After Penn State President Graham Spanier warned of a tuition increase "higher than what we would like to see" in February, more and more Penn State students are faced with the question of how to meet the extra costs.

Undergraduate tuition per semester can cost as much as $7,752 for in-state students and $15,886 for the 23 percent of students who come from out of state, and is likely to increase by at least 10 percent, according to Spanier. Students are expressing concerns about the hike.

Robin Rak (sophomore-crime, law and justice), whose parents have helped pay for her education, understands how difficult it is for her parents to come up with the additional funds.

"It's kind of frustrating because it's hard for my parents to pay tuition now, because I don't get that much in loans," she said.

Though she does not get as much aid as some other students, Rak is one of the 74 percent of Penn State students who receive some form of financial aid, according to the 2000-01 Annual Report of the Office of Student Aid.

The report also stated that federal aid for the 2000-01 academic year totaled more than $289 million.

Robert Snyder, assistant director of financial aid, said the Office of Student Aid is one of the first offices families go to when they come to Penn State.

"Often, families have no concept of how much college costs, and when they're told it costs $15,000 to $20,000, they're like, 'Oh my God, I can't afford that,'" he said.

Average tuition and fees for four-year public universities increased at a rate almost three times that of inflation during the 2001-02 academic year, according to the College Board.

Because tuition rates are steadily increasing and aid is limited, many students work during summer breaks and/or during the semester to pay their way through school.

Michael Desmond, co-owner of the Hotel State College and Company, 100 W. College Ave., which includes the Corner Room and the Allen Street Grill, said his restaurants receive 1,000 applications during the first three days of the Fall Semester. The vast majority of his employees are students, and getting hired there is competitive, Desmond said.

Desmond said his student employees work an average of 15 to 20 hours a week.

"In my book, they're superstars," he said. "Most of us here (at the Hotel State College and Company) were former students and realize how hard it is to do well in school and be excellent at a job."

Nick Leiser (junior-biobehavioral health) recently applied to the Allen Street Grill. He said he applied because he was looking for a way to chip away at the debt he has accumulated through school loans.

"I have to make the money to pay off the loans I've taken out for school," he said.

When he graduates, Leiser will not be alone. In May 2001, the median loan debt for baccalaureate student aid borrowers at Penn State was $17,453, according to the Office of Student Aid report. Of the 6,661 students who graduated, 66 percent received financial aid.

Katie Bradley (sophomore-journalism), an out-of-state student, is also concerned about how she is going to pay for her tuition.

"I work constantly through the summer to pay for fall and spring, and then I'm broke by the following summer, and I have to do it all over again," she said.

Mark Demyanovich (sophomore-premedicine), also an out-of-state student, works at area hotels during the semester for spending money. In previous summers, he has worked as a research assistant for his father's consulting firm.

Demyanovich said he is on his own for the most part, but his father helps all he can.

"He just wants me to see how it is and ease me into the harsh, harsh world," he said.

State College Area High School graduate Chris Chelko (junior-photojournalism) meets educational expenses differently than most other students. His mother works for the University Park Allocation Committee, so he receives a 75 percent discount on tuition.

In addition to the discount, Chelko said that while he was growing up his father started an education fund and deposited money into the fund every year.

"Had we not had the discount, I wouldn't have been able to pay for more than one year of college," Chelko said.

When students' bank accounts begin to dwindle, looking downtown for a job is often the first thing they do.

Toni D'Agostino, cashier manager of McLanahan's Downtown Market, 116 S. Allen St., said 90 percent of the store's employees are students.

Though students work an average of 12 to 15 hours a week, the store experiences a phenomenal student turnover near the end of the semester.

"They just found that having a job was too much," she said.