Kyle Robisch, have you ever heard of a personal budget? I'm a UF junior who relies on Florida Bright Futures, and I'm grappling with the concept of money management.
I'll be the first to admit, it's not as easy as the math would seem - but part of that is due to the cuts in Bright Futures. When my parents sat me down to talk finances before my freshman year, we worked out a rough budget and agreed on how to split expenses. I'll admit that I am skating by without paying rent, utilities, insurance or my cell phone bill - that's what we agreed. My expenses include textbooks, groceries, cleaning supplies, toiletries, car maintenance, gas and fun money.
That list is not short, and the items on it are hardly petty. And the truth of the matter is that each semester I have had a budget of roughly $2,000, thanks to the comforts of Bright Futures combined with savings. This semester, my check back was only $1,300 - and the $500 I'm down from the textbook allotment is really putting a strain on my long-term planning.
You can argue that I didn't rightly deserve my award - although I graduated in the top 2 percent of my class - and you can argue that students should have to pay for classes that they drop. But my point is that students who have relied on Bright Futures for the last few years are being hurt by the cuts, and their collective fiscal plans have been derailed. A $1,000 annual difference may not seem like a lot, but for a kid living (out of pocket) on $3,000 a year, it's a huge blow. So before you tell everyone to stop whining, consider that we don't all pay dues to Greek organizations, frequent Starbucks or hit the bars nightly. Instead of advocating cutting a program that helps educate millions, consider how it helps many avoid debt while still fulfilling their dreams and teaching money management skills that transcend calling Daddy for more dollars.
The more appropriate resolution for the program is to raise standards for all levels of the award, so that only those who really work for it will benefit.
