Need some help here - My son has been offered NU.IN for fall 2022 with no merit. I am trying to figure out 4 year tuition to compare with other schools. Am I doing this correctly ?
Tuition +Fees per year - 60,000
Meal & boarding - 18,000
Total - approx. 78,000
If he does 2 coops I understand he does not have to pay tuition but
Do they earn any credits for Co-ops ?
how do they complete their credits in 4 years if co-ops do not earn any credits ?
Do you actually pay 4 years worth tuition or i should assume 3 years (considering 2 co ops)
If kids stay off campus I am assuming their cost would be less that 18k ? How much should I account for this yearly ?
How do you find out any credits for APs they could be eligible to earn ?
Students are typically paid for co-ops vs earning credits.
You should expect to pay 4 years of tuition.
Hopefully someone else will chime in about the off campus costs in Boston but for planning purposes, I would use the $18K room and board estimate from the university.
At my daughter’s school, they had a co-op programs where the student would be gone from school for a semester or 6 months (with summer) They could take credits (online or there were some satellite campuses around the country)and they would finish in 4 years plus one more summer (so graduate in Aug of year 4. They had to pay tuition for the credits they took, but could also qualify for financial aid if they were taking classes but usually at part time or even less.
Normally you pay for 8 semesters of tuition for a total of 128 credits. That can be reduced with AP credits and/or taking challenge exams. There are several possible 4 year 2 coop patterns. They will usually require attending one or two summer sessions.
You are not going to save much off campus in Boston. My daughter saved about $4000 a year off campus at UDel by cooking all of her meals, but she starts BU in June and housing is twice as much there.
Estimating housing costs is difficult because the amount can also vary depending on where your student chooses to complete a co-op. A friend’s daughter is completing a co-op in NYC this term and the family is paying a pretty penny for her to live there.
You also need to keep your Boston lease arrangements in mind. If your kiddo signs a lease for 12 months and then goes elsewhere for a coop…your student will need to find a subletter for the time he is gone. Make sure this is allowed. Some landlords in Boston do not permit subletting.
NU gives up to 32 credits for AP scores of 4 or 5. The summers are 4 months so my son did what they call “NuTerm” after freshman year, which was two classes in May and June and took off July and August. He went in with 20 AP credits and tells me he is on track to graduate in 4 years with a combined major. It is a pleasure to not pay tuition during the co-ops and the students earn money which can help with living expenses. An academic advisor could help your child map out a plan with their major.
He just signed a lease for an apartment with friends for $1350/month which is comparable to the dorm price.
As others have said, you need to plan the COA for 8 semesters. Coops are time spent outside of class but you still need the learning time. Your academic semesters can be shortened by AP credits coming in by maybe one semester. If you take summer classes (each half summer semester is good for two classes) you can shorten your overall time, but you’re still paying tuition, and double up on already paying for a lease year round. Rent is extraordinarily high compared to most places, but you can save money on a meal plan by being able to cook for oneself.
Depending on your major, one can usually cover living expenses with coop income, but not all coops pay, and not all pay crazy high amounts like CS coops do. Coops do offer a 6 month break in paying tuition though so that can help with cash flow issues.
Classes are four years - co - ops are extra - so you wouldn’t pay 3 years.
Don’t forget inflation (i.e. tuition increases). We don’t know the #s but I would assume the increases will be higher at privates than publics. We already see this at Elon - who is going up
over 9% next year.
Some schools lock in tuition for four years. I don’t see that on Northeastern’s website.
Also, because Northeastern is in a city - you may find off campus housing higher than on campus. Don’t forget, you’re leasing 12 months. My kid goes to Charleston and this is the case here where kids are paying $1500-$2K a month for a one bedroom - because it’s in the city,etc. Yes, you can share a bedroom or live further out but…if you want to be close, it’s likely going to be pricier. At most schools, the norm is you will pay less when you move off campus.
Finally - I will tell you that college costs more than they tell you. Emergency trips home - depending on where you’re from (your kid is miserable their first semester). Student health stinks - you get a private doctor. Uber. Trips to wherever. Spring Break Trips. Red Sox games, eating out because i’m tired of the dorm food (after a week or two) or because it’s midnight, i was out partying and i need a greasy slice of pizza…whatever it is - I tell people to budget $3-5K more than the school tells you…some will spend more, some less.
Here’s their AP calculator - but it will depend on major. It says they take up to 32 credits - must have 4s and 5s. You can see which classes you may get waived.
Edit: removed website - see AP credits website on next message from @ucbalumnus
Lots of colleges do not take those, or give only generic elective credit for them, because they do not align with any typical frosh level courses content-wise.
yep - it’s interesting - my daughter is taking a research class now and said it’s the same…and she got English credit for Seminar…but it was repetitive to the English credit she got for her AP English class.
Anyway, good luck to OP on NEU - it’s not cheap for sure - but obviously it’s a wonderful school and co-ops do give kids a leg up.
Hopefully they have lots of “sublet” activity - to help for those who sign leases they cannot fulfill.
English is confusing with advance credits my D23
10th Grade AICE English gave her ENC1101 Credit
11th Grade DE ENC1101/1102
12th GC said didn’t need to take English. She signed up DE for English Lit course anyway
