$94,045: This is the amount of total benefits I have received from the federal and Pennsylvania state government while I have been in college. This money has come mainly from the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Federal Pell Grant Program, and The Pennsylvania State Grant Program. More importantly it came from you, the tax payer.

This money has paid for everything you can think of over the past four years. The VA money covered tuition, books and fees to attend school. Grant money was used for supplies and living expenses, while the VA also gave me a living allowance to pay for rent and utilities. Every expense I have had while I have been in college was covered by taxpayer money.

A thank you seems so small when the act was so big. I want to thank every federal and Pennsylvania state government agency that has given me money. I want to thank the employees who work at these agencies for making it a smooth and easy process. Most importantly, again, I want to thank you, the taxpayer, for allowing me to go to college. Without your money I would not have been able to get my bachelor's degree.

That $94,045 is a huge debt to repay, but I hope to do so over the course of my lifetime. I will try and pay it forward, both literally and figuratively. The skills and education I have now I hope to use to enrich the lives of others through volunteering. My bachelor's degree has gotten me a well-paying job and I hope to be in a higher tax bracket to help repay my debt.


I am grateful to my fellow citizens who realize the value of an education. Thank you.

Errol L. Bender, Chambersburg