antzczak said.
Social Studies teacher, Cherly Kingma-Kiekhofer shares her opinion on the way tuition is handled in the state of Wisconsin.
“I think our country, as a whole, needs to do a better job supporting folks who struggle with student loan debt and helping students to be less dependent on loans in schools, in general. Some elite universities that have large pools of money to draw from have made tuition free for families who make less than $200,000,” she said. “I think that’s great, but unfortunately, it is not possible for public schools that have less money to draw from. Making education accessible for everyone makes for a more successful and capable nation, as a whole.”
As the 2025 school year comes to an end it’s super important for our students to be successful and an asset to our community. By working with your counselors, financial advisors, and other students, we are able to create solutions to make sure everyone has access to a good quality education that suits their needs.
