"My parents can’t really share any college experiences with me. But they can share my ambitions."
By Ricky Zhang
Listen
to this Commentary!
Whoever said senior year is easy was totally wrong.
Before I explain, I’ll tell you the good news – I got accepted into UCLA.
The bad news is that I can’t afford it without a lot of financial aid. Most people just have their parents take care of that part – you know, filling out all the required forms. But my parents don’t speak English, which means I have to do it by myself.
Here’s the FAFSA which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid...and look at these weird questions...like Higher A deductions from self-employed SEP...my god, this is crazy...
All those numbers in the FAFSA form just go right past my head…subtracting this gross income and that gross income – eeek, I hate it.
UCLA is going to cost me almost $23,000 a year to pay for EVERYTHING – dorm, tuition, books and living expenses. And I’m going to have to borrow most of that money. I’ve accepted my fate. But my mom likes to nag, nag, nag. And figuring out college and money has really got her going.
Okay, here’s what I’m talking about. My mom is saying that I treat money as if it isn’t important. But I should do fine handling a budget in college. After all, at my house I write all the checks and send off most of the bills. When my parents go to the DMV or the doctor – I’m the one who has to translate. This stuff is part of my daily life.
I’m not the only one.
19-year old Kenny Lai is the son of Chinese immigrants also and took care of his own college paperwork. He got accepted into Cal Poly where he was planning to study computer science, but the school didn’t get all his financial aid forms on time.
KENNY (on tape)
So even though I was accepted, I couldn’t afford to go. I have a different plan now, so although I guess it would have been different if I had gone to Cal Poly in the first place, I don’t see it’s importance as of now.
RICKY
Kenny’s new plan is to become a teacher. He didn’t change his career goals just because he didn’t get financial aid, but it was a factor. He’s studying at Pasadena City College now. But he’s not upset about his situation. He’s just accepted it. I’m that way too. If I wasn’t born here, things would be much more complicated. Many first generation immigrant kids have a different story than mine.
LUIZ (on tape)
My parents migrated to the United States because they decided to look for a better job and better opportunities for my future and my sister’s future.
RICKY
Luiz Carlos da Silva is from Brazil. His dad got permission to come to the U.S., and applied for visas for the rest of the family. Luiz is in high school right now, and wants to go to college like other people in his family. But he can’t afford it. And because of his immigration status, he’s not eligible for financial aid.
Luiz says he has very few options because his visa doesn’t allow him to work, so there’s no way he can even save money for his education.
LUIZ (on tape)
So after high school, it’s either get out of the US, or work illegally. It’s really hard. It’s going to mess with my future. It’s going to mess with my life.
RICKY
I feel for Luiz. Our situations are so different. He feels like he has fewer opportunities than his immigrant parents, I feel like I have more.
But my situation isn’t perfect. I’m the only child living with mom and dad – and mom only completed high school and dad, middle school. So my parents can’t really share any college experiences with me. But they can share my ambitions.
Even though we can’t afford it, I never considered not going to college. My debt will be close to $100,000 but it’s totally worth it to me, and to my parents.
- This story was produced by Youth Radio, in association with the National Geographic Society.
|
|
