Politics In Real Life: The Struggle To Pay For College

Monica Nezzer, 22, is a full-time student studying psychology and biology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She describes herself as "fortunate." But in addition to a full course load, she's working about 30 hours a week as a campus tour guide and recruitment specialist.

"At least once a semester, I face a time where I am like, 'I am broke. I am stressed. I am exhausted.' And I don't know how I'm going to make it through the rest of the semester," said Nezzer.

Compared to some other four-year public universities, the University of New Mexico is affordable. Tuition and fees are about $7,000 a year, and about a third of the students receive a lottery scholarship from the state which covers most of their tuition costs. And yet many students struggle to cover all their expenses.

More