My son is a Senior in HS. He applied n got admitted to our local university (UNLV) and out of town (UNR) in-state tuition. Most of kids leaving in LasVegas prefers to go away from town for college. My son believes that because is a commuter college might not have the college experience. If he stays here that means no debts as we can afford to pay for it. Now UNR or out of state is a different story because of boarding expenses and so on, we don’t have that kind of money so that would have to be finance. He’s not thrilled or enthusiastic about the idea of staying in town but will do if he has to he says. He says UNLV has no college spirit and it seems like no fun. He’s an awesome n responsible kid. Currently plays baseball and participate in all school activities, he loves all that. I will love to hear from others. I worry that because is not his favorite choice he will be unhappy and n looses interest in higher education. I’m also concern about having unnecessary student loans but want him to enjoy n fun in his college years. would love to hear feedback from current students or parents in simular situation.
Have you done the FAFSA and the scholarship portal for both schools to see if you qualify for any assistance?
What does your son want to study, and is the major equally strong at each school? I would consider debt if UNLV does not meet his academic needs well.
Did the out of state school offer any merit aid? Fill out their Cost of Attendance questionnaire
Also, do you feel that he is mature enough and ready to be far from home? Finances will prohibit frequent trips home. My friend’s D fell apart at a school 3,000 miles away in first 3 weeks and had to come home, forfeiting some very expensive tuition
We did FAFSA and he also qualify for Millenium scholarship. If he attends UNLV out of pocket will be minimal. If he attends UNR we need to looking into student boarding, food maybe about 12k to 15k a year. I has been taking sports medicine in his magnet school, he’s looked into physical therapy. I believe both schools have the major.
What was your FAFSA EFC?
Yeah he did, but still we looking are looking into 10 to 15 a year. He’s very independent he drives To school, baseball practices n school activities. We as parents mayb not be ready for him to go away, he’s looking more for the college experience n sometimes I believe he takes things for granted.
Around 4,600
You need to keep the total debt quite low if he is going to take on any debt. Is physical therapy something where you have a job after four years and a bachelor’s degree?
Ok, so you need to check the financial aid timelines for the schools. You may or may not have your full package yet. General scholarships like Millennium will be awarded first. Need based aid may not be awarded until spring. And if your son is working on the scholarship portal, he may possibly get money that way.
Make sure you know the final numbers before you decide.
From UNR website
https://www.unr.edu/financial-aid/frequently-asked-questions#-applying-for-aid
@DadTwoGirls Physical Therapy requires graduate study.
Has he got the stats for merit? WUE? The reality is your kid and most his mates don't really get the choice to dictate this plan. If he can't get merit, then he has to make the most of the options he has. Is he able to tell you about the pathway to becoming a physiotherapist? What does he want to do for undergrad?
It requires a bachelor’s degree for admission to a DPT program.
“Physical Therapy requires graduate study.”
In that case I would personally recommend that you avoid all debt for undergrad unless you have no choice.
Go to the local school so that he has no debt when he graduates. Do well there so he can pursue further education.
Is the out of state experience really worth getting into debt? Wouldn’t it be worth it to save that for grad school?
When it comes to spending money we can’t make emotional decisions we have to think logically. How can we spend money we don’t have? Do you really want to take on loans to provide the dream college experience? I would rather he have a dream life after he graduates. Four years fly by too fast. He can still make the most of his experience at the local school.
Think about it and then decide what is best for your family. Don’t do something out of guilt.
You will save a certain amount if he lives away from home (groceries, hot water, maybe car expenses) so you could subtract that from the $10-15K the out of town college will charge for room and board.
@raclut , thank you so very much for your advice. What you explained is exactly how I feel and think, but feel horrible as a parent not been able to please him n that’s when I start questioning myself. He’s truly a loving kid, he’s responsable and dedicated student and I wish I can do more for him but like you said I have to think logically and not make emotional decisions…you’re absolutely right!!! Thank You!!!
As others have said, file the FAFSA and make sure he meets all the deadlines for scholarships. He may be eliglble for more aid than you think. Taking the federal loans and work-study may cover the cost of room and board. Taking on a minimal amount of debt could be worth it, or not. The PT programs are usually 6 years however so he needs to figure that in to the equation.
It may make sense to take a look at some private schools that might offer a combination of merit and need-based. However, it is difficult to get the COA down below $15K due to the room and board costs.
Good luck. Please know you are not alone in not being able to afford fulfilling your kid’s dreams about college. It is a long life and those 4 years are not the peak. If he has to live at home for college, he will be in very good company as many kids do that.
I will tell you about our experience. Our goal was to put 4 kids though college with no debt to us or them. One way we did that was by keeping them local (one sent to a Service Academy - but he went there because it was his dream and not because it was a way to save tuition money). So, the local options offered our kids extremely high scholarships and of course we saved by not paying for dorm housing and a regular meal plan. The schools met their academic needs quite well.
After they graduated, they noticed that most of their peers had to move back home - because they were now paying back student loans and so needed to live rent-free in order to do that. All three of mine got married shortly after graduation and were able to move on with their lives without the financial ball and chain of student loans. In hind sight, they are all happy that they didn’t have any student loans as this gave them financial options that they would not have had otherwise. This is hard for an 18 year old to grasp - the effect of debt on your lifestyle. It’s not all that fun to have to live with mom and dad because you don’t have a choice financially.
As others have mentioned, it’s too early to know what aid your son might be eligible for. And, a final decision does not need to be made until May 1. So, why don’t you have a frank talk with your son about the finances and how important it is to you that neither of you take on debt (I believe that’s what you have conveyed) and then allow your son to apply to a few well researched colleges that he is interested in. By well researched, I mean colleges that are known to be more generous with aid and that he has a reasonable chance of being admitted. Then encourage him to look around for scholarships–both locally and nationally. By March or April, you both will know all of his options, both with regard to which schools he’s been accepted to as well as how much aid has or hasn’t been awarded. Then, together, you can make an informed choice.
What is his ACT/GPA/ rigour of curriculum? I tend to disagree with people who are so encouraging about wait and see an apply to privates, unless he is very high stats. He needs great stats to get any kind of merit to make a dent in such privates, he needs great stats to get into generous needs met schools. Don’t apply to schools that will not work. Your local school options would offer his place quite soon, right? Has he applied to both state schools already? Decisions come out early in many local state schools with high acceptance rates.