A Money Conundrom

I'm looking forward to starting my final semester in college soon, and looking forward to the poverty it will bring. Granted, I have about 3 weeks when all is said and done left to beg borrow and steal hours at the grocery, but that's not what gets my grits.

First of all, there's the fact that I have to pay a full semester's tuition for the privelage of student teaching. Basically, I'm paying the University to work 40 hours a week. Our semester is a good month longer than the regular University semester, and on top of that they expect us not to, nay forbid us to pick up a second job to support ourselves! Ludicrous!!!

But have no fear, student loans will save us! Oh wait, let's do the math:

$5,500 total semester loan, seperated into two payments, one in September, and one 8 weeks later, starting out the semester with:

$2,750

Cost of tuition, Fall 2005: $2,692

Leaving us with a total of:

$58!!!

So, I'm not allowed to work, but I have to survive 8 weeks on $58, plus whatever I can scrounge this summer. The good news is at the 8 week mark I get another $2750.

It's amazing really...in my 4.5 years at college, a semester's tuition has nearly doubled. Thank goodness I'm getting out now.