I wasn’t able to go home because of my institutional debt.
During my freshman year of college, I struggled mentally, unable to handle both the pressures of school and the pandemic. My academics suffered, and I ultimately had to withdraw from the quarter. Unbeknownst to my family and I, we received a bill two months later stating that I needed to pay the school $10,000 in order to return. This added salt to an already open wound. Instead of focusing on my mental health and recovery, I had to find a job to start paying off my debt. Because of this institutional debt, I couldn’t re-enroll in college until I had paid it in full, delaying my graduation.
I had to take summer classes during my third year to stay on track for graduation. By that time, my mom had started to get sick. That summer, however, her illness worsened significantly. I desperately wanted to drop my classes and go home to care for her, but I couldn’t. I was told that withdrawing would delay my graduation and require me to repay the financial aid I had received—pushing my graduation even further. So, when my family needed me the most, I stayed at college, working to ensure I could continue my education.
Institutional debt—and the fear of accumulating more—prevented me from being there for my family. If I had lost my mom, I know I would have lived with the lifelong regret of not being there when she needed me most.