CHello, this is my first ever post. It is decision time and we are stressed!
Have 2 daughters 2 years apart.
Daughter graduating this year from HS was accepted into 10 of the schools she applied to (out of 13)
She is an excellent student, level headed amazing kid. We have no savings and cant afford to send her where she really wants to go!
Unfortunately the privates , although she received some scholarships are still out of reach for us.
FAFSA gave us no aid at all.
her major now is kinesiology, however she is hoping to go to physical therapy program or orthopedic surgery
So it is decision time, we have narrowed it down to 2 schools. One she can live at home and commute CSULB, the other she will have to live on campus SDSU.
SDSU and living on campus adds an additional $20,000 per year that she will have in loan debt upon graduating.
Knowing she will be in school far more than 4 years, is it worth spending the money for her to have the âcollege experienceâ Or should we encourage her to live at home for her undergrad and then transfer???
If the extra cost means needing loans beyond the federal direct loan limit ($5,500 first year, increasing slightly later years), then she cannot take such loans without a cosigner (which means you, which would be a bad idea since you do not have the money).
However, note that having her continue to live at home and commute is not free, even though it costs substantially less than having her live on campus. You will continue to have her food and utilities costs, as well as commuting costs (though much of these may already be built into your household budget as a continuation from supporting her while in high school).
@HazelMay if thatâs $20,000 per year for four years thatâs $80,000 she canât take out loans for that much maybe you can take out that much in loans in your name but I would not recommend it.
If she were my child and those were the only two options, she would be commuting to CSULB.
Both SDSU and CSULB are huge commuter schools so she may not get the campus experience as some other schools. Many people I know who attended these schools did not make too many friends at college, they mainly stayed connected with childhood friends and the people they went to HS school with.
If she wishes to broaden her circle of friends, I think a dorm experience will be good. Perhaps you can try it for one year and see if she likes it because during freshmen year, everyone is looking for new friends. After the first year, itâs harder to make friends. I think the money will be worth it as UCBalumnus said, being a commuter costs money too.
Doing frosh year in the dorm if financially possible but commuting other years to save money is a possibility at CSULB (obviously not at SDSU). However, it looks like it may be financially difficult for the OP to do even that.
Yes, we would have to take out loans for her to go to SDSU and live on campus. I know she really wants to go away, but is it worth the debt? I think both schools are pretty similar as far as her major. She will eventually transfer after 4 years to go to PT school or Med school.
Gosh! I am sooo feeling your pain.!!! Have 2 daughters 2 years apart. A HS senior who has applied to our local University where she received a substantial award leaving us to pay about 12 thousand a year but commuting! Problem is she was accepted to an out of state that would cost us 30 thousand , no aid and she is in love with the school. I mean the out of state school is better academically. Our local university has a much higher acceptance rate and she doesnât want to be associated with itâs reputation! Even commuting, we would have to add additional travel costs (bridges, tolls) and I am not sleeping at night thinking about this! My daughter is in a rigorous HS program and wants to continue her studies in a University with A plus academics. The other problem is that she doesnât know what she wants to do! I am telling her that she had better know what to do if she attends an expensive school, and that it is not worth the additional cost if she is undecided! I can handle 12 thousand a year but 30k is pushing it! Help!
A family member had the same option. She elected for living at home and going to Long Beach. She felt she missed the experience her friends were having. After two years she transferred to a UC. It would have been less expensive and a similar experience for her to have gone to a CC. The transfer process would have been easier and more successful coming out of a CC.
If the decision were mine, and if the schools were HYPSM, and as a parent, I had the ability to pay the loan back without having to live on rice, beans and noodles for the next 20 years, had the job stability, live an austere lifestyle and otherwise sacrifice for my kids, then Iâd borrow the $80K, preferably a loan against the house for the tax deduction.
Dependent on the rest of the financial picture and other debt of course. But, not for SDSU. No disrespect to SDSU alums. Sorry, but thatâs just me.
