My daughter is going to major in Medical Laboratory Sciences (Biology) and is trying to decide between: UConn, UVM, Emmanuel and Wheaton (Mass), and University of Cincinnati. She got scholarships from all of them, but the most money from Wheaton.
-Wheaton- Community Scholarship, plus the summer stipend. Full tuition, but we are responsible for room and board which is $13K/yr
-Emmanuel- After scholarship and aid, amount left over is $20K a year.
-UVM- Presidential scholarship and aid, left with $21K/yr.
-UConn- $15K in grants (plus the $5,500 loan) leaves $30K/yr (we are OOS)
-UC- only $13K total aid, leaves $30K, unless her father can get her in-state (he lives there, we are in RI), but she would lose the OOS grant, so price per year would still be about $20K.
I am drawn to Wheaton, because it is the most affordable, but she is drawn to UVM. Which of these schools are the best for the price tag? All prices included all expenses.
I have another child heading to college in 2 years, then another 4 years after that.
URI is an extension of high school socially. She decided against Maine because it was too isolated and doesn’t have the program. UConn is also in the middle of nowhere, but with the program and closer to home.
Definitely go with the overall least costs to her is my first response. Be sure the full cost of attendance is considered- usually available on the school websites. This means tuition/fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel expenses etc. There may be extra costs for labs at one school and not the other.
Also consider what she gets for her money. Are all programs fairly equal in caliber? Will she as easily be able to pass certification exams, get a job with each program? I’m assuming she is not using the major as a premedical one. What if she changes her major? Will she be able to?
Hard to believe any school on the east coast is “in the middle of nowhere”- everything is so close there! A good campus means not needing anything else as there is plenty to do on campus.
Personally I would weigh the academic factors first. If one school stands out I would be willing to spend an extra $5-10 grand each year for it. If nonfinancial factors are close go for the least cost.
UVM is an excellent school, very good academics, and Burlington is a wonderful little city. I think it would be a great choice and worth that extra amount if you can swing it.
If not…then she has to pick a less costly college.
These are two VERY different schools. One is a very small LAC located not in the city. The other is a major flagship research university located IN the city.
Have you done the financial planning to see what you can actually afford to contribute without preventing you from saving for retirement or contributing fairly to the younger kids’ college costs?
thumper1- which school are you referring to as the major flagship research university- UVM?
ucbalumnus- I can afford $6,000 a year. Her dad will pay $10-$12K. To go to UVM, she might have to get a private loan for 3-5,000 on top of the Stafford.
My real question is- which of the schools she is down to is the better school, for the money, and just better overall?
Thanks!
BTW- I lived in Burlington for 2 years post-grad, so completely get the charm that is both the school and the city itself.
I really like Wheaton. I would encourage her to do the admitted students day and ask questions. While it’s a small school in a small town, its between Boston and Providence and there’s a train making it easy to get to either. Something about taking courses in both cities as well, plus studies abroad, semesters away, etc. And it’s a small but cute town. I lived there for a year in the 70s – and knew several Wheaton students but I did not go there.
If the combined parental contribution is $16-18k per year, then wouldn’t adding a federal direct loan get to the $21k for UVM without need for private cosigned loans? Or do you mean the father’s contribution is $10-12k over four years, so that the combined parental contribution is only $8-9k per year?
The $21k needed for UVM is after the Stafford loans of $5,500 (but does account for all expenses), so the annual amount from her dad and myself of $16-$18k would still come up a little short.
i don’t like the idea of thousands of $$$ of extra loans in addition to Stafford for UVM. that can snowball in a hurry. i stand by making the most of the generous scholarship form Wheaton.
In other words, she would need to work summers and part time during school to come up with the remaining $3-5k at UVM? This is assuming that you are not willing to cosign a private loan or take a parent loan (usually not a good idea if you do not actually have the money).
Are all of the other prices listed in post #0 after taking the $5,500 federal direct loan? It would be easier to evaluate if all of the net prices were listed after grants and scholarships only (not loans) were deducted.
Can you calculate this for each college then post results below
(tuition, fees, room, board) - (scholarships, grants) =
Do not subtract any loan. Do not add anything else.
I would discourage her from taking more loans than just the Stafford. Did she get work-study from UVM? If not, can she work? Run the numbers for her on repaying the loans, which may help her reconsider. While she MAY be able to make money during the summer, it is not all that easy to earn $4K in a summer and still have spending money. Do the costs you are quoting include books, transportation, and “fun”?
Is there something other than location and size that makes UVM her first choice?
What do you mean by medical lab science? Does she want to go to Med School or nursing or something else? That might impact her choices.
I’d see if there was a reasonable way to come up with the extra $ for UVM. If your D is willing to work a 10 or so hour per week job, that would help. I think that an on-campus or nearby job would be much easier to come by at UVM than at Wheaton.
Wheaton has never struck me as an invigorating place, academically or otherwise. But my personal knowledge of it is decades old, and predates coeducation.