College Costs - ridiculously high

[Anonymous]

The options in Maryland suck. The only school my son would consider is the college park campus. UMBC doesn't fit his major. He did not feel the other schools, Towson, Salisbury, etc. had a good enough reputation. So he is going out of state because despite his really good grades and SAT scores, he did not get accepted to UMD College Park. He was excepted at Virginia Tech which supposedly had the most stringent admissions this year. So go figure. And that is very very expensive. I hate living here

[Anonymous]

VA does have multiple top schools to choose from, which is nice.

And even the “lesser” schools are still decent.

That said, I would be happy for my daughter to attend Towson or UMBC. They are closer to our home in VA than the VA schools on our list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the mom of the dance student … you’ve done your research and then some. I’m impressed!
I’m sure it will all work out.

Thank you for your kind words my mom is so amused as she noted I’ve done more work for my daughter than I ever did for myself. That said, our research options in the early 90s were much more limited than they are now. I basically got mailers (bags and bags full!) and had the best colleges book. I basically had my choice of just about anywhere. My child is not a great student and of course we aren’t made of money-hence, research

It sounds like you could be a college consultant yourself. You seem very organized and energetic.

Aw, that’s very nice of you. I am really good at focusing on things like this and putting off the stuff I really SHOULD be doing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA in-state is already close to $50K

Not it is not. It’s about $35k a year all in with room and board. I am paying under $30k on the prepaid program ($14,000 for tuition and another $10,000 for off campus housing, meal plan and books).

https://sfs.virginia.edu/estimated-undergraduate-cost-attendance-2021-2022

UVA School of Commerce (McIntire) = $45246
Engineering is also over $40K

My kid got much better financial aid package, and attending a better private school, Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.

you're talking about specific schools at UVA, including one that you cannot even begin until third year and have no guarantee of acceptance to even as a UVA student. SO no, the normal cost for College of Arts & Sciences in state is actually right around $30K. I just paid my bill so I know.

A&S is still over $35K
https://sfs.virginia.edu/estimated-undergraduate-cost-attendance-2021-2022

My kid didn't get any aid, but got aid from Notre Dame for business major.

This thread is about obscenely expensive colleges and universities. You keep
Posting this about Notre Dame but never mention the fact it is over $80k a year. Also if your son got a Mendoza Scholarship, that’s only $3k. Very few families can afford 77k-80k a year for four or five years

[Anonymous]

^^ Also UVA is only $35,665 all in. And it sends a lot more Rhodes and Marshall Scholars to Oxford than ND

[Anonymous]

And accepts very few qualified students from NoVa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And accepts very few qualified students from NoVa

Because there are only 4,000 seats total.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And accepts very few qualified students from NoVa

Because there are only 4,000 seats total.

They need to expand. It is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Wow, only 4K freshman. That’s horrible. I wonder how many applicants they get? They shouldn’t use VA taxes for such a place that is so selective. Almost like they should become private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA in-state is already close to $50K

Not it is not. It’s about $35k a year all in with room and board. I am paying under $30k on the prepaid program ($14,000 for tuition and another $10,000 for off campus housing, meal plan and books).

My kid was accepted for engineering this year. She didn’t go, but as I recall the cost of attendance estimate was $43,000. Other majors I think are a little less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not necessarily

we are in VA and have basically narrowed down to 2 schools here. they will PROBABLY come out cheapest in the end, but not by much.

Also looking at:
-a PA state school in that large system that has very reasonable tuition even for OOS and even better if your kid has a 3.0 or above. they come within $5K per year of VA schools
-a NJ state school that offers a tuition break to OOS students with a 3.0 or above. Same as above price wise
-a couple privates with merit awards that will bring the price to within a few thousand per year of the VA publics.

Some schools aren't as transparent with the costs and scholarships available. So, I also have a RI state school, a NC state school, an IL state school, a NY state school, a NC private and a VA private on our list that aren't CRAZY expensive to start, but we'd definitely need scholarship money and the info isn't 100% clear at the moment. Based on what I've HEARD about these schools, I think they will be similar to the above.

I have looked very closely at all of these schools for the specific program offered AND the costs.

There are a couple other schools I have recently removed from the list for various reasons that were state schools in other states (MA, OH, WI and NM) offering discounts to OOS students with a certain GPA level.

Would you be willing to share the schools you're looking at? It sounds like many of us are in the same boat!

OK, I will share, but remember, I am looking for a dance program for a kid who is NOT the best student:

VA in state options: Radford and ODU
PA public: Slippery Rock
NJ public: Stockton
Privates with good aid listed on website: Rider (NJ) and Springfield (MA)

RI public: Rhode island College
NC public: UNC-Greensboro
NC private: Meredith (women's college)
NY public: SUNY-Fredonia
IL public: Illinois State
VA private: Shenandoah

Forgot about a random NH public that is a possibility: Plymouth State

Schools I have removed for various reasons: Akron (OH), Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Univ of New Mexico and Bridgewater State (MA).

If you want to look west, a couple of the Cal State campuses are pretty reasonable. There was a very random one that I ran the numbers past a CA friend of mine and she was very surprised at how "cheap" it was. It was what used to be Humboldt State (just changed to a CalPoly campus). There was a CO public that has breaks for oos students above 2.5 - CO Mesa (I am not going to pursue that one because it is VERY remote and also has a reputation for being crazy conservative and has problems with LGBTQ and minority hate speech)

Frostburg and Salisbury in MD both have tuition discount programs within a certain mileage radius

I am fully aware this list is very, very strange to most.

Thank you for posting such a detailed response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And accepts very few qualified students from NoVa

Because there are only 4,000 seats total.

They need to expand. It is ridiculous.

UVA was built in 1819. The town has grown around it for 200 years. It can’t expand further. That’s why the Commonwealth is pumping billions into the other 31 colleges and university. My DD went to GMU - it was non-stop construction. This is why we also have Virginia Tech and William &Mary …. to meet differing needs. And the community colleges from whence you can transfer providing you take the requisite courses and maintain a 3.0.

[Anonymous]

Do any of you DCUM parents live in DC? We are seriously thinking of moving because there are NO in-state options. We've been socking away money in a 529 but the price tags are still really daunting for top flagship state schools (even with the $10k DCTAG) But we'd have to move high schools (from School without Walls) and a neighborhood we love. Curious how other non crazy rich families do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And accepts very few qualified students from NoVa

Because there are only 4,000 seats total.

They need to expand. It is ridiculous.

UVA was built in 1819. The town has grown around it for 200 years. It can’t expand further. That’s why the Commonwealth is pumping billions into the other 31 colleges and university. My DD went to GMU - it was non-stop construction. This is why we also have Virginia Tech and William &Mary …. to meet differing needs. And the community colleges from whence you can transfer providing you take the requisite courses and maintain a 3.0.

They could always build up UVA wise. Stop distinguishing campus location on degrees or make them legally the same campus and you'd see a lot more kids interested in going there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do any of you DCUM parents live in DC? We are seriously thinking of moving because there are NO in-state options. We've been socking away money in a 529 but the price tags are still really daunting for top flagship state schools (even with the $10k DCTAG) But we'd have to move high schools (from School without Walls) and a neighborhood we love. Curious how other non crazy rich families do it.

Yes, of course some of us live in DC. Apply to schools that give merit or financial aid, if you're not full pay. Looking at top flagship schools is not the way to go, if you're looking for $$.