<p>I'm in a dilemma. I have been given the opportunity to go to my dream school- it has everything I want in a college and beyond. ( I am a recruited athlete so am positive that I will get in if I apply early decision). Anyway, this school is considered very prestigious and it is selective. It has an amazing career service department, very highly ranked programs in my prospective majors, and great job placement. However, despite being given a generous financial aid package (according to the school's net price estimator) I would still have accrued close to 100k in debt at the end of four years. I plan to attend graduate school as well. (But if I maintain a certain gpa I get one year of Grad school free at this school).</p>
<p>The other school that I am applying to is a less selective state school. It has good academic programs in my major. If I were to go here, I would graduate with closer to 20-30k in debt. I know that I would probably be happy there, but i would be much more happy at my first choice school, as I have fallen in love with it. I have worked my tail of to get a top gpa and test scores in order to get into my first choice school, and if I don't go here I feel like it will be all for nothing. </p>
<p>So my questions are, which path should I take; should I go to the dream school or the state school? How significant is the impact of a large amount of debt upon graduation? Are there any ways that I could get more aid, or any scholarships you can suggest? I know these are a lot of questions, but I value every opinion given on the subject. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>“However, despite being given a generous financial aid package (according to the school’s net price estimator) I would still have accrued close to 100k in debt at the end of four years.”</p>
<p>You can’t borrow that much on your own. You would need a co-signer who could qualify each year for all four years and/or parents who are willing to take on Parent PLUS loans on their own. </p>
<p>On your own, you can only borrow up to the federal loan limits of $5,500 freshman year, $6,500 sophomore year, $7,500 junior year, and $7,500 senior year. If your college/university also offers the Perkins Loans, you can borrow a little bit more. But in total, these loans will come nowhere near $100,000.</p>
<p>Sit down with the coach who wants you so much at “Dream school”. If he/she cannot flat-out guarantee you a package that will mean your final debt for all four years is no more than the total of $27,000 that the federal loans would come to, and if you cannot get that in writing, then kiss the coach good-bye and move on. Right now “Dream school” is absolutely unaffordable, which means that it is not a “Dream school” at all.</p>
<p>That is up to your parents. YOU can only borrow about $30k or so without involving them. Are they willing to borrow and are they able to take that kind of a hit as a loan or paying for it? If they are already financially strapped, it would not be a good thing to stick that kind of obligation on them.</p>
<p>State school unless your parents can bank roll it. Seriously. </p>
<p>I don’t know the answer to this…but also what happens if you are injured or otherwise unable to play…does it effect your scholarships etc?</p>
<p>Edited to add…what is your intended graduate major? Not all majors can “Support” $100k of debt and in fact probably most cannot. This much debt will effect your ability to marry, buy a house and have kids. You will carry it a long time…like until YOUR kids are ready to go to college. As a lawyer, what I did for my grad school, I know this is true.</p>
<p>Thanks. Well my parents can’t afford to pay the extra 25k, so they expect me to get a job right out of college and take out loans in the meantime…</p>
<p>Savannahstar, I have three kids out of college, and none of them have loans, and none of them are exactly on the gravy train. Thank goodness , they don’t have loans. They’ve had some very rocky times financially, and ended up back home a few times. They are not alone either. They have many peers in the same boat.</p>
<p>I met a very personable young man at the local pizzeria. Looked like a friend of one of my sons. He wasn’t–just graduated from a major university and still hasn’t found anything other than taking pizza orders. My brother’s receptionish graduated with honors from a highly selective LAC–she’s trying to make it on $30K a year in NYC, finding a living wage job is very difficult, and she’s living with her parents still. </p>
<p>If your parents can’t afford to help you out with the tuition and loans so that you are personally taking the basic Direct loans, where are you going to get the extra money? Not likely any lender is going to lend it to you without a responsible cosigner they can snag along with you. And your parents can’t take that extra hit. These loans are like mortgage payments for some kids–25 years of payments and you don’t get a house in the bargain.</p>
