I think you’re putting the cart before the horse. Part of being an independent adult is paying your own bills. If you can’t afford to pay for your dorm, you’re better off telling your parents you’d like to do it and ask them if they can afford it.
What school are you talking about? Do you qualify for need based aid or are your parents full pay? How much can they afford/year? That matters.
Including tuition, books, meal plan, and dorm fee, that total cost per year would be 22350. Because of the scholarship however, it would be 14350.
I’m just going to talk to my parents about it because it’s kind of hard to get helpful advice from people here when not all the information is known (ex. our financial situation,college cost, etc.) Thanks to all those who posted here and actually tried to be helpful 
Moving out is something that I want and I will work for it. Hopefully it all works out, and if not I’m still going to make the best of it. If I don’t move out, I’ll still be able to get a college education which is really all that matters.
UPDATE
I plan on studying business in college, so I would either be going into Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona or W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. I’m just not sure which school is better? US News ranked ASU’s business school #30 and UA #58, but I’m not sure how much meaning these rankings actually have. UA is the city in my school. They offered me an 8.5k scholarship. ASU is 2 hours away, and they are offering an 8k scholarship.
So U Arizona is about $11,000 for tuition - $8,500 merit = $2,500 plus housing $10,000 = $12,500
ASU is $22,000 minus merit = $14,000
How much did your parents pay for your sisters? Did they get merit as well?
If you parents are willing and able to pay $10,000 you could pay the rest with a student loan or summer job.
The costs with dorm and merit are pretty close. Would your parents let you dorm at UA in your city?
@mommdc I actually haven’t discussed this with my parents, but I obviously will. However, when I brought it up a couple of months ago, they said I would need to have a really good reason to go to ASU. This is why I want to know if ASU’s business school is really better than UA’s. After doing some research, I found that most people say ASU’s is better. I just want to know why? What factors go into deciding which school is “better”?
And my sisters did get merit, though I’m not sure how much. My parents payed everything merit didn’t pay because my sisters lived at home during college.
I don’t agree with others who say you should only get what your sisters got. Each child should get what she needs if it is within the family’s ability to provide it. What if your oldest sister decided to get married right after high school? Does that set the limit for the rest? No. What if sister #2 had wanted to go to a trade school? Should OP be limited by that? Or if sister #1 went to Harvard because she had extremely high scores and grades, should all the other kids get to go to a $70k school because the oldest did, even though the $70k school is going to be U of Hawaii because the youngest can get in and it sure looks like fun? No.
Each should get what she wants/earns if it is within the family budget. This is now a family of 3, not a family of 5, so maybe the parents can afford for this last child to live in a dorm in the same city, or to go away to school.
I have two kids who are in school now. I pay about $15k more for one than the other. They are each at the school that is right for her, and that came in under budget. Each is getting what she needs in an education.
Life isn’t always even for every child. Some need more emotional support, some need freedom, some need cash.
OP, I think you actually want to go to UA, see if you can get your parents to agree to a dorm. Another option is to join a sorority and live in the house the second year. I don’t think what you are asking for is unreasonable. You might also want to look into more scholarships to make either school more affordable if it is money that is driving the decision.
@twoinanddone I definitely think money is a big part of the decision. From what I know, we’re pretty well off and I think my parents would be able to afford it. However, like other people have said, there may be costs/debt I may not know about.
I think the fact that ASU has a better business school may encourage my parents to let me go there.
Today I finally received my UA letter. My plan is to sit down and talk with my parents about both schools. I’m going to talk to them this weekend, so I’ll let everyone know what they say.
I don’t have time to reread the entire thread so sorry if this has been asked and answered. Have you visited both campuses? Both programs are well ranked - it may be that you prefer the vibe of one campus over another. Good luck with your decision
I would actually encourage you to go to UAZ. It’s a better school overall. And by the way, use Bloomberg for UG B-school rankings.
You probably couldn’t find two schools in the world that are more similar to each other. ASU – USNWR # 129. UA – USNWR # 121. Two big state schools. Both located in AZ. Both play in the Pac 12 conference. Both offer your intended major. Etc. etc. etc. Gonna be pretty tough making the case that one is significantly better or different than the other. Frankly, the only meaningful difference is that one is remote which would require on campus residence.
If this is at all about costs, congrats on becoming a Wildcat! $14k net price is really low for tuition room and board at ASU. But it ain’t as low as $2k per year to attend UA and live at home.
