SENTINEL WATCH June 29, 2009 Issue

A SPIRITUAL LOOK AT COLLEGE FUNDING

SHELLY RICHARDSON

WITH THE CURRENT downturn in the global economy and the credit crisis, getting a college education has suddenly become trickier. In the United States, students are looking for creative ways to pursue or continue their studies when they fail to quality for loans, despite the fact that the government has proposed changes to make funding for a college education easier. An article in The Christian Science Monitor reported on several new websites cropping up that enable students to look into unusual fundraising options, sometimes by presenting their financial needs to family and friends online in order to get private loans (February 18, 2009, "Need a college loan? Ask your friends online").

The efforts by this handful of students echo a larger cry by thousands more. For example, in California alone, students may be turned away next year as the state university system struggles to balance its budget. Funding is on the chopping block, and tuition hikes loom (San Francisco Chronicle, March 19, 2009 and The New York Times, April 30, 2009).

It's no secret that higher education is an open door to increased opportunities. What can be done, though, if hopes are dashed because of increased financial pressures? Or, if and when resources are available, how can students find the support they need to push through the quagmire of necessary paperwork required to obtain financial help?