<p>College athlete on athletic scholarship that is typically renewed each year, susceptible to injury (thereby losing the funding), and incurring maximum personal debt while in undergraduate school = recipe for disaster (IMHO). Some folks don’t have options or have the overwhelming dream to be an athlete so they take these risks. Think about this decision very carefully. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I would still have accrued close to 100k in debt at the end of four years. I plan to attend graduate school as well. (But if I maintain a certain gpa I get one year of Grad school free at this school).</p>
<p>Sorry, but that’s ridiculous. </p>
<p>And, “getting a job” after college won’t make paying off that amount of debt any easier. Newish grads just don’t earn enough to make those monthly payments and still cover their own living expenses.</p>
<p>What is your career goal? </p>
<p>BTW…if your parents can’t afford to pay anything, then very likely they will NOT qualify to co-sign on those loans. have they said that they will co-sign? Have they gotten QUALIFED to co-sign $100k in loans. If the answer is, “no”, then the question is moot. </p>
<p>Tell use more…what are the two schools? would you be playing your sport at either school? Are there other schools that might work?</p>
<p>Your parents earn $200k per year, yet they can’t help pay for college. That should give you some insight as to how hard it would be for you, as a newish grad, to support yourself on a fraction of that income AND make HUGE loan payments. You won’t be able to do that.</p>
<p>Savannah, I was in the same boat as you last year. I am in my second year of college about to transfer to a in-state school (SUNY Oneonta). I wish I was able to go to my dream school for my 4 year degree (Northeastern, Syracuse) , but i decided to just go to for my Master’s instead. What I would advise is that you stay in your home state and finish your 4 year there(less loans), and then go for your Masters at whatever university you like. Luckily I live in New York and was able to go to a decent school here, but I am disappointed I could not go to my top choice. You have to keep in mind that in this day in age most careers prefer students to have Masters degrees. Even for someone like me who wants a career in the entertainment business is better off getting a Masters. At least with a Masters degree you have a better chance to land a job. I know it sucks trust me, but college isn’t cheap as it used to be. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Dreams can quickly turn into nightmares when the bills are due. You seriously have to consider that you may be faced with unemployment in the future from time to time. The reality check should start now. The less debt you have in your life, the better off you will be, and the more freedom you will have. Athletic scholarships aren’t guaranteed for all four years and coaches will gladly drop you for the next gifted recruit. Sorry to be so negative, but the longer you live, the more you get burned, the less risks you will be willing to take. Minimize your student loans and look at pursuing your dream school as a graduate student.</p>
<p>And if you’re planning to attend grad school, it’s all well and good that the first year might be tuition-free . . . but that money you borrowed for undergrad won’t be free. It will continue to accrue interest the entire time you’re in grad school. So that $100k in debt that you’re imagining will actually end up being significantly more than $100k by the time you finish grad school, get a full-time job, and finally start paying it off.</p>
<p>Why not apply regular decision to your dream school along with the state schools as well. If you get in, you will see what your ACTUAL package will be instead of just what you are estimating. If you read these boards much, you hear all the time about people misinterpreting the calculators. Also, if you are a highly sought after athlete, is it possible there could be other funds available for you that aren’t reflected on the calculator? I would at least apply - but not ED. If it is meant for you to be there, the finances will work out and you will get in RD as well. If it isn’t meant to be, you will still have a fine education elsewhere.</p>
<p>There is no way I would cosign for my kids to saddle themselves with $100,000 in debt. I don’t care how great the school was. We were in the same boat with our kids. D was very disappointed for a minute or two when she couldn’t go to her top very expensive choice with a lousy financial aid package, but now as a junior with no loans at her very nice but lower priced school she is feeling very good about her choice.</p>
<p>Also, another interesting tidbit, both of my kids had very nicely paying internships last summer directly in thier line of study while her friend at one of the top 20 schools spent the last two summers in unpaid internships. Probably more a function of their majors, but I know friend’s parents are now cosigning for very large loans and I am sure they hoped their daughter would have been able to at least contribute something from her summer activities.</p>