I am a high school senior in Tennessee, and I’ve pretty much narrowed my colleges to UTK and UAlabama. I would definitely prefer to go OOS, but cost is a significant factor in my decision.
I can go to UTK for about $3-5,000 a semester, so about $30-40,000 for all four years. This is based off of what my brother and sister (both of whom have already graduated from UTK) had to pay for books, room and board, and other various expenses while they were in school.
For UA, with my ACT (34 composite, 35 super) and my GPA (3.97 unweighted and 4.38 weighted) I qualify for their Presidential Scholarship (full tuition), and I am planning an a computer engineering degree, which gives me an extra $2,500 a year. However, based on the numbers given on the UA website, this still leaves me at about $60,000 for all four years with room and board, books, food, etc.
I was talking to my guidance counselor about this and she suggested I contact UA’s regional recruiter to see if they could match the HOPE, which is what makes UTK so cheap. I know that on UA’s website, it says that they don’t have an alternative for HOPE, but she still suggested I contact them to check and see if there is an alternative.
I was raised that it wasn’t really socially acceptable to discuss or ask for money, so I am completely lost as to how to go about this. I looked on the internet, but all I really gathered there was to send an actual physical letter and not to use the term “negotiation.” What I’d like to know is, how should I contact the RR; is an email ok, or should I go ahead and write an actual letter? Should I send this before I apply, or after I’m accepted? Should I mention my PS (to make me seem more valuable and worth spending more money on), or not (so they won’t think, we’ve given this girl enough money and she doesn’t need anymore)? What should I actually say? should I talk about UTK? Should I pretty much tell them that if I can’t get more money I won’t be able to go to UA (which is the truth)? Should I ask for another scholarship, or a merit-based reward? Should I ask for something different? I am just so lost and confused and I don’t want to offend or insult anyone, but I also want to maximize my chances of being able to financially afford going OOS. Any help is appreciated, and thank you in advance.
Someone else can respond with comments on negotiating aid, but I’ll provide the following:
The cost estimates on UA’s site are going to be on the high end - take a look at the expenses and see where you can reduce them, the price they give is most likely for a suite, you can choose to live in a traditional dorm at a significant cost savings your first year. After your first year, if you move off campus you can find a place that is significantly less than the dorms ( my son currently pays less than $7500 for a 12 month lease + utilities)
The food plan is high first year, but you don’t need to purchase a meal plan after the first year and can cut costs more.
You can buy used books and/or rent books for a significant cost savings.
The misc expenses quoted are generally on the high side.
I think my son’s total expenses were closer to $40-45,000 for his first 4 years (he is there an extra year because he chose to co-op).
In addition there are other options to help fund the additional expenses if UA won’t negotiate their already extremely generous offer. You can apply for outside scholarships and at UA you will still receive the total value of tuition + the full engineering stipend if you receive additional awards. My son received about $7000 in local scholarships that paid the majority of his expenses his first year.
You can also choose to co-op which is alternating semesters of full time paid work with semesters of classes. You can start a co-op after your freshman year. You can use the money earned during your work semesters to pay for the expenses for the semesters you are enrolled in classes.
Apply first, contact Alabama Admissions and Financial Aid by phone then letter immediately after acceptance. The letter should summarize the phone conversation(s) and include any additional documentation. Stay on top of it without being pushy. Follow through with jrcsmom’s suggestions for additional ways to make the budget doable. Good luck!
^^^ This is all good info.
In addition, you can work summers using that money to offset your yearly costs. You can also choose to be extremely frugal while living at college by doing several of the following; limiting your dining out, keeping your clothing budget low by shopping thrift stores and reusing what you currently have in your wardrobe, traveling home less often, and not bringing a car to campus which saves on parking permits, gas and insurance. Just so you know. UA’s campus is very walkable and bus transportation is good. If you have a bike, bring that to campus with you.
You can also work during the school year to earn extra money. If you are a strong student, you should be able to manage a part-time job along with your studies.
You need to decide how many monetary and lifestyle choices you want to make in order to attend your dream school.
How much are your parents willing to contribute to your college costs? If they are willing to pay the $40,000 price tag at UTK and you use the money saving strategies given here in this thread, perhaps this is doable for you and your family. What is your family’s EFC? Will you be expecting any financial aid?
