<p>I was looking at the estimated COA for UT-Austin and was surprised to see that it's around $25k in-state! Most of the Texas state school don't give a lot of merit aid, so the chances of receiving a drastic reduction in cost at them aren't too great. It seems like many state schools are starting to price themselves out of being financial safeties for in-state students.</p>
<p>From what I have heard, Rutgers- New Brunswick is similar…</p>
<p>I’m not sure what COA you were looking at for UT… I’d be very surprised if it were above $10k, if that. And this is coming from a native Texan who almost attended that school (I’m not sure exactly how much it was, because I have a Texas Tomorrow Fund that would’ve covered tuition + a $6,000 scholarship from the school of engineering that would’ve covered the rest).</p>
<p>My school is 25k in state, too.</p>
<p>Yup, Rutgers is around $25,000 for in-state. However, financial aid for students that need it is quite generous. For example, my EFC is a 0 and I was told I’d just be loaning $5,000 a year with the rest being Federal, State, and University grant money.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s really $25,000/year. For starters, UT Austin’s website says “$22,626” for “state resident living on campus” and “$23,004” for “state resident living off campus”. And I think those are high estimates. I think those numbers can easily be cut by 10% or 20% if you’re creative. For example, a lot of kids either walk to class or ride bicycles. If you’re doing that, you probably don’t need the whole “$1,010” estimated for “transportation” expenses. I think the real number can easily be a lot closer to $20,000/year.</p>
<p>And remember your kid can borrow up to $2,000/year from the federal government without any credit check or demonstration of financial need. Make sure your kid works a part-time job at college. And make sure they work during their summers and save the extra money. Between these sources, any kid should easily be able to kick $5,000/year toward their education.</p>
<p>Also remember that UT Austin is the most expensive state school in Texas. Even the “#2” school, Texas A&M, is estimated at $19,950/year according to their website.</p>
<p>Try on some of the UCs. For years, people commented on the fact that tuitions were less than other publics, without looking at total living expenses. UCLA is in Westwood; UC San Diego, La Jolla … etc. etc. I guess there are deals in Merced and Riverside but those are the lower tier UCs.</p>
<p>Guess what, private schools have living expenses too, and when you add them to tuition it’ll be $50,000 a year at least at most privates. Unless you go to an elite private school it’s really not worth the extra $25,000+ a year since you’ll be at least $100,000 more in debt.</p>
<p>At the UC’s living expenses are 60% of the cost. If you live close enough to commute it’s not bad at all.</p>
<p>U of I is like $28k :/</p>
<p>Agreed^^^ It was cheaper for me to go to an OOS public w/ some scholarship money than for me to go to U of I</p>
<p>
That’s a really good point, even when considering that in-state fees are going up to about $10,000/year next year. The problem is that the UCs aren’t in commuting range for a lot of students. As someone from the San Francisco Bay Area who didn’t get into Cal, it’s not like I could have commuted to UCD or UCSC - and considering how populous the SF Bay Area is, that’s a good chunk of people in similar situations. </p>
<p>And from what I remember, CSUs aren’t really that much cheaper for the same room, board, and fees package, but they’re always usually at commuting distance. I don’t know if it’s just the snob factor (which sometimes I feel it is), but I feel like my choice of going to a UC over a CSU is kind of worth it. </p>
<p>Just to give some numbers: the COA at UCSB is officially [url=<a href=“http://finaid/Budget.asp?Level=Undergraduate&Budget=URR3&Year=2009]$27,842[/url”>http://finaid/Budget.asp?Level=Undergraduate&Budget=URR3&Year=2009]$27,842[/url</a>] right now, but in my experience it’s been closer to ~$24,000.</p>
<p>I’ve had a similar experience at UCLA with COA. It’s listed at $26k but that’s pretty much the maximum. If you take cheaper housing options you can spend a lot less (and it doesn’t affect whatever FA you get).</p>
<p>Upper level (meaning junior and senior years, or anything after 65 credits) Engineering at Umich + Room and board instate is like 26K. It’s about 10K for room and board and 8K/semester tuition.</p>