Author Glenn Ghirardi

College is the best four years of your life. But let's be honest, everything comes with a price. When everyone talks about the price of college they talk about the $33,000 a year tuition costs. Yet, they sometimes forget the spending cash that goes into your pocket only to come right back out.

Every year, students are given financial aid packages based on estimations as to how much money they might happen to have.That's right, rather than having their bases rooted in straight financial facts, student financial aid packages are assessed through a system of assumptions and educated guesses.

My face flushed with shame and embarrassment as I turned to look at my mother two seats away. "Glenn, this is horrible," she said with a look of utter disgust and disappointment. She said this as an overwhelming cheer of "F*** Loyola!" filled the Arena at Harbor Yard 10 minutes before the opening tip-off.