<p>I think I was quoting just tuition for Albany, but the total cost with a half-tuition grant would be under 30K per year.</p>
<p>But please visit before you commit, and drag your parents with you so they can see what the campus is like, and decide what they want to spend their money on.</p>
<p>I know that visiting my son’s top choice mattered when it came down to a less desirable merit aid package than the NPC indicated.</p>
<p>I don’t think SUNY Albany would be a good choice for this student. 94% are instate and there’s nothing to keep the students on campus on weekends, so it’s a suitcase school. This student will be bored and alone on weekends. </p>
<p>Interested in learning what you want to study and what is ‘instate’ for you @calicash and where you have been accepted (that meets your parents’ college budget of $30 k/year).</p>
<p>By the way, that is a reasonable budget IMHO. You have many more options that so many students who are truly in very tight financial circumstances.</p>
<p>There is a lot to the learning on the college scope, for parents and students. Many wait too long to put all the ‘pieces’ together.</p>
<p>As a parent, I knew early on ACT/SAT plus GPA are key for merit. My kids had to work hard to bring ACT score up to merit levels during HS, and it has paid off. UA dau has Presidential and Engineering scholarships and other dau has a good scholarship for nursing at another instate school. Both are also able to take advantage of honors programs at their colleges.</p>
<p>Can only move forward at this point. If you have missed a great option - perhaps you can still apply (I understand HSs putting limits). Unfortunate that you didn’t understand the budget or where your stat would put you (well ahead of time) in regards to various colleges on acceptance and potential merit. HS counseling usually has to use a ‘buck-shot’ approach on disseminating info on college preparation. I know students in some areas where they don’t realize that they don’t just have to take SAT, that there is a ACT option (which may be a better test for that particular student). So you are not alone in getting info a little too late to benefit you.</p>
<p>It is great that CC is available for parents and students to learn this complicated college process (which can be as simple or as complicated as people sometimes make it). We visited college campuses early - and it was clear to me that what my students wanted to study could be obtained in-state or in general area (we are close driving to a few other states). We limited applications with a clear focus, and UA DD focused first semester senior year on raising ACT (which she did with a great deal of time and effort!). Some students do have an easier time with standardized testing (DD had a 4/0/4.2 wted GPA in college prep HS, so her abilities are there).</p>
<p>Another thought for you is, if you went community college route for a few years, could that ‘savings’ be applied to another school for last few years - thus you can perhaps get the experience you want at the more expensive school? Talk through the options with your parents.</p>
<p>Ok, you need to understand that there’s a BIG difference within D1 schools. Many D1 schools have POORLY attended sports. I doubt you want to go to a school where the stadiums are empty or near-empty. </p>
<p>Do you want a particular type of sport? Football? Basketball? Some D1 schools have popular basketball teams, but few go to their football games (and many don’t even field a football team).</p>
<p>The net price calculators were very accurate for us (for public and private colleges, those which use profile as well as those that don’t). We’re a middle income family, high assets, own rental properties, two kids in college). </p>
<p>@mom2collegekids I would prefer a school where there is a huge sense of school spirit. Preferably a school where athletics are a big part of student life (both watching and playing) and where students are motivated and very bright. Now, I am in state for New York. So those really amazing UCs are not an option for me anymore. I would prefer if there was a football team but if not, a basketball team is fine too:)</p>
<p>Yes, certainly there is lots of school spirit and tradition at Alabama. Not just for football, but also for basketball baseball, softball, gymnastics, and others. Participation in intramurals and club sports is also encouraged. </p>
Okay so here’s an update. I just completed the FASFA and they said my EFC would be $35,075. Would that still mean that I’d be full pay or does this change anything?
You’d be full pay at most/all schools. You’ll need to use the NPC’s on some schools’ websites to see if anything is different.
What are your parents saying about how much they’ll pay each year?
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Parents Income~ $240,000
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Will be applying for aid at every school except for my safety schools. Our income sounds high, but I have a sibling in a 4 year college and the cost of living where I live is very high, so I’m hoping that impacts my package And a lot of what I get will come in the form of merit at some schools.
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So, your total family EFC is about $70k. Where does your sibling go? Do your parents pay all costs there? how much is that? When will that sibling graduate?
@mom2collegekids My sibling goes to a local state school. No room and board. So that’s about $7,000 per year. And my sibling has a job, so I’m expecting them to pay my parents back that money. So what you are saying is even though my EFC is $35,000, I would be paying $60,000? The EFC would be twice that because it is two students? Well thank god my sibling wasn’t motivated enough to get into a top school! So provided I go to a school that meets full need (and hypothetically speaking, they ACTUALLY cover the rest of the COA) , my parents would be paying $42,000 a year combined?
Your COA is going to be the COA, the EFC is only verifying that your parents have the resources to pay that amount based on the formula the government uses. You are probably going to be full pay at most private colleges that you can get into. I can’t think of many schools in or around NY that have a big time, D1 sports reputation. UConn, maybe? If you want that kind of atmosphere maybe you should look at state schools that are comparatively cheap for OOS students. What about West Virginia or Kentucky?
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So what you are saying is even though my EFC is $35,000, I would be paying $60,000? The EFC would be twice that because it is two students? Well thank god my sibling wasn’t motivated enough to get into a top school!
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NO, I didn’t mean that.
Each child’s EFC is $35k. When your sister graduates, THEN your EFC will jump to $70k. But, you wouldn’t be paying that much if you went to a school that costs less than that.
@mom2collegekids A lot of my schools have said they make a commitment to keeping aid the same and only change if there are drastic changes in financial situation. Would my sibling’s graduation be considered a drastic change?
All that means is that your parents will be exoected to pay $35,000 at least a year for you to attend college. Colleges will not provide need based aid to cover the EFC.
Sometimes getting a merit aid offer will ease the financial burden on families with higher EFCs. But that isn’t always the case either.