-Also, you need to fill out the scholarship application online by December 15, in order to be considered for other monies.
-UA does not use any super scoring.
-However, if you felt that you could get a 36 on your ACT, it would be worth your time to retake the test. In the past, there was a Presidential Elite Scholarship awarded for a 36 ACT score. I do not know if it is still available.
-Although, your GPA is good, many students winning merit money have similar GPA’s or higher GPA’s
-You could apply for one of the spots in the elite CBH or UFE programs, sometimes there are additional monies available to these students.
Good Luck
UA doesn’t have HOPE funds to give. You can contact the recruiter to see if there are any additional scholarship funds you might qualify for, and there may be, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. A lot of the departmental scholarships are awarded to those who don’t already have large scholarships, and I know the alumni scholarships given by the alumni group in my area go to students who have not already received large university scholarships. In other areas it might be different, and perhaps your area recruiter will have information about that. As mentioned above, UFE and CBH are programs that award some extra scholarship/fellowship money to certain students, but the programs are competitive. My daughter received CBH fellowship money for each of the 4 years she was in the CPHP, but the extra money is NOT in and of itself a good reason to apply to those programs - you have to have an interest and want to do them.
I strongly suggest you take a good look at the COA numbers for UA. As jcrsmom mentioned, unlike some schools, which use the lowest or average costs, UA uses higher cost estimates. For example, the housing number is for the suite style dorms, which is one of the more expensive options. A triple in a traditional dorm is $5,060 a year less expensive than a single in a 4 bedroom suite and a double in a traditional dorm is $3,150 less. That is a huge difference. After the first year, you can move off campus and there is a wide range of off-campus housing prices. A large meal plan is required only for the first year, and if you are frugal you can eat for significantly less than the cost of the meal plan. Dining Dollars are required, but if you don’t use them they can be refunded at the end of the year. My daughter rarely used Dining Dollars and got a large refund each year. She also never paid anywhere close to the estimate given for books - she would find free pdfs online, rent books, borrow them from friends, buy used, etc. The transportation cost for OOS students in the COA is nearly $3000. Coming from Tennessee, I doubt you’d come anywhere close to that, especially if you don’t go home often. Finally, your personal costs shouldn’t differ much from school to school, and are to a large extent within your control. By substituting the lowest numbers for the high numbers, you’ll see that you can take thousands off of your four year costs.
You have been getting some good advice. I do want to bring up the cost you quoted for UTK - you mentioned that your siblings went there and you based your cost from their experience. Depending when they graduated, those costs may have increased dramatically. If you use the up-to-date numbers, you might find that your cost difference might not be as great as you estimated. UA is a wonderful school (definitely check it out) but if you believe the extra expense will be too great for your family to shoulder, than another school like UTK will give you a great education too. You just won’t have as awesome of a football team. Good luck and roll tide.
First, this is the one time in your life that you absolutely need to talk about money! College is expensive, and you absolutely have to find a college solution that’s affordable for you.
Second, UA will not “negotiate” merit scholarship awards. The automatic awards are what they are, and you get what you qualify for. There may be additional awards for students admitted to the University Fellows Experience and the Computer-Based Honors Program - but that’s not something you can count on receiving. (Still, you should definitely still apply to both these programs - they’re amazing opportunities!)
As an engineering student, you’d also have the potential for summer earnings that could significantly offset your expenses. And, as noted, if you opt to participate in the co-op program, you could be earn even more money by working alternate semesters. From the [Co-op website](http://coop.eng.ua.edu/aboutcoop/):
By alternating semesters of full-time studies with semesters of full-time work, co-op students acquire important career-related skills and earn money to help finance their educations. These students enhance their positions in the job market and command higher salaries upon graduation.
Additionally, any need-based federal financial aid that you’d qualify for at UTK would also be available to you at UA - including Pell Grant, SEOG Grant (although there are only a limited number of those), work study, and subsidized and/or unsubsidized federal loans.
As for the Presidential Elite Scholarship mentioned above, it’s my understanding that it is no longer available. So before you go to the trouble of retaking the ACT, call or email the Undergraduate Scholarships Office and ASK!
FWIW, my low-income engineering student started out by supplementing his Presidential Scholarship with a very generous award offered in our local community. Once he was enrolled, though, he applied every year for additional university and Honors College scholarships, and was able to get some additional monies that way. He also applied for both corporate scholarships for continuing college students and government research grants. And, even though the summer internship application process was daunting, and there were moments when he thought he’d end up back home mowing lawns, he was eventually able to get summer internships in his field of study that paid him good money.
