What a Target Run Taught Me About the Real Cost of College
By Eli Kennedy, CEO, Students Rising Above.
The hidden costs of college are the expenses beyond tuition, such as laptops, textbooks, transportation, and emergency bills. For first-generation, low-income students without a family safety net, one unexpected cost can force them to leave school. Students Rising Above gives scholars direct financial support to cover them, plus emergency funds for larger hardships.
One of the most fun things we do at Students Rising Above (SRA) is take our scholars shopping for their dorm rooms. SRA is a Bay Area nonprofit that helps first-generation, low-income students get into college and stay there.
For many of our students, college is their first experience living away from home. They are figuring out what they will need as they move from their childhood bedroom into their first living space of their own, often without a family safety net to fall back on.
What do first-generation students worry about before college?
In early August, I met three students at a Target, along with their advisor, for this annual ritual. Sarah, Becky, and Lisa were just a few weeks away from heading off to UC Merced, UC Berkeley, and the University of San Francisco.
As we walked the aisles, their excitement about the next chapter was palpable. They talked about their dreams of becoming dentists, forensic professionals, and lawyers. They debated which sheets to buy and what they might need for their dorm rooms.
And then came the smaller questions that revealed just how much uncertainty they were carrying with them: Will I get along with my roommate? Will I miss my family? Is the food any good?
They also had questions that were harder to answer, questions about money.
“My meal plan covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but how will I afford late-night snacks when I’m studying?”
“I need a laptop and books, but my financial aid package doesn’t include them.”
“I’ve always dreamed of doing a semester abroad, but plane tickets cost thousands of dollars.”
“I’m going to be living off campus. How will I pay for parking and gas? And what happens if I get a parking ticket I can’t afford?”
What are the hidden costs of college?
These are not hypothetical concerns. They are the hidden costs of college, and for first-generation college students, they can make the difference between staying in school and having to stop out. An unexpected expense is one of the most common reasons students leave college before finishing, and the safety net meant to catch them is shrinking. The share of students receiving emergency campus aid fell from 44 percent in 2021 to just 4 percent last year.
The cost of attending college extends far beyond tuition. The list of “unexpected” expenses is long: textbooks and a laptop, transportation home to see family, a study-abroad flight, a winter coat for a student who grew up somewhere it never snows, laundry, routine dental and health care, a parking ticket that becomes a crisis because there is nothing set aside to cover it.
Why do first-generation students leave college?
An unexpected expense is one of the most common reasons students leave college before finishing, and the safety net meant to catch them is shrinking. The share of students receiving emergency campus aid fell from 44 percent in 2021 to just 4 percent in fall of 2025, according to a Trellis Strategies survey reported by Inside Higher Ed.
The need is widespread. In the Hope Center’s fall 2019 #RealCollege survey, 58 percent of Black students and 54 percent of Latino students experienced housing insecurity, and 39 percent of all students surveyed experienced food insecurity. For families who have never navigated college before, there is often neither the financial capacity nor the firsthand experience to serve as a safety net when an unexpected expense arises.
What are California lawmakers doing about the hidden costs of college?
California lawmakers have taken notice. Senate Bill 1006 proposed tying the Cal Grant B access award, the state’s main non-tuition aid award, to inflation. Set at $900 in 1969, that award is capped at $1,648 a year even as non-tuition costs for students living independently off campus often exceed $30,000 annually. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee 7 to 0 in March 2026 but was held in committee in May. Getting into college is one problem; paying for everything college doesn’t cover is another.
How does Students Rising Above help students stay in college?
his is why Students Rising Above provides our scholars with funds each year to help cover these hidden costs of college. We also maintain emergency funds for more significant financial hardships.
Because getting a student into college is just the beginning.
We want our students to have the same opportunity to persist, graduate and build the life they envision as students whose families can provide a financial cushion when something goes wrong. Sarah, Becky and Lisa shouldn’t have to choose between becoming a dentist, a forensic professional or a lawyer and being able to afford a laptop, a winter coat or a ride home. No student should have to defer a dream because of a few hundred dollars. At Students Rising Above, we are doing everything we can to make sure that the 1,200 students we serve this year don’t have to.
Help a student stay enrolled this year
Eli Kennedy is CEO of Students Rising Above. Since 1998, Students Rising Above (SRA) has supported more than 2,000 first-generation students in crafting, navigating, and thriving in college experiences that lead to meaningful careers.
FAQ block
What are the hidden costs of college?
The hidden costs of college are expenses beyond tuition that financial aid often does not cover. Examples include a laptop, textbooks, transportation home, a study-abroad flight, a winter coat, laundry, routine health care, and parking fines.
Why do first-generation students leave college?
Many first-generation students have no family financial cushion, so one unexpected expense can become a crisis. The safety net is also shrinking. The share of students receiving emergency aid fell from 44 percent in fall 2021 to 4 percent in fall 2025, according to a Trellis Strategies survey reported by Inside Higher Ed.
What is the Cal Grant B access award?
The Cal Grant B access award is California’s main aid award for non-tuition costs. It was set at $900 in 1969 and is capped at $1,648 a year today, while non-tuition costs for students living independently off campus often exceed $30,000 annually.
How does Students Rising Above help students cover the hidden costs of college?
Students Rising Above provides scholars in its programs with funds each year to help cover these things. We also maintain emergency funds for more significant financial hardships.
Who does Students Rising Above serve?
Students Rising Above is a Bay Area nonprofit that helps first-generation, low-income students get into college, stay in college and into economically mobile careers. Since 1998, it has supported more than 2,000 students, and it serves 1,200 students this year.