The stereotype of the broke college kid may apply to you, or someone you know. They are the people whose debit cards get declined at a convenience store, the one who eats ramen for dinner every night, and the one who gets way too excited about gas being below two dollars. With college tuition being so high, and not everyone having the opportunity to work while taking classes, things can get pretty tight financially. However, there is money out there waiting for you -- you just need the initiative to go after it.     

According to the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, students in America have accumulated $1.2 trillion in federal student debt. This is quite a large and impressionable statistic. Sure, universities are raising tuition and fees, textbooks are pricey, and the economy has all together been to our disadvantage, but are students really doing all that they can to minimize their debt? It should also be noted that, according to a U.S. News survey, only 41 percent of students graduate in four years. So, not only are we spending more than in the past, but we are also spending more, for more years than expected.   

With the FAFSA deadline of March 1 approaching, it is important to remember other resources available for students. Purdue’s Division of Financial Aid offers a plethora of scholarships available at the department, college, and university level. These are not solely merit based. If your GPA is not the highest, but you have been a leader on campus, an active volunteer, or even if you belong to a certain ethnic group or demographic, chances are that there is a scholarship for you to apply for. 

The Division of Financial Aid’s website, www.purdue.edu/dfa, allows for easy searching of scholarships. You can look among scholarships specific for Indiana residents, out-of-state students, scholarships for certain years in school, etc.   

A lot of the scholarship deadlines are approaching. Many scholarships available through Purdue require applications to be turned in between the months of February and March, so order that transcript and write that essay. The reality of the situation is that if you don’t apply, you won’t receive any of the money out there. Everyone could use the extra money down the line, whether it’s five hundred dollars or five thousand. Another way to think of it is this: would you rather spend one hour on an application, or work for a month to pay one student loan bill?   

We can flourish in our broke ways, right now, while it is more socially acceptable, but no one wants to be poor forever. Do your research, now, and fill out whatever applications there are for scholarships you are eligible for.