For those applying this year, I would be very curious to hear about the financial aid offers. Discussion of the PASSHEs schools with some friends of mine and they were told that kids are more likely to get grants from the school if they go to the one for their “area”.
Anyone here hear that?
@laralei…I did not hear that exactly. I have seen that a school like Clarion is giving money for good test scores at a fast clip than most. They are in need of more new students. Same at IUP, Edinboro and California. Schools like Slippery Rock and West Chester have enrollment that has seen an increase so they do not have to do so. Schools like Bloomsburg have stayed about the same…that should be interesting. Clarion would have given my daughter about $5K but she has absolutely zero interest in that school.
@laralei I did hear from a Millersville parent of a meterology student who was offered $3500 per year as long as she stayed enrolled in a science (I guess meterology is a science that would be considered), and maintained a 2.5 GPA.
She said that she didn’t learn of this in the initial offer, but only 3 weeks before school started and they called her out of the blue.
One more thing. In our 2 PASSHE acceptance letters, we have not see a financial package like we have with some of the privates. I am not sure when that arrives? Maybe some other folks know this?
@portercat…I think it may coincide with when you completed the FAFSA. We are hoping to hear in January.
The only financial aid from public schools would most likely be federal (Pell, SEOG, loans, work study) and state (PHEAA grant). Maybe a small merit award.
I don’t know if schools will release aid packages earlier this year with FAFSA being available earlier, but we got ours in March/April.
The problem with privates is that tuition is much higher, so a lot of merit would be needed to get cost low enough.
But they do give need based grants sometime.
http://www.lycoming.edu/financialAid/scholarshipOpportunities.aspx
Do net price calculators on college websites. Most will give merit estimate.
Try Lycoming, Geneva, St Vincent, Allegheny, St Francis, Susquehanna.
In Ohio maybe Kent State.
I am not expecting some big merit award from the publics (PASSHEs) but would like to see some breakdown including work study and maybe a departmental award, if available, so we can accurately compare between the publics and privates. Hopefully we see this before March.
One annoyance - the NPCs and package “letters” tend to add in anywhere from $2000-3500 for “personal expenses” as travel, books, etc. I understand this is necessary, but will vary and makes it somewhat difficult to compare on paper.
@Portercat, when I look at net price calculator estimates, all I look at is direct costs billed by the school.
Tuition, fees, dorm, meal plan.
Then I subtract scholarships and grants.
What is the remaining cost?
That can be paid with student loans, savings, student summer earnings.
I don’t count work study as available towards college costs. It has to be earned during the semester, so it’s not available up front.
It can help with personal expenses, maybe be saved for second semester books, travel.
So for example if Kent State tuition, fees, room and board is about $29,000 and you could get $10,000 merit, the net price would be $19,000.
But if you can find a school in PA that costs up to $23,000 and would qualify for up to $4,000 in state grant, you would pay the same $19,000.
True @mommdc. Many privates don’t offer work study up front anyway. Also why show personal expenses at all? Just better to leave that up to the student in my opinion (or as a footnote or something).
Also, in one case, the NPC had a legacy award ($1500) and an OOS award ($2000) which was not reflected in the acceptance letter, but the the merit was shown. We will have to follow up.
My goodness is it me or is this system out of whack? In most industries, the price is the price…with one notable exception(others as well) of car buying(yes…I am comparing car buying and college pricing…lol). If I can not afford a Mercedes, the car dealer does not lower the price based on my household income. I am forced to buy a chevy even though I work 60 hours a week to improve the quality of life for my family. In this system(at least in some cases), you are given a perk for earning less or perhaps working less…I am not being insensitive here…just what I am seeing. So…regarding Pell Grants…the more more I earn and contribute in state and federal taxes…the less my kid is likely to receive. So, I started in Community College and transferred to a 4 year college, then earned my graduate degree and earn more so that I can be penalized when it is time to send my kid to school…wow…sorry to vent here. I know life isn’t fair, I do not mean to offend anyone but that is how I see this at the moment.
@bester1 Don’t even get me started on the athletes!!! LOLOLOL
@shelleyr25 …you are correct…crazy and I have an athlete.
@bester1 On the other hand, at today’s college prices, it is virtually impossible to self-fund a bachelor’s degree. Without Pell and state grants, lower-income students, no matter how hard their families work, will be completely shut out of 4-year degrees unless they have the stats for 100℅ meets need schools (very unlikely due to the quality of secondary schools many of these students attend). Unless these students have the interest, aptitude, and opportunity to enter a well-paid trade, they will have a very difficult time escaping the cycle of poverty. I believe the main issue is the astronomical rise in college costs and the corresponding decrease in state funding for higher education. When I went to college 50 years ago, my state grant covered over half of total college costs at a private school (Bucknell). Now, the highest level of PA state grant isn’t much more than a drop in the bucket towards total costs, even at PASSHE schools. Believe me, poor students do not have it better than middle-class families in PA. It is especially bad for potential engineering students, since the PASSHE schools (with few exceptions) do not offer engineering programs, leaving students the options of the 3 state-related schools at much higher costs.
@kidzncatz …great points! I apologize if it seemed as I was taking out my frustration at lower income students…that was not my intent. There are many sides to this story…what is criminal is the situation we allow banks to put our children in…okay…I will stop…lol
@bester1 and @kidzncatz. The system is messed up and unsustainable. The car analogy has been discussed on CC a few times as well, but mostly with the rebuttal of “a car is not an education”.
Anyway, another factor is that there is now a huge gap in skills that businesses are looking for. Our current “trade” schools (or whatever we are calling them) are not addressing these skills, and maybe because the credential system doesnt work. On the other hand many businesses still use the BA/BS as a screening tool, necessitating the need for one, when in many cases maybe it shouldn’t be required? Degree escalation has been happening for many years. Now you need a Pharm D. instead of a Bachelor’s to practice pharmacy, or a Masters instead of a Bachelor’s to practice Occupational Therapy, or a Doctorate for Physical Therapy, and so on…
Here is a good article (yesterday) on this skills gap problem. It outlines the issue, but is short on solutions IMO:
This all being said, I am still pushing my kids towards 4 year college, as I don’t see a good alternative right now, and they will go into debt to get it (without need based aid).
Some schools want to reduce the haggling of tuition rates. Hopefully this is the tone for the future of higher education.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20161126_ap_644c3ac6e5b44b3db6dfa765b496fa1e.html
@bester1 Great article find! Now, if only Virginia would follow Mississippi’s lead.
@Portercat …Another interesting article on tuition revenue. Enjoy!
I love reading the articles and trends, and hope that things move in a positive direction for future students, and maybe even my younger children. On the other hand, I feel powerless to control these things as our HS seniors are entering college at the worst time in some ways (cost wise).