Key Takeaways

  • High college tuition, limited financial aid, and budget strains in families push students to work multiple jobs, reduce their course loads, or (too often) ‘take a year off’
  • Having unmet financial need delays life milestones, strains well-being, and slows the economy
  • Helping college students cross the finish line benefits individuals, families and communities, and the entire next generation of American talent
  • If you’d like to help, consider giving to The Aunt Betty Fund ahead of the holiday season, or alternatively, anytime during National Giving Month this December
  • Larger donors: Aunt Betty can launch a turnkey scholarship program for your community, with a $10,000 match from an anonymous donor during Generosity Week, December 1-5.

It’s the season of giving! Every December we search for the perfect gift: something thoughtful, something that says I see you and I'm in your corner. For millions of college students, the most meaningful gift isn't wrapped. It's relief from the financial burdens that shadow nearly every college student and cause them to work multiple jobs – sometimes at the expense of completing their degree and navigating the start to a new career. This holiday giving season, there's a way to give that relief, and have your generosity continue to make an impact well past January.

Why College Costs So Much More Than It Used to

College was once within reach for many families, thanks to state subsidies and federal aid including Pell grants, student loans and the GI Bill. More recently, spiraling college costs and over-reliance on borrowing have shifted the education burden onto students and their families.

Three forces keep prices climbing:

  • Less public funding. Most of the run-up in public tuition came when states cut higher-education budgets during recessions, and state universities raised prices to make up the lost revenue, eventually forcing students to pay far more than what they received in overall education value.
  • Rising costs, weak competition. Non-classroom spending has outpaced instruction, and opaque pricing inhibits outside pressure to cut costs.
  • Flat family incomes. Middle-class earnings have barely kept up with inflation for 40 years, while education costs have inflated faster than any major sector of the US economy.

Sticker prices show the shift. Average private four-year tuition and fees rose from $14,500 in 1971-72 to $45,000 in 2025-26, adjusted for inflation. Aid has helped, and net tuition has stabilized for most students since the mid-2010s. But tuition is the only stable part of the bill. Even at public four-year colleges, the average net cost of attendance is about $20,780 – reflecting the unavoidable rising costs of room, board and transportation.

The result of all this? Students without substantial scholarships or family wealth are frequently left to take on tens of thousands of dollars per year in student debt to fill the gap, all without any guarantee that their future salaries will be enough to pay off this debt timely. Many employers don’t factor the cost of paying for higher education into the salaries they offer. As of 2024, just 14% of employers offered student loan repayment benefits as part of compensation packages.

In short, the failure of state and federal governments, universities, and employers to contain or offset the costs of higher education has left the majority of American graduates to shoulder staggering student loan payments on their own - a cost many will carry for most of their lives.

How Student Debt Reaches Beyond the Borrower

CNBC Personal Finance reports that as of 2026, more than 42 million Americans carry federal education debt, averaging about $41,000 per borrower.

Repayment is also getting harder. Recent federal law enacted under the Trump administration eliminated several affordable repayment plans, as well as deferments while unemployed. Instead, the Administration’s new plan stretches repayment to 30 years. Roughly 9.3 million borrowers are now in default, up about 50% in a decade, according to CNBC.

For graduates, the burden shows up in everyday choices: 71% of college students report delaying a major life event. Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession reports that student loan repayment is a chronic stressor linked to symptoms of depression. The economy feels it too: Education Data Initiative notes that about half of renting borrowers say debt is a reason they haven't bought a home.

Why Awarding a Scholarship Is a Gift That Multiplies

A scarf is forgotten by February. A reduced balance at the financial aid office is not. Here’s why giving to a scholarship fund through education nonprofits such as The Aunt Betty Fund is among the most meaningful ways to give back this holiday season.

Direct, Practical, and Competitive

The Aunt Betty Fund is a nonprofit that makes it easy to send a one-time or monthly gift to help students with unmet financial need. We accept online donations by credit card or donation of securities via our website. Or through other channels including PayPal Giving, Zeffy, and Fidelity Charitable. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit approved by the Internal Revenue Service and platinum-rated by Candid/Guidestar. We manage a competitive process for awarding scholarships – first verifying the applicant’s identity and financial aid status; then working with the college to identify high-quality students whose financial need is unmet; and conducting in-person Interviews of candidates whose applications have risen to the top. The Aunt Betty Fund’s goal is to select the highest quality recipients among the pool of applicants who have a demonstrated but unmet financial need.

Generosity That Ripples Outward

Every donated dollar shrinks a tuition balance, but the benefits ripple outward:

  • Individuals: Lower student loan debt and no need to work two jobs mean less stress and more time to complete degree requirements and navigate the job market for an optimal career start.
  • Families: Relief reaches the parents and grandparents who may be quietly shouldering some of the burden and a lot of the worry.
  • Communities: Debt-light graduates become homebuyers, entrepreneurs, and local customers with more spending and investment power.
  • Entire economy: When college graduates can spend, save, and invest, more businesses get started and markets grow stronger.

Give Early This National Giving Month

December is National Giving Month, when roughly 31% of annual charitable giving occurs. Giving Tuesday kicks off the giving season as a whole, inviting people to donate time, skills, or resources alongside millions of others in communities worldwide. But donors don’t need to wait for December events. Give now, and The Aunt Betty Fund will start adding scholarships in January.

Larger Donors: Seed a Scholarship Program

You can trigger the launch of a scholarship at your alma mater or in your hometown. The Aunt Betty Fund will build a pilot program on a turnkey basis at the school or in the community you choose. Collaboration is welcome, but not required. During National Giving Month, the Aunt Betty Fund will match the first $10,000 of any gift to a new scholarship program, so your impact starts at double strength.

Finish the Year Strong

The Aunt Betty Fund is a federally approved 501(c)(3), so your gift is tax-deductible. Although some giving happens in the final three days of the year, a gift made earlier is greatly appreciated.

Lighten the Load of Student Debt This Season With the Aunt Betty Fund

The Aunt Betty Fund's nonprofit mission is to reduce the burden of student debt taken on to pay for higher education. Our secure platform helps steer scholarships, grants, and gifts to students and borrowers most in need.

More than 40 million Americans, including 60% of women who earned bachelor’s degrees, continue paying for their education for 10 or more years after they graduate. We invite you to help deserving college students who did not get a scholarship (or a large enough scholarship) to avoid having to work two jobs or take out more student loans in order to complete their degrees on time.

When you give to an Aunt Betty Fund program, our experienced committee selects the most deserving applicants. Take a moment to learn more about our donor programs and consider giving today.