How does that work? RCBC would be like 12K for 2 years, then Stockton would be like 48-50 plus I would need a car and 12-1500 more in insurance to get him to RCBC. I dont see where they are getting 30K…
Once we get all the FA packages he is going to call Albright (if they are indeed the lowest one) and ask if they can do any better. Sometimes they can shake a few more thousand loose.
I guess I am also going to man his junk business while he is away. He fixes up bicycles, lawn equipment, and whatever else he can make a buck on that he finds on bulk trash night in nice neighborhoods and flips them on FB marketplace. He made about 5K since april doing this but the snow slowed things down.
There is also an additional 10K scholarship at Ursinus he is applying for that would bring it down to 15K but I doubt he gets it. That would be too good to be true
If you son can attend Ursinus College for 15K/yr that would be a no brainer since It’s considered decent LAC in PA. The Full price COA for the school is 70K/yr.
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He would have to get an additional scholarship, right now I am sitting at 25K.
Even with 25K/year, it’s still a good deal consider it’s closer to home and offers good education.
You son should visit the school to see if it’s a “fit”. Sometimes it’s worth a few thousand dollars. You son will be there for 4 yrs, so you don’t want him to suffer in the environment he hates to save a few bucks.
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Yes they did. My daughter went there for the cost of stafford loans …little oop. That program no longer exists apparently.
We already visited 2x
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hey billb7581 - not sure if you know about this small help, but if you are under $160k income, you can get back on taxes every year $2500 for some college expenses (this is assuming you paid 4K in fees, books, tuition; not room and board).
Room and Board is expensive no matter where you go; its very rare a college pays for that or dips into that unless it’s a full meets-need college or high merit scholarship. Once my daughter moved off campus I felt like her costs went down a bit; I know you are in a high cost state though. Good luck finding a good place for your son.
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That is a straight up credit? Even if you take the standard deduction? That would help a bit. I get a small refund now basically the 500 for each kid. I could get to 10-12k a year going forward leaving him with 3-5K he could hustle and earn himself then he would just have the stafford loans to deal with.
yes, straight up credit. Look up American Opportunity Tax Credit. 4 years; and not completely 1:1 ratio, but it is a help to us too. again, only works with tuition, books & fee costs. hoping they keep continuing it!
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I didn’t qualify for my oldest, because her scholarship covered all that stuff and I believe was a small tax liability at the end of my return LOL. It looks like we should qualify for that.
Gonna sharpen the pencil here and maybe start doing small engine repair on the side, advertising on FB marketplace and Craigslist.
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@Billb7581 Take a look at Kutztown U in PA. It might be a bit cheaper than in-state NJ or at least in the ballpark and it’s another option besides Montclair, etc. I believe they give all OOS students a tuition discount so that it comes in under 30K and then they might have small merit awards on top of that.
You might qualify for the $2500 credit, but remember when he turns 17 the child credit ($2000) is reduced to a $500 one.
It’s always something.
I already got hosed on that, he is 18. There apparently is a tuition credit in that amount.
Cleveland State 22K
BG 20K
Kent state 26.5K
YS is difficult to figure out, but eyeballing it looks like it would be above 20. The 1160 kills merit only like 2K
With a 3.5/1160, your kid may be eligible for a full tuition scholarship at Delaware State University, which would get the net cost well below $20k and is a car ride away.
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Delaware State is an HBCU, which may or may not matter to the OP.
Many of the schools being named are D1, so the student probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to play football at those schools, or if he did as a preferred walk on, he might lose the merit scholarships.
Truly, it is sad that you didn’t start the college list from the bottom up with affordability in mind. In New Jersey, that likely would have been the commuting-distance community college for the first two years with transfer agreement for the major at a public U (possibly even commuting distance) in-state. The CC could well have merit/talent scholarships (my kid had a full-tuition & fees scholarship for two years at her CC in MD), and even if not, the money saved up for those two years could be used to help pay for the last two. Yes, your kid has been dreaming of four full years away from home, but the simple truth is that many students follow the CC to State U route because it is affordable.
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I do think NJ is the absolutely worst state to live in regards to a college education when it comes to cost. Some of my kid# would’ve had full rides if we lived in other states. Friends are always shocked when they start researching college costs.
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