I have no idea what this financial aid award thing means...

<p>Other schools I got into:</p>

<p>-Brockport (got a 1k per year scholarship, however in order to keep it I would have had to stay dorming on campus and on meal plan. I live like 20 minutes away from the campus.)
-Oswego (got a small scholarship)
-St Bonaventure (got scholarship but still with tuition being EXPENSIVE it was still like $30k/year.)
-Fredonia, Purchase, no scholarships.</p>

<p>And then of course New Paltz, with no scholarships.</p>

<p>Probably financially the best bet for me would have been Brockport, but in the end I’d only probably be saving a few thousand a year. And I’d rather be at MCC than Brockport, to be honest. I absolutely hated Brockport – it was way too close to my house (I live 10 minutes away from the school), the people there were rude, and overall it was just not what I wanted. I fell in love with New Paltz and if that means I have to pay a few more thousand per year, so be it. It’s only a little bit in the grand scheme of things and I’d rather be somewhere I’m happy than be at a place I hated.</p>

<p>If your parents are fine with coming up with $12K,
and (really important---->)you are fine owing what you will, then just move forward now. You don’t need to justify where else you applied, and what scholarships you got from other places. (That said the $1000 per year difference between Brockport and New Paltz is rather small in light of your decided preference. ) So do your best to earn money in the summers, take advantage of work study to also reduce your money owed, and go for it. Good luck.</p>

<p>It’s not a small difference. The cost of Brockport and New Palz is about the same, but you can live at home and only pay tuition at Brockport. That’s quite a savings. As you got to know people, you could then find a room off campus, a job, etc and you would have a leg up being very familiar with the area.</p>

<p>It’s going to be a tough go to go away to college. Please bear in mind that it is a privilege and luxury to do so, not something to take for granted, and people do have to work hard and sacrfice most of the time to get a college education. It is NOT the usual thing to go away to school. It’s just been hyped up to be.</p>

<p>I understand fully that it is a luxury to do so. I have been working my ass off for two summers working just about full time in physically exhausting jobs. I understand the meaning of hard work and what going away to college means for me. However, I am not going to go to a college I don’t like just to save a few thousand dollars. And I’m not going to be a 20 year old college student living in my parents’ house. </p>

<p>It seems that everybody here thinks I am a selfish brat. Well, I guess that’s the internet for you. People you don’t know, judging you and thinking you something you’re not. Whatever.</p>

<p>Thank you for all the answers everybody.</p>

<p>No one said you were a selfish brat. You asked and people answered from their perspectives. You did frame it, several times, as “I want.” You did claim not to be very up on the core info needed to proceed with decsions. </p>

<p>The ultimate choice belongs to you and your parents. But, it’s usually a good idea to take the advice to look at this intelligently, make informed decisions- rather than simply swing back to what you “want.” If the financial stretch encourges you to do your best in college and make someting of yourself, we’ll all be happy to hear about that, as the years go by. Best of luck. The end.</p>

<p>You asked people you don’t know for advice, give them contradictory information, and then complain because you don’t like the advice and that it is from people you don’t know. Huh?</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

<p>I didnt mean to offend anyone, I did not mean to post any contradictory information either I am a little confused about this subject so forgive me. I appreciate all the help everyone has offered me also. I agree with all the posts but in the end as someone stated a few posts ago it is my and my family’s decision and I am going to stick with taking the financial risk and going to New Paltz. Thank you for everyone’s help regardless. God bless.</p>

<p>ew it’s like all loans… i would not go there if i were you loans=debt</p>