<p>I’ll try again. What state do you live in? You may be able to get reduced tuition through the midwest exchange program.</p>
<p>The way I’m seeing this…you have a,couple of money saving options.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>look at schools with guaranteed merit aid with your stats…you would still get the Pell.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to a local community college for your gen ed courses…live at home. Pell and Direct loan would cover that.</p></li>
<li><p>Look at the schools that meet full need and see if there is a somewhat realistic reach with engineering in the list.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to schools that give great merit aid to students with your stats.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Run the Net Price Calculators on any prospective college websites to get an estimate of your probable aid.</p>
<p>For engineering, I think you will find that there ARE courses taken within the first two years IN most engineering majors. It’s NOT all general education requirements. You may find that if you don’t START in engineering, it will take you longer than 4 years to actually graduate from the four year school.</p>
<p>Illinois. See post 36 for mwse. It has been discussed.</p>
<ol>
<li>I have been doing that. The problem is, it usually isn’t enough ( the merit aid). And if I even got a pell, it would be very small. We are around 50-55k bracket.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>My local CC would be free for me due to honors program. However I definitely don’t want to stay at home and that isn’t any different than semo.</li>
<li>I was looking at vanderbilt, but it seems as if everyone there is rich and stuck up. I don’t think I would fit in there, if I could get in in the first place. </li>
<li>Is that just a reiterated version of number 1?</li>
</ol>
<p>My mom did mention that if I did that, I might have to go another semester or so to finish. That’s not a dealbreaker though.</p>
<p>It looks like interest rates on student loans will be going up.</p>
<p>I would only consider options that don’t require going into debt.</p>