By Jennifer S. McDonald
C & G Staff Writer

It’s getting down to the wire for high school seniors and their families in terms of making post-secondary education plans in time for fall.

The quest for money that begins in the latter part of students’ senior year has taken on a whole new meaning due to Michigan’s fragile economic situation.

Many states throughout the Midwest are considering cutting financial aid for those who are college-bound, while colleges and universities are raising tuition, creating tough situations for students who are already faced with hard decisions.

In the hopes of saving money, many are attending community college for the first couple of years, before transferring to a university from which they plan to graduate.

Natalie Phillips, 18, a Rochester High School senior, plans to attend Oakland Community College this summer before transferring to Western Michigan University in the fall. Phillips says she wants to double major in fine arts and business, but hopes to save a little cash by taking some of the general class requirements at OCC.

“I applied for some scholarships, so I’m hoping some of those will come through,” Phillips said. “But other than that, I guess we’re going to have to try and get some loans. I’m going to have to pay for the books and any other fun stuff, like movies and dinners.”

Aid can make a huge difference in affordability for many. According to the College Board, a nonprofit organization of colleges, universities and other educational institutions, the average list price of tuition and fees per academic year is $17,336 for in-state students at four-year public universities and $35,374 at private colleges, with some costing more.

Rochester High School guidance counselor Kelly Messing-Mirabito said it’s important for parents to talk with their children about these fees and to be realistic about their situation.

“When I meet with many of my seniors, many of them don’t know (how they’re going to pay for college). Many haven’t even sat down with their parents to talk about it,” Messing-Mirabito said. “They need to be having these conversations about what’s going to happen and what they can afford, so it’s a family decision and everyone is prepared.”

While the economic situation may seem bleak, many students can benefit from the turmoil, especially at colleges with high tuitions and scarce resources.

According to Lisa Acton, a guidance counselor at Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills, money is readily available, for those who know where to look.

“It used to be that schools really only gave money to people who were seriously struggling,” Acton said. “Now they’re looking at middle-income families. Colleges are trying really hard to make it affordable for kids, because they don’t want them to go to (community college).”

Many students depend on a combination of aid, including money obtained through merit-based, alumni and private scholarships, as well as through student loans.

“There’s all kinds of stuff out there, but you have to apply and hope you get it,” Acton said. “That’s a job in and of itself.”

Andover High School senior David Rohr, 18, applied to 12 colleges across the nation, including the University of Michigan, the University of Alabama, Stanford University, Princeton University and Vanderbilt University.

Though Rohr is waiting to hear from a few, he’s already received notice of a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Alabama because of his academic merit, while others have offered half and two-thirds tuition fulfillment scholarships, he said.

“(Money) was definitely on all of our minds,” Rohr said. “(My parents) said they’d help me pay for college, but all three of us are looking for ways to make it cheaper. I don’t want to say it’s going to be the deciding factor, but it plays a part.”

Two hotspots for scholarship money are www.fastweb.com and www.schoolsoup.com, Acton said. FastWeb matches users to scholarships based on their qualifications. The organization has more than 1.3 million scholarships worth over $3 billion. At schoolsoup.com, users can search through private and school-sponsored awards, as well as government grant and loan programs.

Admissions experts recommend considering a range of fallback options, from lower-cost public schools to community colleges, or even waiting a year to save more money.

“I don’t think anyone is giving up on it because they can’t afford it,” Messing-Mirabito said. “They’re realizing they need a college degree for a lot of occupations and jobs in this economy, which is good. I think kids are really seeing the importance of getting an education.”