Paying for College the Hard Way

College is a free ride for some, but for others, it’s a struggle just to afford. Aarol Parks, sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, works at Starbucks in Norman to help pay for her tuition. Aarol, like many students, works to help take the burden off of her mother financially. “My Mom and stepdad divorced after my freshman year of college. So in order to help pay for my tuition I decided to get a part-time job,” Parks said. Alison Baker, Director of the Scholarship Office at the University of Oklahoma, says, “50 percent of our student body is currently receiving some sort of financial aide.” “(College) wasn’t too expensive for what I wanted to do, but of course, I wasn’t having to work 50 hours a week like some students were.” “A couple of my friends from high school actually had to go to community college straight out of high school because they weren’t able to afford to go to a four-year university right out of high school,” Parks said. “I think people will still understand the importance of going to college, but I definitely think they are going to see the ramifications of getting student loans, and financial aide, further into their life,” Parks said. Many students struggle to pay, but through working, scholarships and other means of payment, they achieve their goal of a college degree. By: Ryan King VIDEO: Ryan King Run Time: 1:59 Lead in: My name is Aarol Parks... Source Sheet Alison Baker – Scholarship Office Director, (405) 325-4864 Aarol Parks –