<p>I am a transfer student graduating from a community college.
Despite what I thought were good scores (3.7 GPA, 2000 SAT) and 0 EFC I did not receive a scholarship from BU -or- UMass Amherst, just various forms of state and federal grants and work study which may equal $10,000-20,000 a year when combined.<br>
I live in Boston so I wouldn't have to pay room and board at BU, just tuition. Tuition at BU is just under $40k per year. Tuition plus room and board at UMass Amherst is just over $20k per year.
BU also told me that if I did well in my first semester there I would be eligible for a $12k ($6k/2 semesters) merit scholarship. However, there is not a guarantee that I would receive this amount.
My major is International Relations. This major doesn't exist at UMass so I would have to major in Political Science with a concentration in IR or possibly a different field. I am also concerned with the different environment of UMass Amherst as it's not an urban environment, the "party school" reputation, etc.
A good thing about UMass Amherst is that I was accepted in Commonwealth College Honors Program. And obviously I would like to graduate with the lowest debt possible.</p>
<p>Is BU worth it for maybe $40k debt upon graduation?
Did anybody go to UMass Amherst and what did you think of it?</p>
<p>Short answer: Don’t start your adult life burdened by $40,000 in debt to pay off. Go to the Honors College at UMass, do a semester abroad, think about graduate school, which you will need at some point if IR is really your career path. An honors UMass student who makes the most of his/her undergraduate opportunities will be as well prepared for post-grad life as a BU grad. Trust us parents on this.</p>
<p>If you go to UMass Amherst you can also take some classes at Amherst or Smith. That sounds like a major advantage to me, along with not living at home.</p>
<p>It is surprising that BU did not offer you anything, but people say that aid for transfer students is much scarcer and lower than aid for incoming freshmen. It sounds as if you plan to earn part of the two years worth of tuition, if you decide on BU. Borrowing $40K or more is a lot for anyone. You must be from a low income family, because your EFC is 0. You probably can’t rely on your family for things like help with purchasing a first car, moving to a new job location and setting up an apartment, etc. It sounds to me as if U Mass is the way to go.</p>
<p>I plan to work overseas. I go to a school with a lot of internationals currently and they all respect and are familiar with BU, not UMass. A Japanese friend directly told me today that if I wanted to work overseas I’d be crazy not to go to BU.</p>
<p>The problem with buying a car and setting up an apartment and moving to a new job location is that those are things I need to do if I go to UMass. My life already exists in Boston and at UMass most of my money is going towards living costs to be in a rural area that lacks my major…</p>
<p>Edit- I live with my partner of several years, not my parents. Living in a dorm would be a step down and big strain on my relationship, definitely.
I don’t think I can commute because I don’t have a car and besides, it’s about 2 hours each way.
I was surprised too that BU did not offer aid.
However, I learned today that there are still some scholarship possibilities for me.
I do appreciate the input from people that are older.
I wish I could find statistics about job placement and salaries upon graduation for different schools.</p>
<p>*BU also told me that if I did well in my first semester there I would be eligible for a $12k ($6k/2 semesters) merit scholarship. However, there is not a guarantee that I would receive this amount.
*</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>So, BU said that if after transferring, if you did well your first semester at BU, you would get a $6k per semester for the remaining 3 semesters? That sounds very odd…and like you said…no assurances. When did BU tell you this? Recently? A few years ago?</p>
<p>The Financial Aid Advisor at BU gave me the information about the continuing student grant in writing just this week. But, as you said, it’s hard to get a guarantee.</p>
<p>For study abroad I plan to apply for a Boren scholarship and Critical Languages Scholarship. In past years several BU students have earned these scholarships, whereas no UMass students have.
It probably has something to do with the caliber of students each school attracts rather than the scholarship committee choosing to deny all applicants from state universities, but I still find it troubling.</p>
<p>However, I can’t get over the thought of being in debt for 10 years or even more after graduation… It seems really unmanageable. It’s also hard as the laws are frequently changing to become more forgiving to the borrowers (as long as they borrow from the government. I absolutely refuse to borrow from a private lender under any circumstance)</p>
<p>Also, I would not pay $40k/year at BU. I still receive the maximum of state and federal aid programs in addition to work study, working in the summer, and so on. Regardless, there is a big gap, thus the loan.</p>