The struggle of Kean students

By Gillian Findley

Loans, tuition, insurance, car payments, bills, food, gas, bus and train money; where is there an end for college students?

The expression “I’m not made out of money” rolls off of college student’s tongues as often as modest “hello” and “how are you?” greetings.

It doesn’t matter how hold you are or how much you make, the cost of tuition is unbearable for everyone. The help from financial aid encourages students to attend college, but the money is simply not enough. Most students are left with the option to take massive loans to only be in more debt, or not attend college at all.

Students who bite the bullet to attend college stress about all the expenses they have to pay in order to survive the semester. The main concerns revolve around textbooks.

“Professors tell students to purchase books and are so sure that we would be using the book frequently. But we don’t. We lug around $200 books only for show, like we have all the money in the world for them,” Daneila Blake says.

Blake, a senior who majors in Public Administration, says that Kean University’s bookstore should take back books if they were never used for full price. Nicole Azgirey, a junior who majors in Psychology agrees with Blake.

“The prices are way too high, how am I supposed to do homework if I can’t afford the book? Some people drop classes because they can’t afford books,” Azgirey says.

Students have posted flyers around campus trying to sell these never used, brand new textbooks for cheaper and other students do not bother with entering Kean University’s bookstore.

“I stopped buying books at Kean because there so expensive,” senior Stephanie Agugliaro, who majors in History and Special Education says.

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