How do they keep the cost so low for OOS?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Minnesota
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<p>Can anyone more familiar with UMN ( a resident parent maybe) comment on this information that was posted in a completely unrelated CC forum?</p>

<p>"To help in judging the affordability of various publics for OOS students, I thought it might be helpful to compare the OOS Tuition & Fee cost at the nation's top publics vs. that of the average Top 50 private. </p>

<p>Here is the comparison showing the discount that one receives at the individual State University vs the Top 50 Private:</p>

<p>Top 50 Private College Average for Tuition & Fees = $38,215 </p>

<p>% Discount, ie, Public Cost/Private Cost , OOS Tuition & Fees , State University </p>

<p>10% , $34,230 , U MICHIGAN
17% , $31,870 , U VIRGINIA
17% , $31,559 , UC S CRUZ
18% , $31,385 , UC DAVIS
19% , $30,819 , UC SAN DIEGO
20% , $30,724 , UC S BARBARA
20% , $30,600 , U TEXAS
20% , $30,592 , WILLIAM & MARY
21% , $30,022 , UC BERKELEY
22% , $29,897 , UCLA
25% , $28,796 , UC IRVINE
26% , $28,270 , MICHIGAN ST
32% , $26,160 , INDIANA U
32% , $25,946 , PENN STATE
33% , $25,756 , U ILLINOIS
33% , $25,716 , GEORGIA TECH
33% , $25,486 , U CONNECTICUT
34% , $25,118 , PURDUE
35% , $24,998 , CLEMSON
36% , $24,367 , U WASHINGTON
37% , $23,990 , U MARYLAND
38% , $23,852 , U PITTSBURGH
38% , $23,744 , U FLORIDA
39% , $23,186 , U DELAWARE
40% , $22,886 , TEXAS A&M
41% , $22,518 , RUTGERS
42% , $22,342 , U GEORGIA
42% , $22,294 , U N CAROLINA
42% , $22,278 , OHIO STATE
42% , $22,270 , U WISCONSIN
42% , $22,198 , U IOWA
44% , $21,488 , VIRGINIA TECH
59% , $15,542 , U MINNESOTA"</p>

<p>I know the OP is comparing public schools OOS tuition to private school tuition but the difference among the Big 10 is startling. How is UMN able to keep the cost so low? As an applicant, I'm very appreciative of the potential savings, but is the University itself or the state of MN flush with cash right now?</p>

<p>There's just such a huge difference in cost. Not that I want them to gauge fees for OOS like so many other schools but how is UMN doing it for a "bargain basement" price?</p>

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<p>Not too familiar with the finances of the U but I know the state is certainly NOT flush with cash. The legislature just went through a brutal session last year where all they managed to do was fill in the budgrt deficit with a buch of gimmicks so you know they’ll they be at it again this next session.</p>

<p>As for the OOS costs, it is the U’s strategy to elevate the status of the university and so far it has been working - a lot. In the last decade the admission rate has went from ~70% to ~40%. I don’t know how they are affording to do so, but the administration is really improving the quality of the student body and school. IMHO, it is by far the best deal out there right now OOS and the record number of students applying is reflecting this.</p>

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<p>When I first read about this when it was proposed, the U seemed to be saying that rather than offering all sorts of merit scholarships and other tuition “discounts” to OOS students, they were going to simplify the tuition picture by reducing the OOS “surcharge” from about 11,000 (and varying for everyone depending on aid) to a flat $4,000. It certainly worked in terms of boosting applications.
So they would be “affording” it by moving money around more so than by losing money and by hopefully enrolling more OOS kids.</p>

<p>BUT I still read about kids on here receiving offers that give them in-state tuition rates, so I am confused about that. Sounds like there are still incentives for kids with high stats, maybe?<br>
I am very curious to see my daughter’s acceptance to find out if she is offered any merit above the OOS rate.</p>

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<p>By keeping is so darn high for in-staters. That’s why many many talented kids I know from here (I’m instate in MN) leave the state, because they favor OOSers so much. It’s cheaper for a minnesota resident to attend UW-Madison than to go to UMN</p>

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<p>I think that you will find, matok, that the reciprocity tuition for both institutions is now fairly similar. Minnesota is very interested, as per the the President of the School, in ratcheting up its standing in the Big 10 as well as in the country. They are working hard to improve their graduation rates (a stat used by U.S. News and World Report) and their admission stats and are willing to cast a wide net for talent. High stats OOS kids can expect to be given instate tuition and perhaps an additional scholarship on top of that. According to the fin aid guy at admitted students weekend if you get an additional scholarship you should count yourself as as very lucky although kids on this forum (especially in the hard sciences or engineering, it seems) have reported receiving enough scholarship money from the school to amount to a virtual full ride. IMHO U MN is the deal of the century if you are OOS especially when it comes to UW which costs Illinoisans as much as some privates and is very stingy with scholarship money. That being said, expect that even if your efc is low and you are high stats OOS that in-state tuition and a possible scholarship is all you will receive in grants and that the rest of the finaid will be loans.</p>

