<p>(Jaw on floor). Really? Even state schools think we can spend $50,000+ per year (picked a couple of state calculators). Sure...no problem! The rest of us don't need to eat, drive, have medical care, buy groceries, or anything. :O</p>
<p>Laughably, a loan for $1,500 was suggested for the student at the last state flagship school. Yes, that's a huge help when the remainder is still over $50,000 (sarcasm). I kept reading here that OOS students might be wanted at State Universities, so it might be worth applying.</p>
<p>It doesn't look like any school is going to give us financial aid at all. I haven't run the Ivies yet, but they are all an extreme long shot for everyone, but I'm going to do it just to see, as one or two might be chosen for extreme reaches. </p>
<p>I do not understand why I must cough up all this very private, personal financial information that I don't share with anyone in order that my kid have opportunity to receive merit aid! </p>
<p>Isn't merit aid based on the student's MERIT, not the financial position of the family, which should be entirely irrelevant? Either the kid does or does not "merit" the award on her own. I just don't understand and never will. That's like saying I can win a talent show if my parents are poor, but not if they have money, regardless of my actual level of talent! </p>
<p>Just flummoxed at the whole thing. Yep...not very "tranquil" right now. </p>
<p>We all got a good laugh out of the figures though.</p>
<p>There are Us that don’t require any financial info for the student to be considered for merit awards. S primarily applied to such Us and fortunately received several generous renewable awards, which significantly lowered his cost if attending. He chose to attend one such U, and got more merit awards every year. </p>
<p>Several if those Us were private, but he also got full tuition offer from UAz. The “trick” is applying to Us who give merit awards where your kiddo’s stats put him or her near the too of the school’s stats. There are threads about Us known for generous merit awards.</p>
<p>If you want lower prices, run the NPCs at your own in-state schools. Their prices are low for their taxpayers. Whoever told you that OOS schools want your student didn’t give you the full scoop – they want them BECAUSE you pay more OOS. And why shouldn’t you? You are not a resident of their state and are not paying taxes to support their university system. There are a few exceptions of state schools that give big scholarships to NMFs/top students (U of Alabama, U of Oklahoma come to mind). But most reserver lower prices for in-state students.</p>
<p>Many schools do not require you to apply for need based aid to be awarded merit based aid. Some I can think of right off hand are Kenyon, Lawrence, Mount Holyoke, University of Chicago, or Harvey Mudd. So before you go spinning off on this, spend some more time on the financial aid forum and figure out what is really going on. What incentives do various colleges have to give your kid aid?</p>
<p>If you are talking about putting data into the NPCs, most colleges do not require you to identify yourself or keep that information. And the NPCs rarely show merit aid anyway unless it is “guaranteed” by your kid’s statistics. NPC is mostly about need based aid. And if you think the NPC asked for a lot of personal info, wait til you get to the FAFSA, CSS/Profile, college specific forms, non-custodial parent forms, and all the tax returns they want you to provide. You will feel stripped naked by the time that is all done. But I don’t blame the colleges – you are asking someone else to pay the bill for your kid’s education – all the grant based aid is paid for by someone else paying higher tuition or donations that have been made to the school.</p>
<p>They are wanted BECAUSE they will not be getting FA and will be paying full OOS tuition. There are some OOS publics that can be a good deal due to a relatively low OOS tuition and/or merit aid. But outside of UVA and UNC-CH, OOS students will receive little to no need based FA.</p>
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<p>Merit scholarships vary: financial need can be a primary factor, financial can be one of several factors, or financial need can not be considered as a factor at all.</p>
<p>Did the NPCs that you ran include merit as well as need-based FA?</p>
<p>You might want to amble over to the financial aid section of this forum. There are some threads regarding merit aid over there that might be helpful to you as a family with an expected contribution that is at or exceeds the cost of attendance.</p>
<p>As a note…if your family contribution per those finaid calculators is in the $50,000 range, then your income is in excess of $150,000 a year…probably more. OR you have very significant assets in non-retirement accounts…or other assets such as real estate. This sort of income and asset amount is not typically where need based aid is awarded.</p>
