Finding an Affordable Out of State University

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hello all! Before I explain my reason for posting this, let me give an overview of my information:</p>

<p>Year of Graduation: 2012
GPA: 3.85
ACT - 30(English: 29, Math: 35, Reading: 24, Science: 30)
SAT - 2050 (Writing/English: 680, Mathematics: 680, Critical Reading: 690)
Class Rank: Top 15%</p>

<p>Coursework:
Freshman/Sophomore year I took all honors classes
Junior year I took several IB classes
Senior year I am going to take several IB classes
(I am not actually doing the full IB diploma program)</p>

<p>Extra Curricular Activities: Math Club (I qualified for the State Math League Competition, and our team qualified for Regionals), I'm the head of Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honors Society), Psychology Club member, I played tennis my freshman and sophomore year, I'm a member of Student Council</p>

<p>So, as you can see, I am not the most motivated student in the world, but I am also not the worst. I obviously favor math-related activities and I tend to excel in them. </p>

<p>Now here is my problem: I currently live in Missouri. I could get a full ride into UMKC as well as many other local universities. However, I'm a gay male, and I'd really like to go to college in a more gay-friendly location (ideally, the East Coast). I would also like to attend graduate school/reside in that area for most of my life. I've looked at several schools, but many of them are very expensive (obviously). So my first question is, do you guys know of any decent state schools anywhere along the east coast that are located in an urban setting that are affordable?</p>

<p>My second and third questions involve a school that I have recently identified on the East Coast. It's the University of South Florida. From what I hear, Tampa is incredibly gay friendly. The university is also cheap (About $15,000 for tuition plus $9,000 in living expenses) compared to many of the other schools that I've looked at out there. I am qualified (assuming I maintain a decent GPA) to receive a scholarship that covers about $10,500 per year. Unfortunately, that still leaves me with $13,500 dollars that I need to pay. So my two questions are: Is USF a respectable university? and Would it be possible for me to get that other $13,500 in covered either with scholarships or student loans? </p>

<p>Oh and one more thing...I don't believe I am going to be eligible for need-based financial aid. My parents make around $200,000 per year and we have 4 members in our household. So...yeah, need based is an unlikely option. </p>

<p>I'm sorry if this was a bit long-winded considering the subject matter. I also hope you don't think me silly for wanting to go out of state partially because I want to be surrounded by a gay-friendly atmosphere :/</p>

<p>Thanks for reading! I can't wait to get some responses!</p>

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<p>*My parents make around $200,000 per year *</p>

<p>Are you saying that your parents aren’t going to contribute anything for college?</p>

<p>I am qualified (assuming I maintain a decent GPA) to receive a scholarship that covers about $10,500 per year. Unfortunately, that still leaves me with $13,500 dollars that I need to pay.</p>

<p>You can borrow $5500 with a federal student loan. The rest would have to come from summer income money, parent money, and ???</p>

<p>It’s hard to rely on private scholarships since those are often small, hard to get, and ONLY for frosh year…so how would you cover the gaps during the later years?</p>

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<p>SUNY costs about 12k out of state.</p>

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<p>Well, it’ s not the East Coast, but the University of Minnesota is worth considering. It’s a better school than most of the East Coast publics, it’s one of the few truly urban public flagships, OOS tuition is quite affordable (currently around $14K/year, though it will be somewhat higher next year), and Minneapolis was recently ranked by the Advocate magazine as the #1 gay-friendly city in America.</p>

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<p>1) “Are you saying that your parents aren’t going to contribute anything for college?”
I honestly don’t know. They didn’t pay for my sister’s college. I still need to have a talk with them about that. However, I am trying to look into options that won’t require financial assistance from my parents.</p>

<p>2)“You can borrow $5500 with a federal student loan. The rest would have to come from summer income money, parent money and ???”
You tell me. There are hundreds of thousands of students every year who attend fairly expensive universities. I’d like to think that there is a good portion of them that manages to find a way to pay for school (Because there is no way that all of those students get all of their tuition/other expenses paid for through merit-based/need-based scholarships).</p>

<p>3)“So how would you cover the gaps during the later years?”
Aren’t you supposed to be helping me find options that would allow me to do accomplish this?</p>

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<p>Yes, and the vast majority of those whose parents make $200K a year get a substantial amount of help from those parents. </p>

<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>

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<p>2)“You can borrow $5500 with a federal student loan. The rest would have to come from summer income money, parent money and ???”</p>

