Ms. Thurber?

STATEMENT OF LUCY THURBER, STUDENT, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE, BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK

MS. THURBER. My name is Lucy Thurber. I am 21 years old and entering my senior year at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.

I have been asked to testify about my own experience concerning financial aid.

My mother is a single parent and I do not know my father. I do know that he is Hispanic and that I am half Columbian.

When I was young, my mother used to steal out-of-date food from the back of supermarkets to feed me. I was a welfare child.

At times, my mother and I have been homeless. We have lived in a school bus, and in a house without a roof.

We have lived more than one winter without heat, and one winter without running water because our pipes burst and we could not afford to fix them.

A single mother with a female child is also vulnerable and easily taken advantage of.

Sometimes, my mother and I were forced to live with drug dealers and small town criminals in order to have enough money to pay the rent.

Fortunately for me, my grandfather wanted me to attend private high school. I took the opportunity.

I was a scholarship student all through high school and my grandfather paid the rest of the expenses.

It was difficult for me to attend these schools. All of my friends had nicer clothes, spoke better, were given an allowance to do laundry and buy toothpaste and shampoo, and I was not.

Doing well academically and socially to me was a miracle in itself.

My grandfather paid my bills for school and my mother gave me emotional support, but in terms of practical explanations of how to do practical things, it was my job to find out.

I found my own high schools. I called, got the information, applied and set up the interviews.

In my senior year of high school I asked the college counselor about financial aid for college. She informed me she did not have much information in that area.

I operated under the assumption that one applied for financial aid after being accepted to a school.

I am not trying to blame this on my college counselor. In the end it was my responsibility and my family's.

The facts of my life are not a "sob story." They are not meant to cause pity.

The same situations and worse ones happen to thousands of children every day.

The point, however, is to show how this relates to Sarah Lawrence and higher education as a whole.

The result of my not applying for financial aid until after I was accepted meant that the College had by that time run out of its own financial aid.

Therefore, I was left to rely on whatever Federal and State sources were available to me.

Since I was attending an out of State college, there was no State aid.

In Federal aid, I received the maximum Pell Grant and Stafford Loan which totaled $4,825.

However, Sarah Lawrence's costs totaled $19,785, thus leaving a difference of $14.960.

Based on the Federal formula used to calculate financial need and the college's policy, I was told that my family demonstrated an ability to pay $1,100 based on our financial background.

The remaining $13,860 shortfall forced me to either give up college for a while or prevail upon my 75 year old grandfather.

My grandfather managed to pay for my first year. He continued to work.

He did not want me to take a year off because he was afraid I would never go back to school.

I contributed by working 25 hours a week while maintaining a full course load.

I functioned on 3 to 4 hours a sleep a night and missed out on social and school activities that other students could enjoy, but I had no choice.

I hoped my financial aid would improve for my sophomore year. However, my financial aid did not improve as drastically as I had hoped, because I did not receive funds from the college in my first year as a freshman, limited funding was provided for my sophomore year.

Again, I received the maximum Pell Grant and Stafford Loan. But once again, there was no other Federal funding available to me because the college has limited campus-based funds which were already committed to other students.

Even with college funding, I was left with over $11,000 of unmet need.

Fortunately for me, my grandfather continued to work and help me meet the difference.

I know I will make it through college. Even though my grandfather only made $2,000 in the last year, because it is my senior year the financial aid department at Sarah Lawrence College has given me the money that is over their budget so I can finish college with out additional stress on my grandfather who is now 79.

I am grateful for all Federal aid I have received. It has helped me enormously. It just has not been enough.

If children from my economic background could be taught at an early age how to get into college, how to get aid, and most importantly, to know that there is aid available, minority and lower income families might have a better success rate.

Children such as myself need to be encouraged to feel that State and private universities are within their grasp.

I believe that as things stand now, children, such as myself, are led to believe good schools are only for people with money.

Programs about financing an education including Federal aid and how to get it, as well as how to get into college should be taught during high school.

The most important step, however, is to raise Federal aid so that when students reach college age they are able to attend.

It is a shame that in a high tech world that is being created in front of us, we are missing out on a lot of American youth that will be needed to run it.

For a great many of my generation, the chance is gone. I would like to see our children have that chance.

I am an example of someone who made it. That is why I could speak to you at all. I am a miracle. I was given a chance.