<p>Other threads indicate you are a landlord…which would mean you own property other than your primary residence AND have rental income. This likely is affecting that family contribution as well.</p>
<p>Either that…or you made a mistake when you entered the information.</p>
<p>The family contribution is heavily weighted towards income. In other words, most of the family contribution is based on your income. So…if I am wrong about your income…and you don’t have large assets…check again how you entered the figures. </p>
<p>There are many schools which offer merit awards based on the strength of your student’s application (SAT or ACT scores and GPA). Many do not require submission of the financial,aid application forms at all. You should check the threads for schools offering guaranteed merit aid in the financial aid section.</p>
<p>And your instate public universities will NOT cost $50,000. So start there. Many have honors colleges for high achieving students. Your instate public university may look like it is the affordable option for you since it looks like you do not qualify for need based aid.</p>
<p>Is it possible to start at a Univ, then go to CC, then back to U? The savings for just that one year would make the final two at the U much easier to do. </p>
<p>I asked this on my own thread but no one has bothered to respond, disappointing.</p>
<p>^^^^And that is for OOS in NC!!! 16 different and unique campuses here in NC in the state system. In- state is a FANTASTIC deal and OOS is less than some states in-state tuition. COL is lower, much lower here so that will also add to the cost savings.</p>
<p>Still happy 10 years later that we moved the 3000+ miles, for the schools. Son’s in-state medical school tuition is $16,000 for the year, all 12 months. Love it here!!</p>
<p>Kat
ps we live in the same state as Packmom, I too, am the mom of 2 WolfPack alumni!!</p>
<p>At our flagship U, students can simultaneously be enrolled and take classes at the U and CC. Check with your own state, as policies can vary widely. We know kids who opted to take as many courses at CC as possible while also being enrolled at flagship U and getting degree from flagship U. Saved student and family LOTS of $$$$.</p>
<p>It is a small fraction of the price to take CC courses compared to U courses, even when the instructor and material are identical.</p>
<p>At our instate U, both kids could have attended 4 years at flagship U for $60K total. CC ran about $1-1.5K per semester or so.</p>
<p>My daughter’s in state school costs us $18,000 a year plus her spending money - we do not qualify for financial aid and she did not get merit money. Have you looked at your in state options? I can’t imagine that your state school is $50,000 a year.</p>
<p>Tranquil…not wishing to be a stinker…but you have another thread going about college possibilities for your daughter. In the OP to that other thread, you clearly state that you won’t be eligible for need based aid. You also state that you have an asset you can sell which will cover perhaps half of the cost of attending a private university.</p>
<p>On THAT thread, you were given some excellent suggestions of schools to consider where merit aid is a probability. </p>
<p>In most cases you do not have to complete the financial aid applications for merit aid. Some schools do have that requirement. If you don’t want to divulge your finances, then simply do not have your daughter apply to those schools.</p>
<p>OOS publics are not usually a bargain. Some universities have merit awards specifically for OOS students. My guess is most do not.</p>
<p>And as noted…your instate university is still a possibility.</p>
<p>It is weird… your DD won’t be happy… why not either go the 2 year CC route then transfer, or suck it up for four years? Don’t jerk the poor kid around between schools twice.</p>
<p>And, pardon my ignorance, but what is NPC? I’m assuming the “C” is calculator? </p>
<p>Thumper, sorry, if this thread topic bled into the other. It was just really an outpouring of surprise, having not yet actually run the calculators as of the date I posted the previous thread. Sorry to annoy. </p>
<p>Yes, in-state is a possibility. Not an exciting one for this kid, but a possibility,nonetheless.</p>
<p>We do, but it hasn’t appreciated, and it is a rare year that incoming rent covers costs. It’s just a wash. Yes, we can sell, but after the mortgage is paid off and the capital gains tax AND any prep costs and sales costs…not much money there, I’m afraid. We would have done better to bury it in the ground over the past decade, when rental taxes doubled and appreciation stopped.</p>