When good meets really, really, really bad.
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Daniel Harper is down on his luck as he struggles to pay for his sophomore year at NYU. Desperate times lead him to sell drugs for some time. When that proves to not be enough, his only option is to...
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DANIEL HARPER
Dear Daniel Harper,
This is the Student Department of Finance. I am emailing you today for a meeting about an urgent topic. You currently have an outstanding balance and must pay or you will be dropped from your classes. Please come by my office later today when you can.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gabriel Down President of the Student Department of Finance
I read the email and knew immediately what it was about. My family warned me about attending a private university. And I just so happened to choose NYU, which is located in one of the most expensive cities ever.
After I got out of Physics, I went straight towards the Department of Finance. It took almost 10 minutes, since it’s located on the other end of campus. I kept shaking in my shoes when the elevator opened and I sat in the soft but uncomfortable chairs.
“Mr Harper?” An old voice called. I turned to see Mr. Down holding his office door open. “Come on in.” He said. I walked in his office and sat down in the chair. I looked around, seeing his diploma from NYU and pictures of his family.
“As my email stated, we need to discuss your tuition cost.” He started.
“I know that I’m behind on payments, but I’m having trouble finding the money, sir.” I said.
“I understand that you may be struggling, but unless you don’t pay by the end of this semester, not only will you be dropped from your classes, but you’ll be expelled from our institution.” He said. There was no sympathy in his eyes.
“But sir, my family can’t afford this! They’ve raised as much as they could but that alone was barely enough for my freshman year.” My voice quivered.
“Here’s what we can do. Here are some pamphlets for banks who offer loans to struggling students.” He handed me a few papers, each one of a different bank. “We can also look into some scholarships. I’ll email you a list that our school offers. I know you’re struggling, but you should think of your future, Daniel.” His voice sounded as if he didn’t care about me.
I looked down at the pamphlets. ‘Unsubsidized loans!’ ‘Low interest rate!’ ‘No government entanglement!’. That last one sounds sketchy.
Once I had left the Finance building, I walked far enough until I was able to breathe and calm myself down. I knew who I needed to call.
“Hey, auntie. I just got out of a meeting with the university’s finance person.” I said into the phone.
“What did they want? Is it about payments?” My aunt's soft, caring voice asked.
“Mhm. They say I need to pay the rest of my tuition for this year or I’m getting kicked out of school.” I told her. I picked at the bark of a tree and dug my shoes into the mud below me.
