Leaving the nest adds to responsibilities
Sometimes Jayhawks fall flat when it comes to paying bills
By Mike Alzamora Kansan correspondent
Bills and money are a pair of words that just don't mix in most college students' vocabularies. While most students are aware of the ongoing responsibility, many have a difficult time fulfilling their financial obligations.
A reason for this is because most students come to college without having dealt with many debts of their own. This lack of experience causes some students to panic and struggle when it comes time to pay up.
"That's a reality with a lot of students. Sometimes you have to prioritize what you pay and what you don't pay. You may have a couple of bills due, and you aren't going to get paid for another week. So you just basically have to put one of those off until you have the money to pay for it," said Mitchel Zimmerman, Hoxie senior.
Most students agreed that mortgage or rent was always first and foremost. This is mainly true for students who live off campus.
Although a lot of students often choose to live in places where their utilities already are included with their rent, this isn't always the case. In many cases, students are forced to deal out more some more cash to preserve suitable living conditions.
"Luckily, our rent includes most of our utilities, so all we have to worry about is electricity," said Cindy Pratt, Atchison junior. "It's just a hassle trying to divide up a bunch of bills by three, and then writing three separate checks for each bill," said Pratt's roommate Jenn Uthe, Madison, South Dakota, junior. Uthe and Pratt just began living off campus this semester.
Unfortunately, the financial drainage doesn't usually stop there. Many students also deal with car and credit card payments. Then if there is money left over, the phone and cable bill still are there to give students more headaches. "You've got to be very careful with credit cards," Uthe said. "They can just break you completely. They can break you to the point that you have to take out a loan just to pay them off."
"I know some people that donated blood or plasma to get their bills paid." Pratt said.
What can students do if they find themselves overwhelmed by debts and realize that it is going to be impossible to pay off all of them by the time they are due? People often seek help from financial advisers or other financial agencies.
Consumer Credit Counseling in Lawrence offers many programs to help people deal with financial troubles. Besides budget and debt repayment programs, they also offer home ownership opportunities and educational programs. They deal with tenant and landlord problems, and with mortgage and rent delinquency as well.
Their process begins with an appointment with a credit counselor to help an individual reevaluate his or her situation. Those seeking help are required to fill out a worksheet before meeting with a counselor so the counselor can see what the best plan may be for each individual's situation. They usually can find a way for a person to make one monthly payment to them. They then take care of disbursing it to creditors. Often, this will lower the client's interest and allow him or her to catch up on payments.
"We try to find the best solution to each individual's situation," said Suzie Thompson, the senior credit counselor in Topeka.
Zimmerman advises students who are planning to move off campus to have a good reason for wanting to move, then to make a checklist of what to look for in an apartment. "Living on campus is a lot of times more convenient. But you also have more privacy off campus, which a lot of times allows you to focus more on your studies."
Photo illustration by Pam Dishman / KANSAN
Uthe and Pratt also advise students who plan to live off campus to look around for the best deal.
"You want to try to find something where you won't have to worry about many more bills," Pratt said.
October 17,1996 The Hill
Homecoming
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