By Jordan Bynum
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
“When having to stress about money, it makes it harder to focus on the fun things in life,” said Zoe Luckabaugh, a 21-year-old college junior in Maryland, who lives in a townhouse with her parents, brother, and dog.
Zoe is among thousands of college students who must manage a work-life balance while dealing with the financial struggles of coming from a lower-income household. According to statistics from Savingforcollege.com, students from lower-income families make between $20,895 and $27,895, depending on whether they are listed as a dependent or independent.
A study from Brookings.edu examines how children from low-income backgrounds can earn a college degree and enter the middle class. However, the financial burden often halts many students’ progress toward that goal.
Tabitha Jamison, a 20-year-old college junior who lives with her retired grandmother, is forced to juggle college with an off-campus job at Giant. When asked about the importance of keeping her scholarships, she said, “I have a total of three scholarships per semester… I pay out of pocket. To be 100 percent honest, I wouldn’t be able to go to school without it.”
Because of their circumstances, both Zoe and Tabitha often find their social time cut short, whether due to responsibilities or a shortage of funds. “Now that I have to work during the school year, I have to say no more often,” Tabitha explained. Zoe added, “There’s not really time to have a social life because you’re so busy that by the end of the day, you’re completely drained, and you want to go to sleep.”
Dana Burcker, a senior financial aid advisor at Towson University, has firsthand experience with students struggling financially. “It’s a very unfortunate situation,” she said. “The number of students I’ve talked to who had to leave school because of holds preventing them from returning the following semester is concerning.”
Despite the struggles, many students persevere and emerge stronger from their challenges. “It has taught me responsibility and living independently,” Tabitha remarked. Regardless of the tough road ahead, students make the best of their situations in the hope of carving a better future for themselves.
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