Ashley White, a high school senior, has Michigan State Spartan green bolting through her veins, but in an instant the excitement and blood stopped flowing when her mother told her she had no money to submit the application.
Ashley is not alone though, as many high school seniors in Michigan have had to alter their college choices because of the affects from the dreadful economy.
According to a Noria Corporations article, Michigan’s job losses from July 2000 to July 2008 percentage-wise are worse than U.S. job losses suffered during first eight years of the U.S. Great Depression from 1929-1937 and Michiganders are still waiting for a change.
“What has changed is the number of kids who submit deposits to admissions” says Lucinda Briones, an Assistant Director of Admissions at MSU.
Applications are being sent in, but when students find out the price of even in-state tuition the only way to look is community colleges, which has seen an immense increase in attendance, according to an ABC News article.
“I would not be here (MSU) if it wasn’t for this scholarship I received” says Sarge Foley, a MSU senior “I would be sitting right next to my dad on the couch attending Oakland Community College”
The change in the economy in Michigan has caused stress for most if not all parents of high school seniors because their only hope is that they can send their child to their first choice. Without a college savings there is only financial aid to depend on and even that has underwent a decrease according to current MSU students.
“The economy has caused a slight decline in all aspects of admissions at State” said John Ambrose, the Associate Director of Admissions at MSU.
The economy has not only caused declines at MSU, the recent closing of 45 Detroit public schools in order to save money has also affected students and college admissions.
“Detroit high school closing has affected admissions by at least 10 percent” said John Ambrose, the Associate Director
Detroit was one of the cities hit the hardest by the “recession” and now it is the hands of Detroit’s Mayor Dave Bing and Michigan’s Governor elect Rick Snyder.
Citizens of Michigan continue to hope for a change and turn around in the economy. These are hard times and even harder for those paying for college tuition along with the bills they have at home.
One good thing though, during this time that seems to be nothing, but bad is that universities are trying to help out more students, by getting them to apply and get accepted.
“No one has a leg up during these times and that is one of the reasons we offer waivers for our application, as long as the student can prove they deserve or need one because of their financial situation” said Ambrose.
Maybe things will look better for the upcoming new year and 2011 – 2012 school year. Those in the Admissions office at Michigan State are hopeful after receiving a more applications than they have in past two years.
Until then we can only keep students like Ashley in our heart and do what she does every night before she lays her head down for bed.
“Pray for a blessing every night,” said White.
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