7 months ago
FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (WUSA) -- With the start of a new school year just a few weeks away, a growing number of families across the country are struggling to cover the costs of sending their children to college. For instance, take 18-year-old Leon Ouzts of Fort Washington, Maryland. He's been accepted to Stevenson University in Baltimore to play basketball and study law.
"I want to go to school so I can learn and play basketball at the same time," said Ouzts.
The only problem is that time is running out. His tuition for the fall semester is due Thursday.
"Right now, I'm $5,993 short," said Ouzts.
His mother, Cheryl Ouzts, says she's done everything possible to secure the funds. Her son has already received $9,827 in work study, student loans, and federal financial aid; but it's still not enough to cover the balance.
"Right now I'm very stressed because he's looking at me every day wondering if he's going to be able to attend Stevenson," said Cheryl. "It's heartbreaking. I have cried, but he has not seen me cry."
So we took the Ouzts' problem to the experts at the School Counseling Group in Washington, D.C. Turns out, in this economy, it's a problem that's all too common.
"We're seeing people are hurting," said Brie Jeweler-Bentz with the School Counseling Group.
Jeweler-Bentz says there isn't much the Ouzts' family can do before the Thursday deadline, but there is still a chance if they call the university's financial aid office.
"Just make a phone call and say my kid really wants to go to this school. It's really important. We appreciate the aid that you've given us, but it just isn't enough. Is there anything else you can do?" advises Jeweler-Bentz.
The bottom line is it's likely too late for the Ouzts family to find last-minute funding unless the university is willing to extend their deadline or allow them to file an appeal. However, the good news is that once you are accepted to a school, you can always defer enrollment until you have saved enough money to cover tuition.
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