The Bubble wrote:
In retrospect, the best part about going to high school in California: In state tuition in the University of California system. Even today, it’s only like $13k a year. And the UCs are unlike public schools in other states; they’re actually good schools. Although my parents weren’t wealthy, there was never any question about college being paid for. I didn’t have to worry about scholarships, loans, or working. “I can’t afford to go to college…” is not something people in California say.
It's something that the working class in CA says. At the time I graduated from a CA public high school, niether of my parents had ever had 4 figures in a bank account. That's right. Never had $1000 at once. The tuition was far out of reach. $13k a year is about what my folks made, between them, when I was 17. My dad could have written a check. It would have bounced. His account was down to single digits partway through every month.
Factor in all the overhead for living, and a tuition figure found online isn't a realistic figure of what is needed to live for 4 or 5 years and go to school on top of that. In fact, the UC system demands you pay for a dorm the first year. Add that to the amount you need to cough up. You also have to do one of the following: show you have health insurance through some provider they recognize and accept, or pay them for the plan they offer. You might want to double the tuition figure for a more real number that the school says, "You must pay us this much to go here."
Going away to college was completely out of the question for me and my demographic. Yes, I have filled out financial aid forms several times in my life and qualify for nothing. What are the criteria for receiving any? I don't know nor care. Someone at the desk saying "You don't qualify for anything. Move along. There's a big line behind you." is all the information I need. So yeah, poor people in CA actually do say they can't afford college.
Nevertheless, I am not bitter about this in the least. Wasn't planning on going and didn't. I never had any interest in NCAA running and, after reading threads here about how much it sucks, am glad I avoided it. Most of you went and that's fine with me. Party on!