@bester1 by the way, there are some posters on other threads that seem to consider us simpletons for expecting too much merit. I am very aware of how it works. We applied to an array of schools; some affordable, some not, many with free applications. Its not like we only applied to schools with unrealistic expectations. We didn’t apply to schools only expecting extraordinary merit. That would be foolish.
There is not much harm in trying for a few schools that may seem like stretches in my opinion, especially if the application is free. BUT, what many might not understand is that the situation in PA is difficult (!), so you need to spread out your options. Privates, OOS publics and in-state publics. We have them all covered.
@ Portercat…I am a simpleton!!! Lol. Having said that, it doesn’t take much for me to see or figure out when something is broken. The expense and the venue for merit, the reasons for merit and the ROI all need some adjustments!! Ha. Look…it isn’t the 1st time in my life that people have talked about me. I am good with that. People should in fact defend the fact that we are trying get our average kid a decent education without the kid going into major debt by age 22. It think we should be applauded!!! No worries!
Yes, from what I understand you are also spreading out your options. It would be great if some of the merit offers were better than expected, but I’m not necessarily counting on it! Not all of the eggs are in one basket.
Thanks. Always happy to be helpful.
A 26 opens up Honors Colleges and Honors Scholarships at most PASSHE schools, as well as Ball State, WVU, UAkron, Florida Atlantic U, Kent State (considered), University of South Florida, U Wisconsin Eau Claire (great Honors College for B+ students with good HS rigor), Morgan State,U Houston ( good honors college), Western Kentucky U (good honors college).
Not sure which ones would be affordable but they’re worth looking into (rapidly as some have deadlines soon).
A quick search for PASSHE academic scholarships returns results for East Stroudsburg, California U of PA, Clarion U and Shippensburg. I think IUP Cook’s honors college offers scholarships. And Slippery Rock.
Pitt regional campuses such as Bradford also offer some scholarships.
Another reason for high cost is a paucity of affordable state public universities. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is by far our most affordable four-year college option, with average tuition and fees of just under $10,000. Yet with only 14 universities in the system, PASSHE is not accessible to enough students. State-related universities - Penn State, Temple, Pitt and Lincoln - have filled the gap by creating over two dozen branch campuses across the state. Yet while they receive hundreds of millions of state dollars annually, these institutions are not held accountable for keeping tuition low. As a result, our state-related universities are the most expensive publicly supported universities in the nation. Average tuition and fees are over $16,000 - nearly double the national average.
Interesting article. From the comments on the article itself, state college seems to be something that many taxpayers still see as some sort of “free” giveaway. Amazing. What would they rather see, a great exodus of people from the state because there are no affordable college options?
^Sometimes, people don’t think long term, in terms of indirect costs to something and loss of revenue (ie., PA is among the top “exporters” of students… who then help make the economy of other states thrive), they are unable to compare - come on, if Florida, Georgia, NYS, Ohio, MI can do it, why can’t PA? -, don’t think in terms of investment “it takes money to make money” (investing in Pre-K and in public universities pays highly, but indirectly; it’s not like the casino or a scratch lottery ticket…).
Do people really think CA could be, alone, one of the biggest economies in the world, without its universities? Nowadays, universities are a necessity, not just for individuals, but for the collective.
@MYOS1634 …you are correct in reality but you are trying to inject reality into politics and that just doesn’t work. If a politician can sell that they are saving tax dollars by cutting funding to public colleges…the average John Q Public buys it every time never considering the larger picture but considers the picture of their own pocketbook.
If this is a revolution as this article mentions, it can’t change soon enough. Even with these changes, I’m not sure I would label these as “affordable”.
Excellent article and it is a constant play on “what is the actual cost” that makes me nuts! All these different prices for different people. On Friday, I called the admission office at a University that my daughter was accepted into to ask about the awards. They were very kind and helpful. They told me that we will receive the package in late December or early January with the final breakdown. However, if I was told that I can phone them and request another review to see if more money could be available at that time…what??? Just be fair and give me the cost once and for all.
BTW, great article on the challenges facing college in PA…here you go!
I think the situation is dire enough in PA, with the cost of public universities so high, that such a tactic can work.
It doesn’t necessarily always work, but for mid-tier or lower-tier colleges competing with less selective publics, it absolutely makes sense. (A kid who’s trying to choose between 100% need at Swarthmore or D1 football at PSU isn’t going to be in the cited colleges’ “market”. The B- student is.)
@bester1 Was the expected late Dec/earlyJan breakdown for a PASSHE school, OOS U, or private?
That is an interesting article on boosting enrollment, but very little on trying to make it more affordable. It is going to be quite a challenge for these institutions; keeping enrollment up while preventing tuition from escalating. They have been SLOW to adapt.
Always happy to be helpful.