Don’t take on more than you can actually afford, but be assertive about finding ways to make your education affordable. If you have questions about whether the co-op program would work for you, call or email the co-op office and ASK!!! The people who answer the phones at UA are there to help - don’t be shy about taking advantage of that!
Thank you all for the very helpful advice!
3-I've been blessed with a family that makes enough money that I will receive little to no financial aid. I could probably convince them to pay $20-30,000, but they don't really want me to go OOS if it's not a full ride, so I don't think they'd contribute more than that.
4-How would I be able to make sure I got a cheaper dorm? Is that something that happens after application and acceptance?
5-My brother graduated this year and my sister graduated about three years ago from UTK, so the numbers might be slightly different, but I doubt it would change drastically in one year.
Stressedrn – re: #4: No problem for you to select a traditional dorm (those are less expensive than the suite dorms). That is done in the spring, usually right around May 1-8. You can pick your dorm and even your exact room number. Just be sure to pay your housing deposit ON TIME; watch your UA emails for the date, but in the past I believe it’s been early to mid February. If you pay the housing deposit after that certain cut-off date (such as Feb 1), then UA Housing simply assigns the dorm & room for you; you can still mark a preference on your housing application however (such as traditional dorm, versus suite style). Suite style fills up first, so I don’t think you would have any problem getting to the less expensive, traditional style dorms. Good luck!
Matching HOPE? Hope is ONLY paying for your TUITION, which Alabama is already doing. Hope is not what is making UTenn so cheap. What OTHER aid is UTenn giving you?
Bama has already “matched” HOPE plus giving you another 2500 per year. Your GC must not be very bright since she should know that HOPE only covers tuition.
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can go to UTK for about $3-5,000 a semester, so about $30-40,000 for all four years. <<<
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Are you saying that room, board, fees, and books at UTenn is ONLY $6k-10k per year? I doubt that unless that is a crummy dorm and small meal plan
What was your PSAT? Do you qualify for NMSF?
Has Tenn reduced the HOPE award amounts?
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AWARD AMOUNTS FOR THE TENNESSEE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter Four-Year Institutions and two-year institutions with on-campus housing: Up to $1,750 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshmen and sophomore; then up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior - See more at: https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/article/tennessee-hope-scholarship#sthash.rq71r5nG.dpuf
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Looks like HOPE no longer covers most/all of tuition
Sounds like your brother got a larger award since he started before Fall 2015 (it was a little bit more then, but doesn’t look like he even had all tuition paid).
If the above is true, then your costs to attend UTenn would be a lot more than you think. AND…if so, then Alabama is giving you a lot more than Hope and UTenn are. Maybe you need to ask UTenn to match what Bama is giving you. Lol
@mom2collegekids – HOPE never did cover tuition- the first few years it was 2k per semester for 8 semesters- but that has changed to the numbers you cite above. There is an additional $1500/year (General Assembly Merit) that this student would qualify for (criteria are >29 ACT and 3.75 GPA)- and he/she would likely receive a good bit (8K annually) from UTK’s volunteer scholarship program-- so a total of 13k as an instate student. So it would -combined- just about cover tuition and fees; leaving student with books, R&B, travel/personal. I think most high achieving TN kids find the costs of UA OOS and UTK instate to be in the same ballpark.
As TN parents, we came to the same conclusion regarding finances between the two schools. OP has the added pressure of siblings having already attended UTK so there might be feelings of loyalty from the family. It can be an even tougher conversation to have if there are DEEP feelings for UTK (OH MY, you want to go WHERE?). If we are correct in assuming that finances aren’t a huge issue for the parents I hope the OP can schedule a visit to UA and its Honors College and make a choice based on fit as well.
Our tipping point was UA made the biggest effort to make our student feel WANTED. It was a huge point for us as parents and we are absolutely thrilled with his choice!
Good luck with your decision and enjoy the PROCESS.
ROLL TIDE!
Thank you for the add’l info regarding HOPE.
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So it would -combined- just about cover tuition and fees; leaving student with books, R&B, travel/personal. I think most high achieving TN kids find the costs of UA OOS and UTK instate to be in the same ballpark.
