@SH1975 What other threads are there for the corps? We are following them on Facebook, but that is all I can find.
I was hopeful he will receive a larger scholarship. If you don’t mind sharing, what are your son’s stats? Both of my sons have great GPA’s, ranked in top 5%, extensive EC. The only major difference is ACT. One a 30 and the other 32.
From a friend who is at A&M right now with their admitted student “5,300 qualified for scholarships but they only gave out 1,400”
What are they going to with the remaining 3900? No scholarships? @carachel2
@k_03 --I wish I had that crystal ball to know, lol! My best guess is they will do nothing. They get nothing. Perhaps a small departmental scholarship? We started this journey knowing ahead of time that A&M was not generous with the merit but man, it’s really playing out.
Total COA @ A&M now is at $29,500/year. Craziness for IN-state options. For everyone waiting for a merit scholarship, I wish you the best of luck and keep everyone updated!
@carachel2 Thank you for the info! Same here on finding reality to be different than what we assumed. At least in 4-5 years, my now 7th grade daughter will have the advantage of having a mom who learned a ton with the first child. Life lessons. Major eye openers! Like someone said a while back, I need to keep things in perspective and realize we have healthy kids.
Sorry carachel2, I wrote that when very tired last night. I see now that you knew going in what to expect. 
@rvhappynow-no worries! Your post was completely fine and I totally agree.
Even though I knew what to expect, the total reality of it is a bit different. The response she has received at other schools is so different, I guess I thought they would at least give a token $500.00 book award! But nope. It’s not her first choice at all, but we wanted a viable in-state option so we made her apply and we kept it on the table.
The moral of the story is expect nothing. Feel entitled to nothing. In-state applicants at Texas A&M should go into the game fully expecting to pay $29,500 per year. If a little merit is thrown your way then GOOD for you!! But there should be no entitlement or expectancy in the process unless you are a NMF.
I don’t understand the complexity of a system that gives OOS students more merit than in-state. But we are the beneficiaries of merit at OOS schools so I can’t complain–but I do marvel at how it all works!
Funny note: I found my bursars receipt for my own fall semester at A&M back in the late 80s. The total was less than $2,500 for 15 hrs of tuition, lab fees, parking sticker, football tickets, dorm (the newest, nicest dorm on the campus–complete with someone who cleaned our private bathroom twice weekly!), meal plan–the works.
Flash forward to 2017 and the bill would be close to $14,000.00 according to the current cost of attendance.
Best of wishes to everyone here. Engineering majors who are still waiting to hear–stay tuned. At least one spot will be opening up soon lol 
Carachel2 - I am so sorry to hear this! I really thought, based upon your daughter’s scores and class rank, and from our PM conversations that something was amiss (missing form or something).
I don’t really understand it because, for my non-NMF, junior engineering daughter, I just paid to the university around $1,500 for this semester–TOTAL, after university and outside merit scholarships. Now, of course, that doesn’t count the apartment and food cost (five girls in one house) and my daughter’s internships pay for her spending money and books. But, thankfully, we have small-town housing and food costs and they are so much better than my friends with students in big cities.
My older engineer who graduated didn’t have as much merit help but I think the most I paid in a year for her was $16K including housing and food and even that went down. I think the costs (29K) you are quoting have some crazy fees like in-state travel fees of $2,500 which don’t make sense to me (I know Texas is a big state but in-state travel costs that high?) and other optional costs. Those travel costs sound like my friends have to pay to send their students out of state.
@NETarrantMom --thank you! I am keeping in mind that departmental scholarships have not gone out yet, so maybe there is hope there? But as I posted above, with 5200 qualified for scholarships and only 1400 supposedly given out, it means there are LOTS of deserving, high-stat students awarded nothing.
To be honest and objective/reflective, two things could’ve influenced her lack of merit:
- A&M was not high on her list. We made her apply and she obliged because she understood the value of an in-state admission AND it does have a great engineering reputation. Perhaps this was reflected in her essays somehow? I honestly did not read her final draft so maybe they had a distinct lack of enthusiasm? I would think this wouldn’t be the case, but who knows?
- While she does have state level awards and ECs and a job…they are not engineering/STEM based awards and jobs. Perhaps that is what they are looking for?
It does seem something has changed with them even just in the past few years. I have been in contact with another friend whose senior engineering daughter had the same experience as your daughter. She said between the departmental and also university scholarships, they barely paid a few thousand a year for tuition.
