t is no secret that college is an expensive experience. All of the financial data from the last 20 years proves that tuition is rising at an alarming rate. It can be easy to dissociate ourselves from the fact that these numbers directly impact our lives and the lives of our peers. However, comprehending the gravity of the situation is crucial.

“For three decades the cost of college has seemed to do nothing but climb faster than the cost of living, based on the full prices that institutions publish,” New York Times writer Perez-Pena wrote. “That amount, known as a sticker price, set records yet again this year, averaging $39,520 for private nonprofit colleges and $17,860 for public ones.”

Students planning on returning to Elizabethtown College next semester sighed and reached for their aching wallets when it was announced that Etown tuition would also be increased for the fall 2013 semester. The goals and intentions of the decision were laid out in a formal letter to the student body from President Strikwerda. The included excerpt speaks to the financial aid offered to students.

Students got to raise questions about the higher tuition in an open forum with the president, such as, “what tanigble changes are going to be made to the school” and “will scholarships change accordingly?” The answer to the latter question alarmed and even angered some students. No merit-based scholarships will be raised to accommodate the higher cost of attendance at Etown. However, it was made known at the Feb. 21 Open Forum, that in past years, scholarships have been adjusted to meet the higher need in correlation to higher tuition.

Merit-based scholarships, the business office explained, were never intended to change based on need. The intention was to reward outstanding students for excellent achievements, on top of the financial aid that the College and federal government hand out. A student will still be rewarded for his or her academic or athletic achievements with the same amount of money,  but that amount will now put less of a dent in the bill.

The idea of one’s college debt increasing has students wondering why their efforts seem to have less financial worth than they have had  in previous years.

Especially for students who do not qualify for federal aid packages or those students paying their own way through college, news of higher costs is frightening. Generally, even those who work to help defray the costs don’t have much money at their disposal.

One such student, sophomore Arianna Caraballo, lives with her single mother and says that the cost of an Etown education has severely damaged her credit. Not only was her mother’s credit damaged, but the situation with the Parent Plus Loan prevented her mother from receiving any additional loans. At this stage, Caraballo does not know if she will be able to continue her education at Etown. Her hopes of remaining a Blue Jay depend on obtaining extra summer employment.

Changes in her scholarship status have also hindered her chances of remaining at Etown. After her first-year on campus, one of her scholarships for diversity was taken away. The total amount of the scholarship was $5,000.

“I saw on my actual financial aid that I had a diversity scholarship, and it just disappeared one day,” Caraballo said. “Once you get into the school they are kinda like I guess she is staying, we need to up our class and up the amount of people we have here. Why would you take money from people that are already devoted to the school, and to give it to people who don’t know if they will stay or not?”

According to OnlineCollege.org, the financial burden of college is forcing many young adults to make difficult choices about their careers and personal lives. Statistics say that about 40 percent of young adults delay buying a home, 14 percent delay marriage and 20 percent delay having children in response to rising college debt. And these numbers will continue to climb for Etown students if the College does not attempt to bridge the gap between the scholarships offered and the tuition owed.

“I didn’t really understand how the scholarship and tuition increase worked,” sophomore Bhim Thapaliya said.

While Thapaliya is disappointed in the policy about merit-based scholarships, he is glad to be a student at Etown. However, he would like to see each student receive an increase in scholarship to match tuition increases.

The burden of college payments has many students reconsidering their education, especially at a private institution such as Etown. Intelligence and talent should not be lost over minor discrepancies. The College may want to rethink its position on scholarship values to keep Etown students here.