Most student athletes at Sacramento State worry about their performance in the game, but some athletes have to worry about paying the bills just to stay in college.

Take the men’s basketball team for example. Every member of the team is on full-ride scholarship. Nearly every player doesn’t have to worry about dropping a single dime on tuition, books, parking fees or housing costs while at Sac State so long as they keep their head in the game, keep their noses in their books and stay out of trouble. It is a privilege every player on the team enjoys as a result of their prodigious basketball skills.

Every player, that is, except Julian Demalleville.

Demalleville, 20, holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only men’s basketball player currently paying his own tuition. And like many of his fellow student athletes currently attending classes without the luxury of a scholarship, he finds himself constantly burdened by the university’s incessant tuition increases.

“I don’t like the tuition raises,” Demalleville said. “It’s especially hard for student athletes who don’t receive scholarship money, because their sport is a full-time job in itself.”

Demalleville hails from San Luis Obispo and said the area has never been a hotspot for college recruiters. Out of high school, he received no offers from any four-year universities, so he went to junior college instead. After two years, he came to Sac State to join the team as a walk-on.

“I came to Sac State to play basketball,” Demalleville said. “It was an opportunity for me to continue to play basketball and still stay somewhat close to home.”

In some ways, it was a costly decision for Demalleville.

Demalleville passed up scholarships to several out-of-state Div. II schools so he could play basketball at the highest level. Sac State was the only Div. I school to offer him that opportunity but with one catch: no guaranteed financial assistance. With working-class parents and no scholarships, this meant he needed to find other ways to meet the rising costs attached to the California State University system.

Like so many other prospective students, this meant Demalleville had to lean on lenders.

“I am paying for school with loans,” Demalleville said. “The loans don’t affect me right now, but there’s always the lingering thought of how I’m going to have to pay them off once I graduate.”

Denial of a scholarship wasn’t due to Demalleville’s grades or work ethic. Head coach Brian Katz said his backup point guard holds a 3.8 GPA and is just as dedicated and hard-working as any other member of the team.

“He’s a very valuable member of our team,” Katz said. “He’s the poster child for all that’s good about walk-ons.”

Katz even went as far as to say the team’s often better with Demalleville running the point. But with the dramatic changes in state funding, state universities are handing out less and increasingly asking students for more.

No one, including Katz, seems to have an answer.

“I don’t have a solution. It’s hard everywhere; it’s just tough,” Katz said.

Katz said he just has to be honest and upfront about the situation with his walk-ons.

“The best mode of operation is to let them know how difficult it’s going to be,” Katz said.

Despite these challenges, shouldering the financial burdens brought about by rising tuition costs has earned athletes like Demalleville a bountiful mixture of sympathy and respect from fellow athletes.

“It’s very unfortunate,” said shooting guard Joe Eberhard, one of Demalleville’s teammates. “He has to worry about having his expenses in order to pay for classes.”

Eberhard, 22, is a junior at Sac State on a full-ride basketball scholarship. He said tuition increases do not affect him at all, but he has a great measure of concern for fellow athletes having to foot their own bill. He said if it were not for his scholarship his parents would have to help pay for school, he’d likely have to take out major loans or he’d probably have to work his way through college.

“A job on top of basketball might be needed for some athletes to help pay their way,” Eberhard said, “which would be very hard to do.”

Todd Davis, 19, is a sophomore linebacker who was fortunate enough to make the Sac State football team on a full scholarship. He said he’s in awe of walk-on players like Demalleville.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the athletes who pay their own way,” Davis said. “Because I know how demanding college sports and school are, and to add a job on top of that to pay for school is a lot on anyone’s plate. So I respect those athletes.”

Junior wide receiver, Morris Norrise, 20, believes the demands placed on athletes by their sport, studying and attending classes would leave absolutely no time for them to also hold down a job.

“Raising tuition is unfair,” Norrise said. “(Student athletes) don’t have the time to get a job to get them through college. This makes people take out loans and puts them in debt.”

Demalleville agreed with his fellow athletes.

“I think a lot of people have to quit playing the sport they love,” Demalleville said. “This is unfortunate.”

Despite the financial hurdles facing him, Demalleville remains positive and is just happy to be able to play Hornet basketball. He said the difference in financial status between he and his teammates does not affect their relationship in the slightest.

“We’re a tight-knit family who all care for each other,” Demalleville said.

Katz agreed and said walk-ons are shown the same treatment as the student athletes on scholarship – especially dedicated players like Demalleville.

“He’s come in and worked hard and earned the respect of the team,” Katz said.

Demalleville said he only hopes other athletes will be able to play collegiate sports and that rising fees won’t hinder them from realizing their own dreams.

“I feel so lucky to be able to go to school and play basketball at the same time.” Demalleville said. “I know I will never have another opportunity like this for the rest of my life and wish that all athletes will have the chance to do the same.”

David Somers can be reached at [email protected].