He wanted to run in college, and that hobby has helped a Greenwood Christian Academy graduate get some of the money he needs for his education.
Hunter Slater will attend the University of Tampa starting this fall.
The private school in Florida costs about $37,000 per year.
But with money from scholarships and his parents, Slater will be able to graduate in four years debt-free.
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University of Tampa doesn’t give out a lot of athletics scholarships. But Slater’s soon-to-be cross-country and track coach was able to get $4,000 from the university to entice Slater to attend school there.
The extra money was the clincher, he said.
In total, Hunter Slater received about $22,000 in grants and scholarships from his college.
His parents, Stacy and Joe Slater, are covering the rest so Hunter can graduate debt-free. With multiple children at Greenwood Christian Academy, the Slaters are accustomed to making monthly tuition payments for their children’s education, Stacy Slater said.
“He has been at Greenwood Christian Academy since kindergarten. We are used to paying tuition every month,” she said.
Instead of paying $8,000 in annual tuition to Greenwood Christian Academy, they will write a check to the University of Tampa for about $1,200 a month, Stacy Slater said.
“We look at it at as just paying tuition at (Greenwood Christian Academy) and a little more,” she said.
When Stacy Slater first saw the price tag for the University of Tampa, she was shocked, she said.
“My (reaction) was how in the world are we going to pay this,” she said.
Hunter Slater had considered Valparaiso University and the University of Tampa. When he saw the snow-covered track in Valparaiso and the sun-bathed track in Tampa, he made his decision, he said.
Then, he had to find a way to pay for it.
Hunter and his parents researched ways they could help cut the cost of attending an out-of-state private university, Stacy Slater said. A class at Greenwood Christian Academy is devoted to helping students prepare for college, including financially.
Hunter received about $5,000 in grants, and the rest came in scholarships. He got academic scholarships, and his track and cross-country coach sent scholarship applications that were unique to the University of Tampa.
Once he received his final financial package from the school, his decision was made, he said.
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Name: Hunter Slater
High School: Greenwood Christian Academy
Parents: Joe and Stacy Slater
GPA: 3.4
College: University of Tampa
Major: Sports management
Cost: $37,000 annually
Where it’s coming from:
$12,000: various academic scholarships
$4,000: Scholarships a coach secured because he is participating in two sports
$5,000: Grants
The rest: Paid by his parents
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