Forbes has reported a 6% increase in the number of college applicants throughout the country. With this growing number it’s clear that higher education is in demand. But what about those who aspire to learn, however their financial situation is stopping them.
Let’s Break it Down
The base tuition for an out of state university in the U.S. sits somewhere between $25,000-$30,000 per year, according to the U.S. News. Here at CU Boulder that number is slightly higher, coming to a solid $41,966, as reported by U.S. News. Now let's look at the cost of simply living in Boulder, Colorado. U.S. News reported the median monthly rent to be $1,694 and the median home price $881,147. Adding in the monthly food cost of around $342, you’re looking at a lot of money. As a college student these numbers are scary. Between finding affordable living, providing your body with the right nutrition and having a social life, college is expensive.
Opportunity for all
CU Boulder has come up with a way to make college more affordable for the average person. At CU there are many different ways for students to make money with university funded part time and full time jobs. One of these jobs includes being a Residential Assistant. An RA is an upperclassman who lives in the dorms and helps freshmen adjust to the dorm life. They work in the community hosting events and acting as a familiar face to students in passing.
Reality of being an RA
We sat down and talked with Bell Piccirillo, one of the RA’s at CU’s Buckingham Hall. When asked about what they do Piccirillo shared, “Dorm, campus maintenance and community building as well.” RA’s are full time students at the University who also have the responsibility of working the front desk of the dorms, as well as being on call whenever they’re needed. Just like every job being an RA has its perks and its downsides. However Piccirillo had only good things to say about their experience.
Unexpected Advantages
Piccirillo specifically enjoys a certain part of the job, they explain, “I’ve learned a lot of first responder knowledge just from responding to incidents all the time.” With hopes of one day becoming a lawyer, Piccirillo has found that being an RA has helped them engage further in their education. They say, “It’s cool to see what happens with certain things.” This is just one random aspect of being an RA that will give Picirello the upper hand in their future career.
Economic Benefits
One of the most appealing benefits of being an RA is the elimination of housing and food bills. RA’s have their meal plan and living cost compensated for, Piccirillo adds, “RA’s actually get to live in the residents halls for free.” We talked with Chris Tejas, the Smith and Buckingham Hall Director at CU, to hear his thoughts on being an RA. Tejas dove deeper into the economic side of being an RA and mentioned that RA’s get paid. Tejas said, “If they’re willing to invest and work in the community then we want to compensate them fairly.” Because of the university's generosity thousands of students are getting education that they otherwise might not have gotten.
Considering the Job
Though living in the dorms after freshman year may sound like a bummer, for some people it’s the price they are willing to pay for their education. Bell Piccirillo is grateful for the RA program because they weren’t financially able to get an apartment or house in boulder. Being an RA is an alternative for student loans and a great way to branch out. By giving back to their communities RA’s are thanked with free money, life skills and a good time.