I have been in touch with another student who has an ACT 33 and I believe is valedictorian of his class and his financial award portal showed ZERO in merit scholarships also. D has a 34 ACT and is a top 10 (not percent, but top 10) rank in a large school with >600 in her class.
The website COA is very generous, it would seem, but it doesn’t take long for things to add up. This is our breakdow this past year with 13 hours each semester. It includes a small stipend per month, A+ tutoring (pass for 2 classes each semester) and travel allowance home. Some things were elective, like the sports pass and we chose garage parking over surface lot parking. The meal plan is the default one they give freshmen. Only one is lower.
Here is our breakdown:
Fall
Athletics - CS 290.00 (sports pass)
Deposit 100.00 (doesn’t specify for what)
Housing 3,138.00
Meal Plan 125meals/300dining dollars 1,645.40 (includes tax on meal plan of $125.40
Registration Fees 1,684.69
Transportation Services - CS 471.00
Tuition 4,339.50
Total Charges: $ 11,668.59
Total Credits/Anticipated Credits: $ 500.00 (per semester scholarship)
Current Term Balance: $ 11,168.59
AMOUNT DUE: $ 11,168.59
Fall books: $868.29 (included supplies and clicker)
Year Parking Southside garage $444.00
2 class passes at A+ tutoring $335
$800 ($200 month incidentals for Sept, Oct, Nov. prorated for Aug & Dec)
$120 ($40 per trip reimbursement to travel home including Thanksgiving and Christmas)
Total $13,735.88
Spring:
Housing 3,138.00
Meal Plan 125meals/300dining dollars 1,645.40 (includes tax on meal plan of $125.40
Registration Fees 1,683.69
Tuition 4,339.50
Total Charges: $ 10,806.59
Total Credits/Anticipated Credits: $ 500.00 Per semester scholarship
Previous Balance: $ 25.00 (no idea what that is for, obviously forgot to pay something)
Current Term Balance: $ 10,306.59
AMOUNT DUE: $ 10,331.59
Spring Books $431.58
2 class passes at A+ tutoring $335
$800 ($200 month incidentals for Feb, Mar, Apr. prorated for Jan & May)
$120 ($40 per trip reimbursement to travel home including Spring Break and Easter)
Total: $12,018.17
Total Costs 2016-2017 $25,754.05
Here is a breakdown of the Registration fees:
Laboratory Fee(s) $8.00
University Advancement Fee CS $1,397.19
Student Center Complex Fee CS $ 100.00
Recreational Sports Fee CS $ 106.00
Health Center Fee CS $ 72.50
These costs do not include what we sent him with in forms of laptop/printer/ink, bedding, toiletries, school/desk supplies.
@Thelma2 --I’m wondering if A&M will be increasing tuition for 2016-17?
On the website, the estimated COA is $27,272.
On Ds financial portal, the COA is $29,488.
Is the increase a normal expected increase in the cost of living or does that reflect a $2K increase in tuition?
@carachel2 I totally agree with you on the cost of college. When I attended A&M I had the McFadden scholarship. My parents had to pay $1200, that included everything, even a parking spot in the garage. The scholarship amount is the same but the college of enrollment has skyrocketed. I don’t know how we are going to make it next year with two kids enrolled, much less when all 3 boys are there!
@carachel2 I do not know where that $2216 COA increase is coming from. Do they show any kind of breakdown for costs? I really don’t like that. I know the dorms are increasing but it’s only 2-4%, so that can’t be the big jump.
My grandad was a PES donor E.C. McFadden '24. I wonder if you had his scholarship? We are impatiently waiting on a transfer admit decision on our daughter (and hopeful 4th generation Ag
@Gigemburns , I imagine I did. Thank you!
Hopefully your daughter will get her acceptance soon. My husband and I are both aggies, so we are excited both boys will be there. Even though the school has changed so much, we still enjoy it and want our kids there.
Hi
This thread has a lot of info: Class of 2021 TAMU OOS scholarship/tuition waivers: Report your stats, help others!
Not sure how to link it but that’s the full title.
Son’s stats are posted there, too
Here you go! This is the link and should definitely be helpful! http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/texas-m-university/1955980-class-of-2021-tamu-oos-scholarship-tuition-waivers-report-your-stats-help-others.html#latest