As seniors look forward to graduation, they frequently hear one question: “Where are you going to college?”  But no one ever asks the most important question: “How are you going to pay for college?”  For many, there is a huge amount of stress as the May financial aid deadline comes closer.

Financial aid plays a huge role in the college decision making process. Yet when looking for financial aid, none of the websites are easy to navigate and the letters are even more confusing to understand.

There are multiple ways in which students can receive financial aid from universities, state and federal government, private organizations, and banks and lending companies. This aid can come in three different forms: grants, scholarships, and loans.

Grants are a gift of financial aid, that do not need to be repaid. Grant money comes from federal and state governments and primarily need-based. Scholarships are also a gift aid, but they are based primarily upon academic merit, athletic ability, volunteer work or interest in a certain topic. Loans are solely borrowing money from the bank or government and need to be paid back.

When applying to colleges, many students look at key factors such as location and programs offered. But with the average annual price for tuition at $30,094 for private colleges, $8,893 (in-state) to $22,203 (out-of-state) for state universities, many parents and future college students are rethinking their decisions.

“It is not going to directly pick the college for me, but if I was stuck between three colleges I would pick the one that gave the most money”, senior Kyle Vogeler said.

“As the saying goes: I need money and the colleges need me. I think that they should try and convince me to go to their school,” senior Gretchen Scheetz said. “However, as much as would like to receive more money from schools, if it’s my top choice I’m going to go regardless.”

However, Southern Lehigh, being an affluent school district, presents an unrealistic representation of financial need.

“I ended up choosing the more expensive college,” senior Ciara Singleton said.

The majority of families, in inner-city high schools, for example, need more financial help. The need unfortunately outweighs the monetary gifts given by college, university and government grants.

Why aren’t schools doing more in providing aid for families? Universities argue that if students want more they should perform and apply for as many scholarships as they possibly can. However, students shouldn’t be afraid to call for reconsideration. Sometimes the needs of some families might be overlooked the first time around.

College can be stressful, but finances shouldn’t be.