UNCG wants to make it easier for families at poverty level to send their students to college.

In this final year of the Students First Campaign, the primary emphasis is on raising money for scholarships. If more money is earmarked for need-based scholarships, the Office of Financial Aid can move forward with a program to grant two loan-free years to students at or below poverty level.

“You have to start somewhere,” said Deborah Tollefson, director of the Office of Financial Aid. “We're trying to keep them in higher ed.”

Currently, UNCG loses roughly 27 percent of needy students between their freshman and sophomore years.

Increasing financial aid and retaining students would meet some of the major priorities for UNC Tomorrow. One of the overarching goals is to increase access to higher education for all North Carolinians — particularly for underserved regions, underrepresented populations and non-traditional students.

Somewhere between 1.7 million and 3.2 million college-qualified high school graduates never earn their bachelor's degrees as a result of financial barriers, according to the federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

For some, it's a matter of not being able to afford college at the outset and then having the additional hardships associated with a depressed economy such as rising prices on everything from food to gasoline. Others support their family financially.

At UNCG there is the added pressure of not having enough money designated for students in need.

“What makes all this confusing is that we actually give out enough financial aid that theoretically we could meet need,” Tollefson said. “The problem is that most of our institutional money, some of the state money and most of the outside scholarships are merit-based and go to students who may or may not have need as defined by the federal government.”

Want to help? Visit donate.uncg.edu or call (336) 334-5677 to make a contribution to the Students First Campaign.

Undergraduates aren't the only ones in need. Graduate students struggle as well.

Almost 7,000 graduate students applied for financial aid this fall and the Office of Financial Aid documented $19.5 million of need. Of that number, $4.1 million was unmet.

Nationally, the demand for graduate education is on the rise. A 2007 report by the National Center for Education Statistics states that about 40 percent of the undergraduate students who graduated between 1997 and 2007 went back to school to pursue advanced degrees. Projections for the next decade show master's, doctoral and professional degrees increasing by as much as 35 percent, even exceeding the 26 percent projected increase of bachelor's degrees.

“It is in graduate education that we develop the intellectual talent, those who can then create the technological breakthroughs that will improve the quality of life in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dr. Debra Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools.

Chia-Chi Chuang is one such student. A native of Taiwan, she completed her master's degree in toxicology with a perfect 4.0 at the top-ranked university in Taiwan. She decided to come to UNCG because of Dr. Mike McIntosh's nutrition research and because of the Charles Hayes Graduate Fellowship — a $10,000 annual award.

She is working on what causes metabolic syndrome and related disorders like diabetes. Since coming to UNCG she's found that grape powder prevents inflammatory gene expression caused by the saturated fatty acid palmitate in human fat cells. In layman's terms, grape juice and red wine could help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

UNCG now boasts 119 graduate programs and the greatest growth of PhD programs in the UNC system.

With all this growth, it is inevitable that needs exist. Putting a job on hold so that a student can pursue advanced education or life-changing research takes its toll on a pocketbook.

“One of my greatest stresses is obtaining enough funding to provide sufficient financial assistance to my students,” said McIntosh, the Lucy S. Keker Excellence Professor. “Financial security enhances their ability to focus on their research, course work and personal commitments without having to worry about how they're going to pay next month's rent or afford their next meal.”

Everyone knows education is important. But how important? Take a look at these statistics from the UNC Tomorrow Scholars Council and the Council on Graduate Schools:

• About 60 percent of the available jobs in the U.S. require skills possessed by only 20 percent of the workforce.
• By 2020, the shortage of workers with college-level skills in the U.S. will increase to more than 14 million.
• To keep up with the demands of a rapidly growing population, within the next six years North Carolina will need 41,000 more nursing professionals, 34,000 more public school teachers, 23,000 more computer and technology professionals, 10,000 more accountants and auditors, and 3,300 more social workers.

Tom Wayne '89, a lecturer in the Department of Accounting, teaches Management of Personal Finance. He is also the chief financial officer at the Bank of Oak Ridge. We asked him for his advice on how to get ready for college.

Even small savers can invest. Only have $50 dollars a month to save but thought investing was for those with the big bucks? At many mutual fund companies, that's all it takes to open an account, provided you make automatic investments each month.

Check out your options on the web. The internet is a great way to develop your savings goals for college. A few sites that can help you get started:

• www.dinkytown.com — has a great simple college savings calculator
• www.cfnc.org — North Carolina's site for planning, preparing and saving for college
• www.educationplanner.org — great general site with useful calculators and checklists

Tax-advantaged college savings vehicles abound and include 529 Savings Plans, 529 Prepaid Plan and Coverdell ESA. The internet is a great resource to research the advantages and disadvantages of the different alternatives.

Things people should know about saving

Pay yourself first and automate it. When you receive your paycheck, automatically divert money from your checking account to savings. It will force you to budget.

Eliminating even small unnecessary expenses can yield big bucks down the line. Ever wonder what that daily $4.25 caffe mocha costs over 18 years? Investing the $85 a month ($4.25 per day times 20 work days a month) and earning a 4 percent return over 18 years would yield a tidy sum of almost $27,000.

Set spending goals for yourself and stick to them. Meet regularly with family to discuss spending plans for the coming month or year, and consider your savings goals at the same time. Although this may involve eliminating or paring down discretionary expenses like gadgets, vacations and entertainment, you will put money in the bank and not receive those disappointing credit card bills in the mail.

Things people should know about debt

Borrowing is great when you get the money but often is a ball and chain that prevents you from reaching your long-term goals.

Keep your credit cards at home. Did you know that studies show that people spend more with credit cards than cash? Save yourself some money by leaving your credit card at home and using your checkbook, debit card or cash instead. If you can$t keep it at home, cut it up and don$t use it.

Reduce your debt more quickly by paying down those debts with the highest interest rates first, second highest interest rate next, and so on.