Here are the google directions from roughly where I live to the nearest CC
Driving
14 min (6.5 mi) via Mt Holly Rd and High St
Mass Transit
1 hr 42 min
2:26 PM - 4:08 PM
I just ran the numbers for Del State they gap me 15K with loans and 5500 to him I think his class rank hurts him here scanning through their merit.
He cant really commute to delaware.
These really dont move the needle much when a sub 20K tuition college is like 19,999 figuring in all the related costs.
6.5 miles looks like a short bicycle commute.
Or even running if he is an athlete.
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Public transportation is good in north Jersey, kids from my town take the train to prep schools. South Jersey is totally different.
Lol I donât think so, that would be crazy dangerous on those roads.
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This is the best I can explain it. I live at point A. CC is at point b. Public transit would require train or bus ride from point A to point C, then a bus from C to B.
Suggesting someone jog 40 plus miles to school/weekly is ridiculous.
There is a train stop at Rutgers Camden but they dont have his major there.
A B
C
I think the point several of us have been trying to make is that there are ways (sub-optimal to the OP, clearly) to get the cost of a 4 year degree well below $20k a year.
I understand that an almost 2 hour commute isnât something most people wantâŠbut it is a solution that could be entertained if saving money is the biggest concern.
Often times, we are all faced with the choice of saving money or saving time. And I think what many of us are saying to the OP is that this is a CHOICE. Donât complain about paying ~$20k a year because you want to choose a residential 4 year college experience. It is a luxury item, and there isnât free money to buy that luxury item for those who donât fulfill an institutional need of the college they want to attend.
I hope your son is able to find a school that best fits his career goals, and the price limits your family has chosen to spend on 4 year residential college. I just honestly wish this thread felt less like a bad faith complaint that the cost of a customized luxury item is very expensive. To quote my children, âNo duhâ.
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Perhaps my initial post was worded poorly. I never claimed to want free college.
My problem is that it doesnât scale at all. My daughter with amazing stats went for free basically. (Some stafford loans only)
I thought there would be more middle ground, and not a jump from essentially free, to 20 grand going from a 4.0 student to a 3.75
We always thought Stockton would be the fall back he would have qualified for 10-14K prior to the virus. He got accepted but only qualified for 5K making it basically the same or more than all of his other options thus far.
Your son may need to adjust his major.
And imo, the car thing should be an offsides issue. Youâll either buy him one or not. He can kick in on insurance costs.
I know weâre beating a dead horse, so to say. But to accomplish this under 20k, somethings gotta give. Whatâs it going to be?
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I hope you find something, Iâm rooting for you and your son! I donât know how most people do it, honestly.
But I see you have some coming around $18K so I can give you a real life example. We are managing a COA of $18K ($8K tuition, $10K r&b if on campus) for Dâ19. She started with about $15K in savings. Freshman year on campus, she had some one-time scholarships and graduation gift money that helped get through that more expensive year.
For subsequent years when it is cheaper to live off campus, weâve settled into a pattern where each semester, I pay $2500 and she pays $1500 from savings for tuition. I get one of my $2500 contributions back on taxes. She is largely responsible for rent/utilities/groceries (about $500/month) from earnings. (I donât know what rent would be like in your area though.)
Sheâs lucked out in some ways (getting a partial refund of r&b last spring when they got sent home, a CARES Act payment, a really good paying summer job). But so far weâre doing it without loans, so if she hadnât had those bits of luck, she could get some loans.
Another thing to check into is if his college has an application for their foundation scholarships for continuing students. My girls apply every year or semester as the case may be. I think a lot of kids blow that off.
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LOL
Yea I am trying to see what saving 800-1k a month looks like now
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We didnât require it, but one of my lads opted to be (and got accepted to be) an RA his last three years (of a five year program). This provided us with free board, and for him, he loved the job. Itâs not for everyone, nor did everyone who wanted to get the opportunity at his college, but itâs something to keep in mind if the shoe fits for further years. The savings were appreciated.
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You are most definitely gonna be gapped.
You are not applying to schools that meet full need, so the schools that you are applying to are under no obligation to get down to your EFC.
YSU is $17k after $8k grants/merit aid, according to the NPC you ran up above.
A $5500 loan gets you below $12k. Thatâs a grand a month on a payment plan (I am cash-flowing college right now with a six-month payment plan I sign up for every semester).
I understand that is brutal to contemplate. But the kid can have some skin in the game. Thereâs work-study - pretty sure youâd qualify. Thereâs work during the summers - a couple of thousand can be picked up that way.
Have you picked up the phone to talk to YSU? They might be very willing to help.
Oh, and the RA deal is sweet â cannot stress this enough. Free room and board. You canât usually get it until sophomore year, but dang, I wish my kid had opted for it. (She got a job and we split her apt cost instead)
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Bill- you are SO smart to be doing the belt-tightening now.
Iâve seen so many sad situations where one parent is ready to live on beans and switch to generic toilet paper, and the other parent canât live without a private gym, the Netflix/full entertainment package, and weekly ânights outâ with the boys (or girls) which include dinner and drinks.
The entire family needs to be on board with whatever thrift measures are imposed for college funding. Itâs not realistic to have half the family ready to cut up the credit cards and the other out there trying to maintain a lifestyle which is not conducive to freeing up cash. EVERY SINGLE MONTH. Yes, mufflers fall off cars (but sounds like youâve got an edge there) and refrigerator compressors stop working and that weird leaf stain on the kitchen wall turns out to be mold in, out and around the sink and backsplash. So stuff happens-- usually more expensive than you can anticipate. But if you can see what your new thrift campaign means in terms of your day in/day out lifestyle, youâll know pretty quickly how sustainable your plan is going to be.
Your son can pick up the phone to ask about department level scholarships (usually not for freshmen, since they tend to move around a lot the first year in terms of their interests) which likely wonât be huge- but can reduce the self-help component of what your son is going to need to contribute. And they often come with perks- exposure to professors, invitations to fellowships and seminars- so worth asking if they are available in the departments heâs interested and whatâs required to earn one.
It might also be worth investigating if there are loan forgiveness programs for staying in state, working in certain fields in an underserved area, etc. Some states have them.
Good luck!
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Your kid does not need an 8000 car and I would shop around for car insurance. I have a 19 year old boy and I was able to get a great home/auto package deal even with him on it.
Hopefully the football stuff works out. Otherwise, there is no shame in starting at a CC.
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In our case, free room (large single room). Still had to pay for food. Other colleges could be different.
Not every kid gets an RA-ship. They can be competitive. I donât think anyone should count on this, when finances are tight.
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Iâm real proud of ya
Your anecdotal story notwithstanding, I have shopped around for auto insurance. In fact I did that online comparison thing when he got his license, and I already had the cheapest carrier Adding an additional car to the policy would be 1500 dollars because I have an 18 YO boy. It is the going rate in NJ.
Its not worth chasing a thousand dollars to drive 400 miles 1 way.