<p>Might I sum up this peeing contest by saying…Penn State is an expensive school both in-state and OOS. Furthermore; they tend not to provide much in grant or scholarship money and most would agree at some point the cost to attend a particular school outweighs what you get for that money…relatively speaking. With that being said; for a $60 application fee, if you really want to attend why not and hope you are one of those that receive funds (through whatever mysterious method they use to distribute it). Have a Plan B just in case. </p>
<p>Oswego, where Al Roker went.He seems to have been a pretty successful meteorologist. And still going strong!</p>
<p>@pennsydad, if you want to characterize this thread a “peeing contest” have at it. As someone who has read this forum for a number of years and currently has a student at Penn State, I’ve seen a lot of claptrap bandied about and outright misinformation/distortion perpetuated. The spirit moved me, and I felt like jumping in on this one.</p>
<p>Aside from the label, your summation is good.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why my motives are being raked through the coals here, but if posting the university’s OWN numbers and recommending OOS students run the net price calculators BEFORE they apply makes me some kind of evil party pooper, so be it.</p>
<p>And not that it’s particularly relevant to this discussion, but since @pilot2012 thinks he caught me in some intentional deception, let me just make it clear that Penn State and my son’s final choice were both his safeties, in that we knew he could apply early, be accepted, and we could afford them (even if it hurt a lot!) before he started focusing on more selective, Common Application schools, where we’d have to sweat whether he’d be admitted and whether we’d get enough aid to be able to afford them. When he started the process, we were hoping to find schools in the $25,000 a year range without loans. When it was all said and done, we had choices ranging from $15,000 to $46,000 per year, including Penn State at $34,000 a year–our upper limit once we factored in our son taking the full Stafford loan offered each year. We went to visit the three schools that were viable, including Penn State, which was very impressive and the most expensive of the three. In the end, he chose another school because it had more of what he wanted academically, he just plain liked it better, and, yes, it was half the price. Price was a factor, but not the only or even the most important one. For us. But for those in lower income brackets (e.g., someone with an EFC of 0 like the OP), cost may HAVE to be the most important factor.</p>
<p>In the end, you can hope the net price calculators at all these schools are being overly conservative, that their estimates are high, and that after you pay your deposit and enroll some unexpected scholarship money will show up in your bill. For some, this strategy might work, but it is a dangerous one for someone who needs significant financial aid or who is considering a major that won’t lead directly to a lucrative job. And $50 or $60 is a lot of money to someone whose parents can’t afford to contribute anything towards their education.</p>
<p>If somebody has some hard numbers that are more reliable than Penn State’s, for estimating purposes, please share. Tell us if you’re in state, out of state, whether or not you’re talking about a Schreyer student (who gets an extra $5,000 a year), etc. And be sure to include whether or not you’re financing it with loans–because you have to factor in interest charges in that case.</p>
<p>And if anyone has any specific questions about our experience, feel free to PM me. </p>
<p>It sounds like you had a very well thought out search. What scares me are the kids on here who have no idea what college will cost and think that when they fill out the FAFSA and get their EFC that is what they will have to pay. And then there are the kids who just assume that they (not their parents) will be able to borrow tens of thousands of dollars to pay for college. Every spring and summer we see kids who are totally gobsmacked because they didn’t do the research, get good advice or listen to the advice they got and only then learn they cannot attend their college of choice (and often have no financial safety).</p>
<p>I probably owe LTL an apology. I just went back and noticed the previous poster stated that the “surprise scholarship” showed up on the tuition invoice. I had been thinking the the notice was in the Spring, before you had to make a decision on May 1st. That certainly changes my opinion of “hoping” you receive one. If you are unable to attend at full cost, this would not be a prudent approach.
If you and or your parents are willing and able to pay for a Penn State education, they certainly offer resources that provide an opportunity to be successful. If it does not make sense; given the financial situation, there are plenty of other schools that offer a fine education for less…especially if you have above average grades. Ohio State, Alabama, WVU and your in-state state school to name a few. They may or may not have the same reputation, but I can assure you that you create your own success in life. Some schools may provide a head start, but in the long run it is up to you.
I went to a school with not much of a “reputation” and have managed to do just fine for myself. Several of my roommates are probably 1%ers. If you think what school you go to is going to MAKE you financially successful, you are mistaken. YOU are going to determine that one way or the other…regardless of where you attend.
Ok; I am going to jump down off of my soap box now. </p>
<p>First, continuing the correction pattern – Schreyer is not $5,000 in merit aid. </p>
<p>Second, we did not count on the “surprise” scholarship when making our final decisions, Pennsydad; actually, the unanticipated scholarship was a third one that was just applied to the tuition bill. Yes, it does happen. Like LTL, it was simply icing on the cake. </p>
<p>Third, I’ve never advocated basing decisions on “hope” and that was not my purpose in sharing. My intent is not to save “the naive” but to correct misleading comments perpetuated by a poster. Sorry if I’m a bit skeptic about the altruistic intent. I certainly hope that LTL is posting on the Pitt forum also. And I mean that.</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that some students will find that they cannot afford Penn State, the debt too onerous to justify attendance and alternatives will need pursued. That occurrence is a systemic problem with the system and isn’t unique to Penn State.</p>
<p>I stand corrected, @pilot2012, they only guarantee $4,500 a year for incoming freshmen admitted into Schreyer. (Gateway students, who apply as upperclassmen, are not, to my knowledge, guaranteed annual awards. But please correct me if I’m wrong about that.) </p>
<p>Would have been nice if you’d bothered to cite your sources (or any sources!) while you’re constantly fact-checking me, but here’s a link:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.shc.psu.edu/admissions/faq/”>https://www.shc.psu.edu/admissions/faq/</a></p>
<p>And, no, I haven’t posted on the Pitt forums because I have no direct experience with them since my kid didn’t apply there! </p>
<p>I’m glad your kid is having such a great experience at Penn State and that you can afford to pay for it. Nothing I ever posted in this thread was directed at kids in that category. My concern, again, is for naive students who don’t understand how financial aid works. If you find that patronizing, so be it.</p>
<p>So far in this thread you’ve accused me of intentionally trying to “mislead” people, of perpetuating “clap trap,” “misinformation,” and “distortion.” If you really believe that, then report me to a moderator. Otherwise, give it a rest. </p>
<p>Pilot…the “hope” comment was directed to my initial response, not anything you said.
We have checked out many schools and applied to 5. Even though we are in Pennsylvania; I anticipate that 3 of the 4 others will have similar “all in” costs to PSU, based on my son’ grades and test scores. It is nice to have options. With that being said, he has already been accepted to PSU and I believe that is where he plans on going. His choice. I am relatively indifferent which he selects of most of the choices.
I am going in with eyes wide open regarding costs. Would love to be pleasantly surprised when the tuition bill arrives…however.
I am not looking to cause any hard feelings with anyone; probably finished with my thoughts on this topic. </p>
<p>@LTL – I’ve already posted corrections and previous quotes as support. I don’t feel the need to cite sources to correct your claims again. You can.</p>
<p>@PennsyDad, no hard feelings. You and your son have done your research, have options and, above all, are realistic. Adding a strong work ethic to that equation will pay dividends wherever he attends. Good luck. </p>
<p>As an aside, I was initially tentative about Penn State – I don’t bleed blue and white. Just today, my son said in a phone conversation, “You know, there really are a lot of brilliant people here.” I like that.</p>
<p>Once more, Mayosauce, I apologize for the departure from your initial query.</p>