As a negotiating strategy, you might want to cave on going to UA. Then use whatever bargaining chips you have to see if you could get the parents to let you live on campus at UA to some extent. Maybe you could join a sor/frat as a frosh and they’d let you live at the house as a soph. Maybe they’d let you live away for JR/SR years. Maybe they’d be more likely to loosen up the wallet so long as you were still living close by. Maybe you can get them to pay for half of the increased expense.
Living away at the college cross-town is still living away at college. Way more than half a loaf.
I was the student in this scenario 35 years ago. I wanted to go away but my parents insisted I go local. I joined a sorority and lived in the house for two years and I swear my dad drove by the place every day. After graduation I foundered, because I was never expected to assert myself or do things myself, and it got me in lot of trouble. I insisted my Ss go away. They both found a school an hour away - just far enough IMHO.
@northwesty USNWR also ranked ASU’s business school at #30 and UA’s as #56, which seems like a pretty big difference to me. I also am applying to ASU’s Barrett’s Honors College, which a lot of people say is 100% better than UA’s college.
But like you said, going to UA could also give me an opportunity to be away from home. My plan is to try and negotiate my way to ASU. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try to get a dorm at UA.
I would visit both schools, talk to honors college, business program, see what each one offers.
The only way I see it happening is if you can bring down the cost of the college you want to the price of living at home and going to local university. Many kids say “my parents have the money” but ask for specifics like “how much is the mortgage,” or “how much do they pay in health insurance and are they still covering older siblings” and they have no idea. Are you the youngest? Are their more kids behind you to get through college? The fact that they are on their 3rd college tuition is plenty of reason for them to be cautious with their money. By all means figure out how much the local college costs and see how feasible it is to make up the difference on your own. Keep searching for scholarships and work. If you can make up the difference for 4 years, they may be more open.
I do understand your feelings. I even agree that going away at least for part of your schooling is a good idea. My own kid is across the country and it’s likely my current high schooler will be a good distance too… but ONLY if he can manage the deal my eldest managed. If not, well, he’ll live with us not because we are controlling but because that is the healthiest way for ALL of us to get what he needs.
“@northwesty USNWR also ranked ASU’s business school at #30 and UA’s as #56, which seems like a pretty big difference to me. I also am applying to ASU’s Barrett’s Honors College, which a lot of people say is 100% better than UA’s college.”
Come on Happily. ASU ain’t Wharton. FYI, Bloomberg ranks UA #71 and ASU #92.
That difference in undergrad business program ranking certainly isn’t worth the 7X difference in cost. If my kid fed me that weak sauce it would just annoy me. Since I’d know it was all about wanting to live away from home. I’d be more responsive to my kid’s arguments if he was straight up with me about the choice. Rather than trying to pull money out of my wallet on the basis of some kind of speculative magazine ranking that means basically nothing.
You get what you negotiate.
“USNWR also ranked ASU’s business school at #30 and UA’s as #56, which seems like a pretty big difference to me. I also am applying to ASU’s Barrett’s Honors College, which a lot of people say is 100% better than UA’s college.”
I don’t think the rankings that much different. Plus remember it’s just a ranking. What you need to do is look at how the schools may differ in things like internships, class sizes, employment rates after graduation… Not a ranking in USNWR.
I give this advice to a lot of CC student posters: Go on LinkedIn and search graduates of each of these school’s business programs. See what they are doing in their careers just out of school, five years out, and 10 years out.
@northwesty Would you see Bloomberg is more reliable? I really want to see which program is better, but I’m not sure how to figure it out. I know that rankings aren’t all I should focus on, so what factors do you recommend looking at?
You really need to focus on stuff that matters.
If you want to seriously advocate to your parents that ASU is better and worth paying 7X more for, then you’ll need to do a bit more than looking up some stupid rankings on a website.
Does one or the other have a particular program or focus that is relevant to you? Is there a difference in curriculum or structure that matters. Are alumni outcomes in certain industries different.
Frankly, I doubt there’s any meaningful difference between the two. If there was, then you should already know about it. Seems like you just want to go to ASU because you can live away from home. That’s fine. If so, be honest and see what you can work out with your folks.
I’d advise you to pick the school that is the best fit for you. Rankings really are a lousy thing to base an important decision on.
Good luck.
@northwesty thanks for the advice!