Marylanders: Did you regret not choosing Virginia when it came time to apply to college?

[Anonymous]

I grew up in VA (not northern VA) and now live in Maryland. I admit VA does have some great universities and more options than Maryland, but like someone else said, I'm not willing to make the rest of my life less convenient for this one fact.

We love our MD neighborhood and have great commutes, are happy with the schools, etc. We are a ways off from college but I am honestly hoping we will be able to pay for the same type of small, private, liberal arts colleges DH and I went to (we each went to a different one but similar in terms of type, and both had a great experience there). It may not be an option for both kids, but that is what we are aiming for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There are huge liabilities about living in DC when it comes to college. Sure we get a $10k discount on out of state tuition, but for many, if not most of in-state colleges, that discount does not make up for the difference between in state and out state tuition. For instance its $46k for out of staters at UVA and 23k for instaters.

Agree with this. A fair number of state universities are charging much more than 10,000 more for out-of-staters

Wrong. The $10K grant brings the out-of-state tuition price down to the IN-STATE tuition price for tons of excellent state schools. Not UVa. -- which is a big outlier, BTW -- but lots of other great state schools. The $10K was never intended to make it free to go to school in, say, Colorado or Wisconsin, if you're from DC. It was meant to level the field for in-state and DC applicants. Room and board could still be high for both kinds of students ... or not.

To pick just one example, tuition at the Univ.of Colorado at Boulder would be the same for a student coming from Petworth and a student coming from Denver. At the Univ. of Michigan, the differential between an in-state and DC student is just $2,000 a year, which is not bad and can be earned by babysitting or tutoring in one summer.

Uh, as I noted earlier it doesn't bring it down to the *same* as instate tuition. For UVM, out of state tuition is 18,000 more (in-state 12.000); UNH is 14,000 more
(in-state 10,790). Maryland is 16, 000 more (in-state 8,000). True, 10,000 puts a major dent in all that but it would still be much cheaper to live in that state and pay in-state tuition. It's not going to make me leave the District for Maryland or Virginia though. And I'm not complaining -- that crack about people expecting it would be free to go to school in Colorado or Wisconsin is ridiculous. Just pointing out this fact for people who are trying to decide where to live.

Also, note that this is up for reauthorization in 2011. While it would certainly be politically foolish to dump the program, there is no guarantee the money will be there in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are huge liabilities about living in DC when it comes to college. Sure we get a $10k discount on out of state tuition, but for many, if not most of in-state colleges, that discount does not make up for the difference between in state and out state tuition. For instance its $46k for out of staters at UVA and 23k for instaters.

Agree with this. A fair number of state universities are charging much more than 10,000 more for out-of-staters

Wrong. The $10K grant brings the out-of-state tuition price down to the IN-STATE tuition price for tons of excellent state schools. Not UVa. -- which is a big outlier, BTW -- but lots of other great state schools. The $10K was never intended to make it free to go to school in, say, Colorado or Wisconsin, if you're from DC. It was meant to level the field for in-state and DC applicants. Room and board could still be high for both kinds of students ... or not.

To pick just one example, tuition at the Univ.of Colorado at Boulder would be the same for a student coming from Petworth and a student coming from Denver. At the Univ. of Michigan, the differential between an in-state and DC student is just $2,000 a year, which is not bad and can be earned by babysitting or tutoring in one summer.

Uh, as I noted earlier it doesn't bring it down to the *same* as instate tuition. For UVM, out of state tuition is 18,000 more (in-state 12.000); UNH is 14,000 more
(in-state 10,790). Maryland is 16, 000 more (in-state 8,000). True, 10,000 puts a major dent in all that but it would still be much cheaper to live in that state and pay in-state tuition. It's not going to make me leave the District for Maryland or Virginia though. And I'm not complaining -- that crack about people expecting it would be free to go to school in Colorado or Wisconsin is ridiculous. Just pointing out this fact for people who are trying to decide where to live.

Also, note that this is up for reauthorization in 2011. While it would certainly be politically foolish to dump the program, there is no guarantee the money will be there in the future.

Not sure why you think it would be politically foolish to dump the program-- no one in DC has the right to vote for any voting member of Congress (and it's not like the DC's 3 electoral votes aren't going to Obama in 2012). I'm not saying the program is a bad idea, but I think it's a minor miracle DC got the program and I can't imagine what member of Congress would suffer at the ballot box if it was discontinued.