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<p>Not saying we should end it or anything, but I honestly think reciprocity is helping Madison moreso than the U. If it was ended, I think the U would shore up a bunch more of the top students in the Twin Cities and shoot pass Madison in the rankings. I think if the U can pass Madison, which seems to be what it is shooting for, then they will be in the top three in the Big Ten and then anything would be possible.</p>

<p>And despite unbelievablly low OOS costs, it still seems relatively easy for top OOS’ers to recieve instate tuition. Read this and scroll down to the National Scholarship:
<a href=“http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/costsaid/schol_campus.html[/url]”>http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/costsaid/schol_campus.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

</p>

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<p>^ Wisconsin still has more national prestige than UMN. If the prices were comparable, OOS students would head to Madison. UMN is not going to “shoot pass Madison in the rankings” based solely on in-state students.</p>

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<p>Yeah, my point is that UMN seems to be trying too hard to get OOSers with the tuition and scholarship deals(they give very few scholarships to actual Minnesotans, too, from what I’ve heard) that they’re missing out on a ton of Minnesotans because they can just go over to UW, which has more national prestige and better rankings, for the same price/slightly cheaper. Most schools care about keeping a lot of great in-staters, but for UMN, that doesn’t seem to matter.</p>

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<p>Well, as a prospective OOS student, I’m not going to whine too much about the tuition :)</p>

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<p>matok – Schools like UIUC and Penn State have just as high in-state tuition if not higher and have OOS tuitions of 26,000+, so I don’t think that explains it. I understand the bigger point of your post, however.<br>
Sometimes home-grown kids just want to get away.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/04/jobs-states-college-leadership-careers_graduates.html[/url]”>http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/04/jobs-states-college-leadership-careers_graduates.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Payscale surveys can be a little dodgy, but according to this one ~67% of UMN grads are in Minnesota 5 years later (second among public flagships surveyed). That would seem to be a very positive sign for taxpayers worried about having their money wasted.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses. I thought that maybe Al Franken was some sort of magical financial<br>
leprechaun ;)</p>

<p>This OOS applicant sends appreciation.</p>

<p>UMN wasn’t on my radar until I got an e-mail inviting me to apply with no application fee and with a chance of getting a waiver of the extra 4K OOS charge. </p>

<p>It looks like a good school and there seems like a lot to do do in Minneapolis.</p>

<p>I was accepted to U Michigan last week but parents have already said “No”. That’s not really what they said it was something along the lines of “are you out of your mind why
is tuition 34 f’ing thousand dollars a year do we get to sit next to the Dean during football games for that kind of money” sort of no.</p>

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<p>^
Oh wow are you talking about the Gopher fast application? I’ve also recieved one early September. The school was actually always on my radar, first school I’ve recieved college mail from ( 10th grade) did research on it etc… found that I would like it and was set to apply senior year ( which I did but then switch my application to the gopher fast application).
Its a great school and should highly be considered, its also a lot to do on and off campus. The out of state price compared to other universities is a great deal and in all I just wouldn’t see a reason why not to consider the school ( unless you absolutely can not tolerate cold weather).</p>

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<p>^
That was it! Gopher-Fast</p>

<p>In my happy dreams I see letters waving in front of me saying “No application fee, No essay and a chance for an OOS tuition waiver”. Close your eyes. Say it out loud slowly. You will feel good. I promise.</p>

<p>Good luck in December when I guess we hear.</p>

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<p>Rawr, how did you guys get a gophers fast thing? I am a NMSF and I got nothing in my inbox/mailbox. Do you live physically close to Minn? Or do they just not care about me and my measly only-academic accomplishments? xD</p>

<p>There went 65$. ._.</p>

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<p>Squid – did you ever visit or sign up for any mailing lists? We visited the CBS open house in the summer so they got my daughter’s e-mail; her no app-fee thing came via e-mail.</p>

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<p>For an engineering, science or business major, the OOS tuition at Minnesota is LESS than the in-state tuition at UIUC. My D will definitely be applying to Minnesota.</p>

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<p>Ah. I should have checked earlier. Oh well, 65$ for my top choice safety is in no way a waste of money. Next time I’m a high school senior I’ll sign up for mailing lists in the summer before I start apps. :P</p>