College Students Reflect On Personal Impact Of Economy

As high-school seniors decide where to go to college in the fall, and current college students also look to the upcoming school year, cost is a bigger factor than ever before.

In this economy, many families face job losses and financial hardship in trying to figure out how to pay the $16,000 per year average cost to go to a public four-year college, or the average $41,000 to go to a private four-year college in Massachusetts.

So, it's not surprising that more students are reaching out for help.

The Federal Department of Education reports a 22 percent increase in applications for federal student aid, and schools themselves are also experiencing an increase in aid requests.

All this at the same time that college endowments have taken a hit.

A journalism class at Boston University recently asked students to write a commentary on how the economy has affected them and their families.