Your younger cousin Mary is a rising senior in high school this year and has been researching the cost of attendance at several colleges. She emails you because she knows that you have just learned about paying for college and she has some serious concerns. Here are some excerpts from her email: Despite her strong academic performance in high school and her interest in pursuing a career in chemical engineering, Mary reveals, “I’m starting to think that college just isn’t worth it. I don’t see how a college degree is going to help me in the future if it costs so much. Aren’t I better off just going straight into a job with my high school degree and saving my money?”

“I’ve been looking at the published costs of attendance on college websites, and they’re insanely high! There’s no way my family and I can afford such prices.”

“I know financial aid is available for students, but I don’t know what types there are, let alone how to apply for financial aid. Even if I knew how to apply, should I apply? I don’t think I’ll qualify and I don’t want to put in all that work for nothing.”

“I know that I have to start paying my loans right after I graduate college. But what if I don’t have a job by that time? And what if I can’t afford my monthly payments? I don’t want to take that risk.”

You recognize that Mary has a few misconceptions and gaps in knowledge about how to pay for college and want to make sure that she makes a decision based on the right information. In 4-5 paragraphs, respond to Mary about each of her concerns.