<p>What you should do is contact the University of Maryland and see if you can be considered an in-state student given your veteran status and your Post 9/11 GI Bill. Some universities do this for veterans. If not, make sure you clearly ask whether your status will be different next year. Typically, students that begin as out-of-state remain that way until they graduate, unless their families move into the state. However, since you are an independent student the rules are different. Also, UMD has scholarships for veterans ([OSFA</a> - Veterans Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/scholarships/veterans.cfm]OSFA”>http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/scholarships/veterans.cfm)).</p>
<p>To me, it would depend on the answer to the above questions. If you can be counted as a resident, then it won’t matter as the GI Bill will cover. If you are going to be OOS for the first year but in-state for years 2-4, then that’s a $20,000 loan you’ll have to borrow (the difference between in-state and OOS) unless the school covers it with a scholarship. (You may also be eligible for Pell, SEOG, and other state grants though; check and see. My husband gets a $5,000 Pell and $1200 SEOG, and that can cut down the cost some.) You have to decide whether that’s worth it for you. If you will be OOS the entire four years, I wouldn’t even consider it.</p>
<p>Honestly, I would attend GWU were I in your position. It’s a great school, and what’s most important in engineering is ABET accreditation. With your military service, top secret clearance and an engineering degree you should be able to get a job. Don’t underestimate the importance of veterans support, either (GWU being ranked higher). My husband is a veteran on the GI Bill/Yellow Ribbon at Columbia, a school with great veterans’ support. The financial aid office fights with the VA for him, finds extra money for him when he needs it, and has special classes and seminars for veterans to help them adjust to life as a full-time student off active duty.</p>
<p>If you had YR at GWU, that pays for tuition for full-time status. Also note that GWU has reallocated their YR funding so that you can get tuition benefits during the summer. That’s important because if you remain enrolled during the summer, you can continue to get your MHA during the summer (the 9/11 GI Bill was amended in 2011, so you don’t get break-time pay unless you are still enrolled in school.)</p>
<p>You don’t have to own a car; there’s Zipcar in DC and you can just rent a Zipcar once a month when you need it. That will cheaper than owning your own and paying for parking in DC.</p>