<p>You tell me.</p>

<p>Yes, Sir!</p>

<p>3)“So how would you cover the gaps during the later years?”</p>

<p>***Aren’t you supposed to be helping me find options that would allow me to do accomplish this? ***</p>

<p>Yes Sir! We’ll jump right on that, Sir!</p>

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<p>Your family has no financial need. So your choices are a combination of merit aid, paying, borrowing and working. You can also consider enlisting in the armed forces.</p>

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<p>How did your sister fund it? If she got a full ride scholarship or something like that, then of course your parents did not have to pay anything.</p>

<p>You probably want to ask your sister and parents about this so that you have a realistic idea of what type of cost constraints you are working with.</p>

<p>As far as the armed forces option mentioned above, make sure that the DADT repeal is final before enlisting. Of course, if you are interested in the armed forces and DADT is completely repealed in time, look into the academies and ROTC.</p>

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<p>Suny Purchase and Suny New Paltz</p>

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<p>Plus room and board.</p>

<p>SUNYs are affordable for OOS.</p>

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<p>bclintonk said it all. UMinnesota fits your criteria, except it’s not on the East Coast, but why does it need to be? And why do they need to be public?</p>

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<p>here are hundreds of thousands of students every year who attend fairly expensive universities. I’d like to think that there is a good portion of them that manages to find a way to pay for school (Because there is no way that all of those students get all of their tuition/other expenses paid for through merit-based/need-based scholarships).</p>

<p>Most of the time, college costs are paid for by the family and the student. </p>

<p>You seem to be under the misapprehension that these students are going to college on funds from elsewhere. </p>

<p>Schools and the FA system believe that the primary responsibility to pay for college resides with the student and family…so that is what paying for most kids that you’re talking about.</p>

<p>The truth is that most of the people attending pricey schools are paying for most/all of it with family funds. </p>

<p>There are a handful of lowish income kids with super stats that get into the top schools that give super aid. But, they’re the exceptions, not the rule.</p>

<p>You’re not thinking about the **millions of kids who have to commute to their local CC or state school **because that’s all that they can afford. THOSE kids are the majority of kids. Those who go to **“sleep away” schools are the exceptions because that is a LUXURY. **</p>

<p>Look at it this way…there are millions of kids out there driving around in some pretty nice cars. Who do you think paid for those cars? The parents and the student. ** There isn’t a car fairy out there. There isn’t a tuition fairy out there.**</p>

<p>I would add that unless you’re at some kind of bible school, most colleges are gay-friendly. You may find that your own state school is as well.</p>

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<p>I’m gay and from the San Francisco Bay Area - and ended up going to school at the University of Idaho, which was plenty gay-friendly for my tastes. Never felt discriminated against or anything but welcomed. College towns for major public universities everywhere (except maybe the Bible Belt) tend to be liberal, tolerant and accepting.</p>

<p>Heck, I was looking at Mizzou for grad school and would have been quite happy at Columbia.</p>

<p>The fact is, without parental help, you won’t be able to afford any out-of-state public school except on a full-ride merit scholarship. You will not be eligible for any need-based aid because of your parents’ income. You need to talk with them and find out what they’re willing to contribute - because that’s going to be the baseline for what schools you can afford.</p>

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<p>Check out American University in Washington DC is worth checking out. Excellent rep for merit aid and very gay friendly.</p>

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<p>A while ago I read a post by a mother who sent all her children to school for free- I can’t find it now- but maybe mom2collegekids will recall it- this mom had a system of having her children apply to lesser known schools that gave her kids a free ride based on their grades and test scores.</p>

<p>that free ride in your home state sounds pretty good to me-- another option might be for you to study in your home state for 2 years while working part time and saving up enough money to afford the extra cost of an out of state school.</p>

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<p>University of Delaware and the University of Pittsburgh offer merit aid to top out of state students. UD is 30 minutes from Philadelphia. Pittsburgh is a much more cosmopolitan city than you might imagine.</p>

<p>(For anyone else reading this thread looking for a university that meets 100% of need for out of state students, check out the University of Virginia. They also increase aid after a student takes out the maximum amount of federally subsidized loans. However, out of state admissions are extremely competitive).</p>

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<p>According to Kiplinger’s, Pitt is actually ranked first in the nation among publics in merit aid. You’d probably need north of a 1400 CR+M SAT, although they are also known to seek out geographic areas from which it has fewer attending students.</p>