(November 1, 2005) — Once upon a time there existed a California where financing for a private college education was more burdensome than paying for a public one. According to counselor Linda Doll, however, this is no longer true and hasn’t been for several years now, thanks to budget cuts. “Any student who believes that it’s necessarily harder to pay for a private college at this point in time is not investigating his or her options like he or she should,” Doll said. “The saddest thing is when a kid doesn’t apply to a private college just because of financial issues.” So what is the deal with these private colleges anyway? A more altruistic financial aid office? To some degree, yes. According to Doll, students applying to private institutions actually find it easier to access monetary help. Not only do private colleges have more money to offer, but they also have control over the amount of financial aid they want to give. Public colleges, on the other hand, have only a certain amount of money allotted to their financial aid department. According to www.universityofcalifornia.edu , this amount has shrunk by 15 percent in the past four years due to the imposition of severe budget cuts even as student enrollment continued to increase by 19 percent. Because of this, public institutions are compelled to prioritize those students who are in need of the most financial help. To make the situation easier to understand, consider one local private university: USC. Doll says that USC’s “successful alumni” and “cohesive type of environment” have drawn many corporations to invest largely in their scholarships and other financial aid funds. For instance, according to Doll, USC alumnus and professor, Andrew J. Viterbi, who is now the owner of the Qual Comm wireless communication company, recently donated over $52 million to USC’s School of Engineering. Besides contributions from Qual Comm and other private corporations, USC also gets a boost on the green from its very own football team. The fame of the USC Trojans as well as that of other sports teams brings in funding for the school every year. 2005 Clark graduate Ann Jun received a Presidential Scholarship from USC. The scholarship paid for half of her college tuition, in addition to other financial aid. Another Clark alumnus got USC to pay for basically everything that required payment and was even awarded with a monthly stipend. “Not too shabby,” said Doll. Different colleges and universities may have different perks when it comes to granting their students financial aid, but it ultimately comes down to the student to get the most out of it. “Students need to be proactive when it comes to financial aid and not just sit back. There’s a ton of scholarships out there,” Doll said. Another Clark alumnus, Mark Landig, who is currently enrolled at UCLA, says that it’s the students’ responsibility to look for as much financial aid as they can find. According to Landig, students should look for scholarships as soon as possible online at fastweb.com or any organizations that offer financial aid. Students should also try to apply for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grants, and consult their university’s financial aid office ahead of time. As a final piece of advice, he adds, “Listen to everything Ms. Doll says regarding college finances! Every thing she says is important and should be taken seriously.”