Hi there, Bloggers:

Today I was thinking about financial challenges--one of the most stressful parts of the college student lifestyle--because I am going through my own money problems. As a freshman you have bigger things to worry about like fitting in, adapting to dorm life, finding classes, managing your time, ect. But as you become accustomed to all of the new changes and college life is normal to you, other things become harder to handle. So, I ask the question: Is money really a stress factor, especially for foster kids?

The answer to that question is YES! Money is always a huge stress factor! As foster kids, financial stress can be even harder to manage and sometimes even more stressful than it might be for the average college student, who is declared "dependent". What is a dependent you ask? Well, the difference between a dependent and an "independent" is that the dependent student has financial support and the independent student does not. Take me for example. I am declared independent, i.e. I am responsible for my own college expenses such as tuition, room and board, food, books/school supplies, utilities, etc. The average college student has parents/a parent helping them with a lot of their financial needs, and worries more about having extra spending money on hand, rather than how to pay their bills.

So, what do you do when you're a foster kid with no real monetary income? The answer is: you work really hard to support yourself. Now, that doesn't mean you have to work a full-time job, on top of being a full-time student and possibly even an athlete or club member of some sort. What it really means is talk to your social worker, your foster parents, your guidance counselors and your mentors for advice. There are all kinds of scholarships, grants, waivers and vouchers that you can receive in addition to your financial aid package. All you have to do is find out which ones you're eligible for, fill out the application, and wait for your response. Some applications take no time at all to fill out, and others want to know a little bit about your life and what you want to do in the future. Either way, you're given the opportunity to tell someone else about your struggles in the system, and explain how you want to turn those struggles into successes. I've found that nine times out of ten there is someone out there who understands what you're going through and is willing to help you reach your goals and make all of your dreams come true. But first you have to help yourself in order for someone else to want to help you as well. A great place to start is just by asking for help. I promise it will be completely worth it!

Remember: We all deserve to have support, whether its emotional or financial. Money doesn't have to be stressful if you don't want it to be. All it takes is a little bit of your time and energy to ask for help and fill out applications, and you can be set for a full academic year.

Take care,
Kendra