I’m in this weird situation. I plan on starting WSU this fall, and I recently was informed about my financial aid situation and to my surprise I have $9,000 leftover in grant and scholarship money after paying my tuition and books, this is if I were to stay home and commute to the local campus, on the other hand my original plan was to attend the main campus which is 6 hours away, and pay for room and board which is $13,000, If I do this I will be -$4,000 in the hole meaning I will have to take out loans. I know the $4,000 isn’t anything to be complaining about, debt wise for a single year.
At this point I’m really just wondering should I stay home and GET PAID for going to school, or go with my original plan and get away from home. I’ve been wanting to move out for awhile, to experience something new, but I mean is it worth going into debt when I could get paid for staying at home… I really can’t come to a conclusion. I feel staying at home wouldn’t be beneficial to me as a person and I’m kind of tired of my house but at the same time $20 is $20 so…?
Some colleges reduce the aid if you aren’t on campus, so you can’t count on it staying the same. Also, the aid packet may change if you switch campuses.
I’d assume you can work summers and part time at college. Likely your loans could be quite a bit less than $4K if you do.
IMHO, it is worth it to go away from home and live on campus. I agree with the above poster that you can work and earn some if not all of your loan amount. In the long run, 16K in loans is not a very large amount. I also think it’s good to have some financial “skin in the game.” It would be good for you to pay at least the additional 4K a year.
To me there is a maturity and growth that happens by moving out of one’s family home and being on your own within the safety net of college. At 18, it’s time Again, JMHO.
If you commute your net cost will be reduced by $13k. That reduces your need which can reduce the amount of aid you’re offered. If your grants are from the school I wouldn’t count on them remaining the same. It seems unlikely that they would pay you $36,000 to attend. Contact the financial aid office and ask how your package would change if you switched campuses and commuted.
Honestly, it’s up to you to decide what will be worth it in your life. Student loans will follow you around for the rest of your life and they are hard to pay back after you graduate if you don’t land a decent job.
As for the experience of college, you’ll never be in a place again in your life where you don’t have to worry about working to have a roof over your head and all you’re really expected to do is learn. I wish I could go back sometimes and not have to worry about my family and bills, but I’m glad my self-worth isn’t tied to a grade I receive in class and that my academic record isn’t the only thing employers have to go on. After you’ve distanced yourself away from college by the way of work experience, no one really cares anymore where you’ve graduated from and what kind of GPA you got.
Graduate school is a complex beast if you so choose to do that after you enter the work force. You typically do it while you’re working and life can get really tough juggling everything. I swear, I have to take care of my family’s needs, work, school, and then whatever is left (basically nothing) is left to me. I’ve resorted to basically “relaxing” for an hour after work and then the rest has been devoted to everything else. When I was in college as an undergrad, all I really had to worry about was getting to class on time, getting my homework done, and making sure that I woke up in time for class.
TBH, I’d try it out for a year, but if you really wanted to save money, then I’d go to a community college instead. Now, college life is quite an interesting experience: some people like it, while others just don’t seem to enjoy it as much as others.
You just gotta follow your heart & think deeply about your final decision before jumping on it too quickly & then regretting it.
Campus life at WSU is worth a lot. Two of my kids recently graduated from there and we know a whole bunch still there. “Coug for life” is a special thing not experienced at a lot of other campuses. I would suggest giving it a shot for a year, switching to being a commuter if you do not feel it was worth it.
For years 2-4 you can live off campus a lot cheaper than on. Get a job, preferably one that has some downtime where you can study and get paid for it. Get involved in positive experiences and avoid the “Thirsty Tuesday” crowd in order to keep your grades up. Best of luck in whatever you choose.
It’s a wholly American thing. It doesn’t really matter, one way or the other. But if you do have surplus…Maybe…Save it? I dunno, would seem like the logical thing to do, really.
If you dont live on campus, your financial aid will be adjusted and cut.
In addition, peer quality, choice of courses, pace/depth of courses, will all be impacted if attending the local branch.
Finally, the alumni network, career center, and job fairs are typically much, much better and larger at the main campus.
So, you need to think in terms of investment - if main campus is affordable, then it’d be a sounder investment.
The exception is if your stats place you at the bottom of the admitted students’ range and you want a selective& competitive major to which you’re not direct admit.
College is a great time to take steps toward being independent.
Living in a dorm is a baby step, and then as a junior or senior you live in an apartment and start to take more responsibility.
Half of the college experience has nothing to do with classes and books. A lot of adulting happens when you go away to school. Some kids can get that living at home, others need to go away. Things our D learned by living 1 hour away from home:
how to live with people who aren't her family members
what to look for in roommates (vs. what to look for in friends)
how to use a credit card and banking
how to navigate the world using public transportation and ride services
how to pay rent and utilities and work with building maintenance
how to shop for, cook for, and feed herself
how to bargain shop for everything from books to furniture
how to do her own taxes
how to apply to and interview for internships and research positions
how to reach out for help when she really needed it (vs. waiting for someone else to jump in)
@Undercrackers All of your points were accurate, but the most important ones are probably finance & preparing for future jobs. That’s why I’m slightly frugal with my fiancees because of how expensive it can be living on your own after college. However, I still treat myself here & there, but the bottom line is:
Everyone’s situation is different with their student loans, getting a job right out of college, & their living situation. So, just because I watch my money more than other people my age doesn’t mean that everyone should follow in my footsteps, but sometimes, financial issues are almost non-avoidable as we get older.
I don’t see a wrong answer, as long as the $9000 is not coming from loans.
However, don’t let the $9000 being extra spending money for you be the driving factor.
If you want to experience an on-campus collegiate experience, it is definitely worth a $4K loan to allow that to happen. If you don’t care to live on campus and don’t mind commuting, take the $9K, put half in savings for a potential (potential, not expected) shortfall next year, and coast through the school year with the other half as extra spending money.
but at the same time $20 is $20 so…?