I think if commuting is the only financially feasible option you may have your answer. SDSU is on my D18âs list and I think room and board falls in the $15k range (maybe $16k for next year). I have toured it with my D and think it delivers a really good college experience - not a commuter school at all - selective and well respected. Iâd be currious if room and board goes up or down once out of the dorms - @Gumbymom is the SDSU expert and may be able to comment. Another option to make SDSU more affordable is to try to accelerate her degree - use any AP credit she may get, take a full schedule, and use a local CC for summer school classes. Of course working part time may help defray costs as well. My D18 is also looking at grad school (similar to PT - OT), and if she goes the SDSU route her goal will be 3 years. Commuting is fine just giving you more options to consider as I do think the college experience is valuable.
SDSUâs cost for room/board for last year was $14,812, not additional $20K/year but you may have include transportation costs. My younger son took Amtrak home several times Freshman year since he did not have a car, but brought his car Sophomore year, so you would have to include parking fees if she plans to bring a car Freshman year on top of the housing costs.
Also starting Fall 2017, out of area students are required to live on-campus for 2 years, so that may be a factor. Many students like to move off campus Sophomore year, but this doesnât always translate into $$$ savings, since housing is expensive in SD.
Even though many considered SDSU a commuter school, most students live within the surrounding area so it definitely has a more residential feel.
SDSU is a excellent school and my son has had a great experience so far, but I would NOT take out a huge amount of loans ($80K/4 years) for any school. CSULB has a very good reputation for Kinesiology and if PT school is in the future, save that money.
Depending upon the AP classes she has taken, she could opt out of several courses and as stated @my2caligirls, finish within 3 years. Still if you have to take out loans for anything more than the student loans ($27K/4 years), I
think it is not worth it.
Being a commuter at CSULB may not give her the full â4 year college experienceâ, if you get involved on campus, you can make that commuter school experience a very positive one.
Have you compared what your costs will be with her commuting versus living on campus? In addition to continuing to provide food, youâll also have expenses for utilities, transportation and entertainment that will not apply if she lives on-campus. For example, how much will your car insurance drop each month if she doesnât bring a car to SDSU?
Letâs assume that you determine that if she lives at home and commutes you will spend $500/month that you will not spend if she goes to SDSU. I would then say that she needs to account for $14K rather than $20k per year.
Schools generally publish average room and board costs (Iâm assuming your using the schoolâs estimates). Is she willing to accept a more budget-friendly housing option such as a triple room in a traditional dorm vs. a double in a suite-style dorm? Can she go with a lower cost meal plan?
If she can go with a lower-priced housing/meal plan, she may be able so save ~$1K over the rates published by the school, dropping the amount that she needs to account for down to $13K.
Can she work to make up the difference? Plenty of students take on part-time jobs during the school year as part of their âCampus Experienceâ. I worked about 10 hrs/week when I was in school (full time over the summer) and although it wasnât fun, it definitely beat living at home and commuting!
Letâs assume she can work 10hrs/week during the academic year, and full-time over the summer at $10/hr. She would net ~$7K each year, leaving ~$6K per year to borrow. I think thatâs a reasonable amount.
Living on campus is more than just an experience. Itâs a matter of convenience and flexibility that I definitely think can impact success and opportunities. For example, she can expect to have group assignments in classes. If the group wants to meet later in the evening and needs to work past midnight to get an assignment completed, itâs a rather trivial issue if she lives on campus. If sheâs commuting, this means a late night drive home possibly followed by an early morning drive back in the next morning.
This is a practical decision. If you wanted a Mercedes really really badly, but only had money for a nice Ford sedan, would you consider debt for that? If she commutes, she will still live a full and happy life. I would agree together that she will commute with as much independance you can give her â and revisit the idea each year. I live in a college town where it is very common for locals to commute for a year, or two, and then get an apartment to acquire life skills. It doesnât seem to impact their social life or group projects unless they want it to.
Debt is a big burden, to be avoided when possible. I would invest in upgrades for her living space at home, to signify her new status as a college adult, and give her free rein as she would have in a dorm. But with another student to go, and grad school for thhis one? commute makes the most sense, even if it feels disappointing. You are a good mom.
Another possibility would be for her to become an RA after her freshman year. RAâs typically get free room and board (a private room) along with a small monthly stipend.
