Dear Future President,

I believe that the cost of college tuition is way too expensive for anybody to have to pay just to get a college degree in order to support themselves. I myself want to be a doctor. Either in the field of neurology or radiology. If I really want to succeed, I want to go to a college that has an amazing pre-med program that will most definitely help me get accepted into Medical School. A lot of colleges have an average tuition of $45,000 a year. That is a total of $180,000 once I finish college. And don’t forget there is a fee to apply to colleges. Of course I will try my best to apply for as many scholarships as possible so that my parents don’t have to pay an excessive amount just for me to go to college.

After I finish college, I will have to go to Medical School if I want to pursue being in the medical field. To get into a Medical School, you have to take the MCAT’s which cost a good $300. Then, it costs around $100 for each Medical School that you chose to apply to. After that, if any Medical Schools are interested in having you a part of their program, they request an interview with you. So then you have to pay for transportation and a place to stay. Say I apply to four Medical Schools, and all four of them request an interview with me. That’s $700 just apply to medical schools and say it cost around $350 for each interview (transportation and a place to stay). That’s $2,100 right there. My older sister had to interview at four different medical schools. I remember my parents talking about the price for just one of her interviews which was in Chicago.

Finally, once you get accepted into a Medical School, it cost anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 a year. Which is roughly $200,000 by the time I graduate from Medical School. By the end of my entire time in undergraduate school and graduate school, my parents have had to pay $382,100 for me to have a job. A way to support myself.

My mom at the moment works a half time job because she has to take care of my little sister and I and my two older siblings. One of them is in undergraduate school, and the other is in graduate school. She has to be able to tend to all our needs. My dad works a full time job from seven in the morning until midnight. He works long hours just so that our family is financially secure. So that we have a house, food, clothes, education. Essential things we need in our life. How can I expect my parents to pay for my undergraduate and graduate school costs? I don’t want my parents to be struggling with money just because I want to have a successful career. I don’t want to be forever in debt. My older sister has student loans because she’s in Medical School and parents can not afford to pay $50,000 a year on top of paying for my brother’s tuition, myself, my little sister and all their bills.

My family isn’t the only family in America that stresses and worries about how they’re going to pay for college or the dept they’re going to be in. According to the institute for college access & success, 68% of those who graduate from a four-year college, including public and nonprofit colleges, were in dept of $30,000 per borrower. That’s a lot of money to pay off. A lot to think about while trying to get a job and support yourself and possibly others. While doing all that, you have to make a payment each month to try and get out of debt. No one should have to worry and stress about how they are going to pay or pay off their education.

So dear future president, I would just like to read this letter I have composed for you and take in the consideration of the amount of money people have to pay in order to go to college. In order to have a career. I do not think it is fair to make those who want to go to school, to pay such a large sum of money. It is unfair and unjust.

Sincerely,

Yesenia T.