If I had not been given a chance you would have never heard my voice. I find this frightening.

Think of how many voices you are not hearing at this instant. But maybe my testimony will help others of my background, like you and so many others have helped me.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Lucy Thurber follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF LUCY THURBER, Student, Sarah LAWRENCE COLLEGE, BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK

My name is Lucy Thurber. I am 21 years old and am entering my senior year at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. I have been asked to testify about my own experience concerning financial aid.

Sarah Lawrence College is one of the most expensive colleges in the United States. It is a miracle that I attend this school at all, one, because of my low economic means, and two, because of the psychological hindrances growing up poor can inflict on a person. I sometimes wonder where I even got the nerve to apply to Sarah Lawrence, a school so clearly beyond my financial status. I also wonder where I got the self-confidence to think that I was "good enough" in terms of intelligence and social background to attend a school perceived of as a "rich kid's school." In reality, 50 percent of the school's population is on some sort of financial aid. I didn't know this when I applied to Sarah Lawrence. My information about financial aid at the time was limited.

My mother is a single parent and I do not know my father, I do know that he is Hispanic and that I am half Columbian. My mother and I have been very poor. When I was young, my mother used to steal out-of-date food from the back of supermarkets to feed me. I was a welfare child.

At times, my mother and I have been homeless. We have lived in a school bus, and in a house without a roof. We have lived more than one winter without heat, and one winter without running water because our pipes burst and we could not afford to fix them. During this winter, my mother was hitch-hiking 30 miles to work and back each day because there was no work closer to the small town in western Massachusetts where we lived.

A single mother with a female child is also vulnerable and easily taken advantage of. Sometimes, my mother and I were forced to live with drug dealers and small town criminals in order to have enough money to pay the rent. These people were often violent and abusive to both me and my mother.

Fortunately for me, my grandfather wanted me to attend private high school. I took the opportunity. I was a scholarship student all through high school and my grandfather paid the rest of the expenses. It was difficult for me to attend these schools. All of my friends had nicer clothes, spoke better, were given an allowance to do laundry and buy toothpaste and shampoo but I was not. Doing well academically and socially to me was a miracle in itself. I noticed and felt embarrassed that I did not have what my friends had. It was hard to envision myself having more than I already did. It was in high school that my friends started helping me with money. My grandfather paid my bills for school and my mother gave me emotional support, but in terms of practical explanations of how to do practical things, it was my job to find out. I found my own high schools. I called, got the information, applied, and set up the interviews.

In my senior year of high school when I asked the college counselor about financial aid for college, she informed me she "did not have much information in that area." I operated under the assumption that one applied for financial aid after

being accepted to a school. I am not trying to blame this one college counselor, in the end it was my responsibility and my family's.

The facts of my life are not a "sob story." They are not meant to cause pity. The same situations and worse ones happen to thousands of children every day. The point, however, is to show how this relates to Sarah Lawrence and higher education as a whole.

The result of not applying for financial aid until after I was accepted meant that the college had by that time run out of it's own financial aid. Therefore, I was left to rely on whatever Federal and state sources were available to me. Since I was attending an out of state college, there was no state aid. In Federal aid, I received the maximum Pell grant and Stafford Loan which totaled $4,825. However Sarah Lawrence's costs totaled $19,785—thus leaving a difference of $14,960. Based on the Federal formula used to calculate financial need and the college's policy, I was told that my family demonstrated an ability to pay $1,100 based on our financial background. The remaining $13,860 shortfall forced me to either give up on college for a while or prevail upon my 75 year old grandfather.

My grandfather managed to pay for my first year. He continued to work. He did not want me to take a year off because he was afraid I would never go back to school. I contributed by working 25 hours a week while maintaining a full course load. I functioned on 3 to 4 hours sleep a night and missed out on social and school activities that other students could enjoy, but I had no choice. I hoped my financial aid would improve for my sophomore year and I could earn enough over the summer that my work load would by lessened.

However, my financial aid did not improve drastically as I had hoped. Because I did not receive funds from the college in my first year as a freshman, limited funding was provided for my sophomore year. Again, I received the maximum Pell Grant and Stafford Loan. But once again, there was no other Federal funding available to me because the college has limited campus-based funds which were already committed to other students. Even with college funding, I was left with over $11,000 of unmet need. Fortunately for me, my grandfather continued to work and help me meet the difference.

