Unconventional Ways To Finance Your Education: A Conversation with Madeline

Higher education is expensive…

Madeline Pena, an alumna of both Texas Christian University (TCU) and Florida State University (now Resident Director at Baylor), graduated from both her undergraduate and master’s program debt-free. So, our Cap & Co. Project Manager, Michelle Nguyen, sat down with her to learn how she did it.

To learn more, read their conversation below!

Michelle: Hi Madeline! Tell us a little bit about who you are.

Madeline: Sure, of course. My name is Madeline Pena and I am from a small town in North Texas called Decatur. It has a population of about 6,000 people. My town values the stories of others, which I think sparked my passion for the process of storytelling. This ultimately led me to a journey in pursuing broadcast journalism at TCU in undergrad. TCU had always been my dream school and I feel extremely fortunate to call it my alma mater. Right before the national college decision deadline, I already made a deposit to another university because they originally gave me much more financial aid. Then, literally minutes after I sent in my deposits, TCU updated my financial aid package and I ended up being able to afford tuition and was even given more aid than the other school.

Michelle: How did scholarships impact your educational journey?

Madeline: When I give, I only contribute to opportunities for student scholarships and funding. I believe in the power of local support and emergency support, especially. I had a huge life event happen in the middle of my college career. I would not have been able to stay at TCU without the support of an emergency fund that the university set aside for situations like mine. All of this being said, I want to commit to a cycle of providing education for people who aren’t able to attend otherwise. Receiving an education is something that can never be taken away from you – without scholarships and financial support, I would not have been able to graduate from an institution of higher education and I do not take that for granted.

Michelle: When looking for the right scholarships, what resources / websites / tools did you utilize?

Madeline: Something that I want to iterate, is to build rapport with your financial aid counselor early. That was one of the most instrumental parts of my ability to afford college. My financial aid counselor specifically told me that I was different than other students because he sensed my genuine value for education. With that said, I suggest coming from the perspective of not only asking for help, but for direction. Meaning, don't go in to a financial aid office demanding money. Ask them come alongside you in the process.

As far as places to look for scholarships, organizations are always giving out small and local scholarships – keep these in mind. I applied to over 40 scholarships in my senior year of high school and was able to receive over $10,000 worth of grants to help me pay for my first year of school. You can also always reach out to financial aid offices, both at the high school and collegiate level, to find scholarships that you’re eligible to apply for. And my biggest piece of advice is to just ask – you never know what will come from a simple ask!

Michelle: What tips would you give other students looking for scholarships to help pursue a degree?

Madeline: Always start with the smaller spaces you have connections to first, and then those connections with go further into bigger spaces. When applying for scholarships, tell your story in a way that is truly yours – don’t over-exaggerate or try to dramatize your experience in hopes that it will get you further in the process. You don’t want to write in a voice that isn’t yours; share your story with heart and things will fall into place.

Also – always send thank you notes! I’ve weirdly gotten opportunities to receive more money just by sending thank you notes to organizations after applying to their scholarship. One last final piece of advice: some applicants don’t like the waiting game, which I get. However, we need to learn that there is a level of patience that comes with applications and figuring out big life things, such as affording college. The best combination in this process is the balance of patience and persistence!