University is NOT Affordable....

I just got my last online bill from the University of North Dakota. They finally owe me money! Not much but I will take what I can get. I get a massive 3.78 back! I was looking back at how much money I really spent with the university this last semester. Because honestly when you make payments you don't stop and think how much is really being spent. You just see total due this payment period and you go, oh well that's not TOO bad. You whip out the debt card and go about your business.

When I actually looked up online how much I spent and what I spent it on... I died a little inside. Here are some random samplings of the cost of university.

02/22/2005	Application Fee	35.00	USD
08/19/2005	Orientation Fee	15.00
08/19/2005	Swanson Hall	1,274.00
08/20/2005	10 Meal Resident Fall	1,324.00
08/22/2005	ARH Academic Year	29.50
08/22/2005	Barnes/Noble Bookstore	235.20
09/08/2005	Student Health Services	72.25
09/20/2005	Swanson Hall Double as Single	1,861.68
10/02/2005	ID Card New	15.00
10/05/2005	Aerospace Laptop Rental	450.00
10/05/2005	Aviation ATC Sim Course Fee	400.00
10/05/2005	Mand Fee Connect ND	81.00
10/05/2005	Mand Fee NDSA	0.36
10/05/2005	Mand Fee Technology	50.00
10/05/2005	Mand Fee Wellness Bond	50.00
10/05/2005	Mand Fees McCannel	15.00
10/05/2005	Mand Fees Student Fees	235.14
10/05/2005	Mand Fees Student Union	14.50
10/05/2005	Parking Fine	30.00
10/05/2005	Tuition MHEC Undergrad	3,292.00

For a GRAND total of US$9,480

If you add in my parking permit fee, the odds and ends you need when moving in that you buy from Target, the week of fast-food I had to eat because the dining centers were closed for breaks, you can easily see how one semester can be well over $10,000. My insides just died. I even get discounted tuition too. I dont pay the full out of state costs because of some Midwest program to promote Midwestern Universities to students.

What makes it worse... the fact that studying and living in Sydney only cost me US$9.500. My heart just exploded in despair. I just want to cry in the corner and go back.

And to make things even more heart crushing. No scholarships this upcoming next year. No RA position to help with housing costs for next year. And my federal loan dollars decreased because my parents, who still claim me until 24 under the law, because they actually increased their tax status last year. By the way, my parents in no way helped pay for the last year of my university study. They believe that I could have got my degree finished in 3 years and thats all they chipped in.

Just three more years...