I have been lucky in my life, lucky that I have my grandfather. I have done well at Sarah Lawrence because every year could have been my last. But still it is hard to impossible to explain the amount of pride I have had to swallow. I am a minority, not only because my father is Hispanic, but also because there has not been one person I have met since I was sixteen in the private schools I have attended, who knows what it is like to wonder if they will eat the next day. I grew up in a world of extremes, but I live in a different world now. I have more than one pair of shoes and pants. I have a winter coat and gloves. I am old enough to earn my own money, which accounts for a lot of the changes in my life, but mostly it is because of other people's willingness to invest in me. I am an exception. I know I will make it through college, even though my grandfather only made $2,000 in the last year. Because it is my senior year, the Financial Aid Department at Sarah Lawrence has awarded me money that is over their budget so I can finish college without additional stress on my grandfather who is now 79. I am grateful for all Federal aid I have received. It has helped me enormously-it just has not been enough.

I am, as I have said before, lucky. I was given an opportunity. That was all I needed. I believe if Federal aid were raised, more opportunities could be given to tap other young minds that just need a chance. It would make a difference if there was a way for more low-income children to get through college. It would make a difference if money were put into educating young adults like myself, whose entire education rests on their shoulders. Even though I was given a chance to attend college, all the research involved in attending was left to me, and there was never enough information available. If children from my economic background could be taught, at an early age, how to get into college, how to get aid, and most importantly, to know that there is aid available, minorities and lower income families might have a better success rate. Education for children and their families needs to start in primary school. Children, such as myself, need to be encouraged to feel that state and private universities are within their grasp. I believe that as things stand now, children, such as myself, are led to believe good schools are only for people with money. Programs about financing an education including Federal aid and how to get it, as well as, how to get into college should be taught during high school. The most important step, however, is to raise Federal aid and provide enough so that when students reach college age they are able to attend. It is a shame that the high tech world that is being created in front of us will be missing out on a lot of American youth that will be needed to run it. For a great many of my generation, the chance is gone. I would like to see their children have a chance.

I am an example of someone who has made it, that is why I can speak to you at all. I am a miracle. I was given a chance. If I had not been given a chance you would have never heard my voice. I find this frightening. Think of how many voices you are not hearing at this instant.

I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you. I consider it a great honor. It has given me a chance I have day-dreamed about. I do not need your help any longer. But maybe my testimony will help others of my background, the way in which you and so many others have helped me. Thank you.

Mrs. Lowey. Lucy, I want to thank you for having the courage to come forward and share your story with us.

As you said, you will graduate, and you will not benefit from the current reauthorization.

But because of your courage, perhaps other students will not have to struggle as hard as you have.

Ms. Molinari?

Ms. MOLINARI. I have no questions. I just want to congratulate both panels.

Certainly, Ms. Collazo, your story is heartbreaking and it points to a major flaw that we are attempting to correct through this legislation.

But you have brought very close to home why we need to act efficiently on this and I thank you very much for sharing your story with us.

Ms. Thurber, I could only add that I went to a private college preparatory that did not prepare me either for financial aid.

It screwed up more children so that it's endemic I think to the high schools, that we need to get out the information what is available to all of us.

I thank you for sharing your testimony and your spirit with us and congratulations to both of you.

Mrs. LowEY. Mr. Serrano?

Mr. SERRANO. Thank you.

Ms. Collazo, I want to also thank you for coming before us today and for giving us on the record the kind of information that some of us are always suspicious of or semi-aware of, that it will give an opportunity to really be able to work on, with your kind of testimo

ny.

I just want to ask you a question.

You were recruited on the street?
Ms. COLLAZO. Yes, I was.

Mr. SERRANO. You said you were recruited on the street.

Was it what some people call a hard sell or a soft sell?

I mean, were you ready to go anywhere, and therefore it was easy to get you to come see them? Or did they really follow you around and try to sell you something?

Ms. COLLAZO. At the time I wasn't ready, I was still in high school. I wasn't thinking about going to any other school.

I was thinking about going to college after graduating, but when the guy came up to me and started saying how good the program was and how it would help me, so as soon as I got out of high school I would be able to have a good job, I decided to take a crack at it.

But I wasn't forced in any way. But the way he spoke gave me the idea to go into the school.