[Anonymous]

15:35 here -- I understand your point but consider that one group that takes advantage of this program is upper middle class professionals, probably a fair number of whom are well-connected politically. When I say that I think it would be politically foolish, I'm wagering that some of my DCUM compatriots and other folks like them probably wield a fair bit of political influence on a personal level through work or personal networks.

Furthermore, if this issue got a lot of publicity, it certainly would be a bad public relations move for Congress to appear to be denying aid to the college students who don't come from upper middle class homes in the upper NW.

You're right, though, maybe "foolish" is putting it too strongly but my guess is that the powers that be are going to be looking out for their friends in the District and what with the gentrification of the last few years there are more and more folks like this in the District. I live in Capitol Hill and there's a flood of new young white professional families who have, for the time being, decided to stick it out in the District rather than decamping for the suburbs. I do think they can be influential if DCTAG appears to be threatened.

You're right, three electoral votes don't mean diddly squat but a friendship and/or working relationship with a legislator -- I'd bet on that.

So my fingers are crossed for reauthorization.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I read a study a year or two which reported that a large percentage of students taking advantage of TAG were the first in their family to attend college. That is a huge benefit for what is a relatively small expenditure.

[Anonymous]

We sort of regret not living in VA, as our kids get older. UMD has a great honors program, and the whole place is much different from when DH's friends went there 20 years ago. However, Virginia simply has more choice.

However, we moved to MD because (1) DH grew up in MD and absolutely refused to live in VA, and (2) we decided when we bought the current house that we had no idea where the DCs would want to go to college, so no point in planning our future around UVA. DH's prejudice is due to VA politics mostly, but now he realizes that places like the "People's Republic of Arlington" are just fine.

Now that DCs are older, we've raised the question about moving to VA, but our DCs refuse to leave their schools and friends. So we'll live with doing a private or UMD, or maybe UVA out of state, and although it would be more expensive that way, and we're not exactly rich, it's OK and we can deal.

[Anonymous]

Also take a look at St. Mary's. Just went to the open house on July 10th and was quite impressed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sort of regret not living in VA, as our kids get older. UMD has a great honors program, and the whole place is much different from when DH's friends went there 20 years ago. However, Virginia simply has more choice.

We're in a similar position. We lived in VA for a time and loved it, but the husband's job is in MD, and that commute simply was not sustainable long-term. I like our neighborhood and the kids' schools, but I do sometimes have a small pang of regret when I contemplate the university systems. Not enough to uproot everything and foist that horrible commute on the husband, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also take a look at St. Mary's. Just went to the open house on July 10th and was quite impressed!

This is my semi-secret/semi-serious hope for where I want my kid to go.

[Anonymous]

St. Mary's is beautiful, although the town is - well, there is nothing there. There's a bit of a weed problem because it is so boring (like Reed.) I'd love it if my DD went there because I could sail our boat to visit her!
A friend went to UVA and said she regretted it because she's a liberal environmental scientist and lawyer and felt like an outsider in the Greek/conservative culture there. There are a lot of good schools in Virginia but I will not be heartbroken if my DD does not apply to them. UMD is also on a lower rung than what I would prefer. Too bad DC does not have a school like Berkeley or Davis.

[Anonymous]

Liberal who lives in No Va. I absolutely refuse to ever live in MD, so the in state colleges are just a plus.

[Anonymous]

I live in the city of Alexandria and the political culture is decidedly democratic, luckily. Of course there are Republicans, but on the whole they are moderate (I'm married to one of them). We live and let live. And I cringe too every time I hear the AG or the Governor. But Richmond is far away, and doesn't have much of an impact on our day-to-day lives.

[Anonymous]

Maryland is as far south as I'll go (and that's pushing it pretty far; I hate the South), and I won't live in a largely Republican, concealed-weapon state anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is as far south as I'll go (and that's pushing it pretty far; I hate the South), and I won't live in a largely Republican, concealed-weapon state anyway.

Ditto!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is as far south as I'll go (and that's pushing it pretty far; I hate the South), and I won't live in a largely Republican, concealed-weapon state anyway.

Agree. Wouldn't want my kids going to college in that environment either - want them to expand their minds, not contract them.