College aid isn’t working

When I hear my sister-in-law crying on the other end of the phone because she’s unsure how to have the conversation with her youngest son about not being able to afford college, my reaction is to blame her.

I’m a teacher, so I’m biased. I believe the system has its faults, but overall it works. Must be poor planning, or irresponsible spending, or maybe she just doesn’t know what loan to apply for, because in America we have all we need for success.

Not so fast.

Middle class nowadays means it’s very possible you won’t get financial support. So now my sister-in-law and her family, working hard to make ends meet, will get no help. Maybe these letters don’t come in because the message is loud and clear: “You make enough to afford it on your own.” And people around my sister-in-law, like me, want to blame her because if it’s a fault in the system, I’m in trouble.

But we need help. We deserve help. We, the hardworking middle class, need financial help for college and it’s not our fault, it’s nobody’s fault. We just need help.

Tyler Ham

Spokane