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So, it sounds like UA with the 2500 per year from eng’g will either be the same price or cheaper than UTenn…comparing apples with apples (standard dorm, similar meal plans, etc.)
I have two cautions for @stressedrn based on an excerpt from her original post: “Should I pretty much tell them that if I can’t get more money I won’t be able to go to UA (which is the truth)?”
This is a HUGE RED FLAG. If you knowingly right now can’t afford UA, then you need to look elsewhere for a college you can afford. Full stop.
First caution, NO, you should not tell UA/RR anything like this quoted language above. I do think it would be highly offensive to pose your financial situation in such a manner to say you won’t go to UA unless you get more funds from UA. I’m sure you did not mean it in such a threatening manner, but that’s the way it came across to me. As Post #6 mentioned, UA is not going to negotiate on any automatic merit scholarships and give you more funds (especially given you subsequently stated your family doesn’t qualify for much/if any financial aid).
My second caution has to do with the Engineering scholarship. Many students on very tight budgets assume that they will continue to get their $2500 Engineering scholarship year after year. Be aware that MANY students transfer out of Engineering because they don’t enjoy it, and others simply can’t hack it. I would not count the $2500 stipend in your budget unless you are absolutely certain that you will stick with this field.
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My brother graduated this year and my sister graduated about three years ago from UTK, so the numbers might be slightly different, but I doubt it would change drastically in one year.
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It’s not one year. Your brother was an incoming frosh several years ago when the awards may have been different or higher. Plus, it appears that junior and senior year awards are larger, so your brother’s costs for the last 2 years may have been lower because of larger awards…frosh get a smaller award.
HOPE is not the award that made UTenn inexpensive for your siblings…because HOPE isn’t that big of an award.
It appears that room, board, books, and fees at UTenn is about $13k per year. Is that what your parents are willing to pay for? ASK them. If they say, yes, then you probably could get your costs down to that at Bama…or close to it.
Have you looked at UAHuntsville? They offer on-campus housing for ACT 34-36 in addition to full tuition scholarship (I believe they would take your weighted GPA, but check, as they say GPA 4.0+ for this award. Four years housing and tuition scholarship (and may include more, IDK, worth checking) is pretty darn good.
It may be that you are desiring a big campus experience, but UAH does have a lot to offer for many students. UAH set record enrollment again with largest freshman class and highest ACT scores (27.6). Current enrollment at UAH is 8468. ABET engineering accredited programs (many PhD programs) - so not lightweight.
If you are really tight on money you need to see where you can get the degree at lowest cost but solid program.
At UA, by going to the traditional dorm for first year, can save on housing (saving $3,000). Can live off campus possibly at lower cost if have transportation (things close to campus are more money).
With your stats, if you are interested in engineering, you may want to see what MS State has to offer. However they are a ‘rural’ campus. We know students that love it there.
Agree with post 15.
You can apply and later visit these campuses and decide. If application cost is a hardship, can see if that can be waived.
If you are a NMF, you would get more at UA above Presidential Scholarship (full tuition) and if engineering ($2500/yr for 4 years), like first year housing.
What is your intended major? If eng/cs, have you looked at TN Tech?
I would second UAH. My older son is a Bama grad, but he was a National Merit kid, so he had more goodies with his package. That said, UAH is an outstanding school! With a 34, you do receive four years of housing in addition to your tuition. I can guarantee you will find the academics challenging – my younger son is in his third year there as a finance/econ major with a math minor. The career/internship fairs are excellent. Lots of opportunities to work with top companies that have offices all over the world.
I think this is a lot of worry for not much difference in cost.
If the student applies to both Bama and UTenn, and then sees the actual net cost for each next spring (comparing apples with apples ~ standard dorm, etc), she may find that the cost is either the same or so close that a summer job would cover the differences.
I think the family has underestimated the net cost at UTenn considering that HOPE has reduced its aid.
In response to the original question, when my son began applying to colleges last year we were looking at UA and UAH as possible choices. He really wanted to go to UA but UAH offered more money. We searched CC for recommendations and someone (sorry I can’t remember who) suggested contacted Mary Spiegel at UA directly. We did and without going into details, my son is now a very happy student in Tuscaloosa.
The recommendation at the time was be polite, honest and just explain the situation you are facing. I would echo this recommendation.