<p>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.</p>
<p>Hunter Slater will attend the University of Tampa starting this fall.</p>
<p>The private school in Florida costs about $37,000 per year.</p>
<p>But with money from scholarships and his parents, Slater will be able to graduate in four years debt-free.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]
<p>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.</p>
<p>The extra money was the clincher, he said.</p>
<p>In total, Hunter Slater received about $22,000 in grants and scholarships from his college.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“He has been at Greenwood Christian Academy since kindergarten. We are used to paying tuition every month,” she said.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“We look at it at as just paying tuition at (Greenwood Christian Academy) and a little more,” she said.</p>
<p>When Stacy Slater first saw the price tag for the University of Tampa, she was shocked, she said.</p>
<p>“My (reaction) was how in the world are we going to pay this,” she said.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Then, he had to find a way to pay for it.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Once he received his final financial package from the school, his decision was made, he said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="THE SLATER FILE" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Name: Hunter Slater</p>
<p>High School: Greenwood Christian Academy</p>
<p>Parents: Joe and Stacy Slater</p>
<p>GPA: 3.4</p>
<p>College: University of Tampa</p>
<p>Major: Sports management</p>
<p>Cost: $37,000 annually</p>
<p>Where it’s coming from:</p>
<p>$12,000: various academic scholarships</p>
<p>$4,000: Scholarships a coach secured because he is participating in two sports</p>
<p>$5,000: Grants</p>
<p>The rest: Paid by his parents</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
