By Laura Haas | Staff Reporter
Carla Raymer always knew she wanted to work with children. The daughter of a Brazilian and an Englishwoman, Raymer came to the U.S. in 2001 when her parents were transferred here for work.
After high school graduation, Raymer moved with her family to Switzerland when her parents were again transferred, for four months. Upon her return to Atlanta, she was denied in-state tuition.
According to an article from the October 2011 CQ Researcher, “student debt surpassed credit-card debt in June 2010 for the first time in history.” At the time of the article, student debt had reached $830 billion.
Tuition has continued to rise. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, tuition at Georgia State rose an additional 3.5 percent this year, making college less affordable for students.
Junior Casey Fowler decided to take out loans to for his degree in philosophy, a major he decided on after taking an introductory course during his freshman year.
“It’s not really about the money,” Fowler said. “Engineers can only engineer, nurses can only nurse. The analytic skills I’m honing as a philosophy major will serve me well in any career I choose.”
To regain her residency, Raymer spent two years studying at Georgia Perimeter College before deciding to transfer to Georgia State because of its proximity to her full time job.
“At this point, I had taken on a full time job and even though I was in-state, I couldn’t get the government funds because my parents were out of the country,” Raymer said.
According to Fafsa.gov, students are considered dependent on their parents until the age of 24 unless they meet certain criteria such as being married, serving in the armed forces or having dependents of their own.
Though Raymer had been able to obtain residency, she would not be granted federal financial aid.
Raymer came to Georgia State as a music education major, a demanding course of study—especially difficult for a full time employee.
“Music, it was too much,” Raymer said. “I couldn’t keep a full time job; I couldn’t afford to do it.”
According to a study conducted in 2011 by the Project on Student Debt, developed by the Institute for College Access & Success, 55 percent of Georgia college graduates of the Class of 2010 graduated with debt, giving Georgia the rank of 33rd highest rate of debt among graduates.
During the summer of 2012, Raymer decided she could no longer afford the stress or time-demanding music education course load. She dropped the music program and is currently majoring in Birth Through Five, a program of the department of Early Childhood Education.
“The decision kind of happened within three weeks,” Raymer said. “I completely love the decision that I made.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a kindergarten teacher was $51, 380. Students who earn a degree in Birth Through Five often seek jobs in childcare, preschool and kindergarten teaching.
Fowler hopes to earn a master’s degree before working as a technical writer.
“I can’t imagine going to school for something I’m not passionate about,” Fowler said. “It sounds like a good plan but, in the long run, I’d rather be happy than rich.”
