First generation college here.
My parents were Depression-era kids so they knew how to make Abe scream for mercy. They encouraged me to go to college, but I knew they were worried about the cost. I was a good student, but just average, so no scholarships for me.
My first dream was to go to the University of Tennessee (one of the few colleges I had laid eyes on), but with out of state tuition being double (then), that was out of the question. I applied to both Alabama and Auburn and was accepted to both, but I really only wanted Alabama. I could have gone to another smaller state university an hour away, and even gotten a scholarship to a Methodist-affiliated small college 20 minutes way, but my goal was to be close enough for my parents to drive down and back on a Sunday, but far away enough that it would not be an every-Sunday trip!
In the early 1970s, tuition was $350 a semester.
$350!
There was a $50 per semester student activity fee...I don't remember food costs. Living in the sorority house was cheaper than living in the dorm, and the food was infinitely better.
A few years before she died, my mom commented on how economical it was for me to go to college. She even said it was cheaper than me living at home!
No essays....I do remember it was $50 for the Alabama application and $75 for the Auburn one.
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