Hello fellow college students! Let’s talk finances. Gross right? It’s a stressful topic for everyone, especially when discussing tuition prices. Regardless of your personal situation I think we could all agree that a little less going out of our wallets and more staying in our bank accounts is always a plus. For this exact reason, my freshman year roommate, Meagan Wilbur and I were brainstorming one night about a program that would keep a little more money in the pockets of Simmons students that includes lowering debt costs by creating more scholarships and better programming for first generation students and those who come from a low income background.
College is really hard to finance, the 50-60 thousand dollar a year bill is a hard one to swallow, and deters those who want to go to their dream school yet can’t afford it. The program Meagan and I hope to put in place is anticipated to be called D.R.E.A.M., which stands for Dare To Reach Economic Aspirations and Mobility.
Our primary goal is to implement a welcoming place for first generation college students at Simmons to feel at home, supported and ready to succeed. This includes a mentorship program with tutors and guidance on how to make the most of their academic experience. In addition, we would like to work with Student Financial Services (SFS) to inform students more on where their money is going in the school as well as which scholarships they could be eligible for.
My freshman year I transferred from Rutgers University in New Jersey, which is one of many schools that has a program called EOF (the Equal Opportunity Fund). It’s a great program that provides a network of support for low income students. Many of my friends were a part of it and informed me on how much it impacted their collegiate career and gave them a strong base to start. This program provides aid and and a summer program for eligible students who dorm the summer before their freshman year and experience what it’s like taking college classes, bonding with peers of a similar background and learning ways to make an impact in their environment.
To find out more about the program, Meagan researched the clubs and support offered at Simmons. Interestingly, we found that Simmons actually had the program in place previously stopped offering it during the 90s. We want to make the Simmons reputation even stronger, and a program that offers financial support to make students less stressed about the future and loans would  make it a place anyone feels they can apply to.
In addition, we really want to create a program for everyone regardless of their families income. For example, we would hold a scholarship night where the club is introduced to different scholarships online or through organizations they’re a part of. We would also like to cover job postings, and of course internships and opportunities that members hear about.There are many ideas that D.R.E.A.M. is looking to create and have put into effect. Stay tuned!!