Financial aid helps students in different areas of daily life while attending college.
According to Joan Wegner, director of financial aid, financial aid is given to students to help fund their school related needs such as books, supplies, tuition fees, room and board, and transportation.
While that is the main concern for schools to give financial aid to their students, how students use their check is entirely up to them.
Junior Stefo said he did receive financial aid but used it for other items. “I used it for food and clothes, but I buy the food from campus so I guess that can be school related.”
Jade Copland said he didn’t receive financial aid this semester but when he does, “I usually buy books or just save it. I don’t spend it unless I need it.”
Wegner said that there are 13,000 students who receive financial aid at Bakersfield College, but with 16,000 students a semester, there are those who don’t receive any type of aid.
Accounting major Kacy McColgan said she didn’t receive financial aid but if she did, she said, “I would use it for my books and supplies because they’re really expensive.”
Another student, Joseph Maldanado, said he didn’t receive financial aid but if he did, “I would use it for food and clothes or whatever else I wanted.”
Wegner said that students can start filling out applications now for the next semester to see if they’re eligible for next year.
Applications are located in the financial aid lobby or also online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.