By Jacob Boone | Staff Writer
Undergrads: When was the last time you applied for a scholarship? Most people I know stopped applying for scholarships when they finished their college applications, but a lot has changed since then. With more life experience to apply for a scholarship and tuition higher than ever, now is the best time to take another look at what scholarships have to offer.
Baylor’s tuition has steadily risen every three years for the past three decades. In 2024, according to data gathered from Baylor’s One Stop, the university is due for another inflation-outpacing tuition hike. And it isn’t alone. Last semester, Texas Christian University raised its full-time undergraduate tuition by $4,500 — a nearly 8% hike in annual tuition.
Here is what an 8% increase in tuition would look like in Baylor terms:
- 450 hours worked at the Moody Memorial Library front desk
- 250 tables served at Magnolia Table
- One scholarship
Only suckers pay the sticker price, so let them! Instead, spend some time applying for a few scholarships after a well-thought-out conversation with a Baylor financial aid adviser. Somebody is going to walk home with that scholarship; why shouldn’t it be you?
Baylor offers a lot of scholarships. Some of them are applied automatically based on a student’s standardized test score or FAFSA-determined financial need, but the scholarships that most undergrads should investigate are hidden under the names of Baylor’s numerous donors, and they’re usually guarded by a 300- to 1,000-word essay.
Fortunately, as an undergrad, your essays get to capitalize on the skills gleaned from Baylor’s mandatory English classes. Combined with help from your favorite professors and the University Writing Center, one scholarship application a day doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Luckily, scholarships aren’t the only way to lower tuition. A strong argument for the renegotiation of tuition could turn out to be one of the most valuable conversations you have in college. There are more than a few reasons why you should be paying less than you are now. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before walking into a tuition renegotiation.
1. Does my sibling go to college now?
2. Am I working a job on campus?
3. Has my parents’ financial situation changed?
4. Have I been accepted to or am I considering going to another school?
Turn these answers into cash by leveraging yourself and your situation, and walk out of that conversation with (hopefully) less student debt.
Seniors reading this article: It is never too late to apply for scholarships. Hopefully, extended attendance at Baylor will translate to a longer list of accomplishments, activities and accolades. Put this experience on paper, and you will have a better shot than most high school seniors at getting scholarship money.
Unknown to most, Baylor has a program that lets scholarship money exceeding tuition be given back to the student. As a freshman, the idea of exceeding your tuition in scholarship money seems crazy. However, as a senior taking 12 hours? The money is practically knocking on your door!
Do your family a favor and get to work on those scholarship applications, because if you don’t, someone else will.
