<p>just the fact that it shameful for a our kids to be put in a position to need to go into tremendous debt to get an education</p>
<p>I understand your concern, but not one needs to go into tremendous debt to get an education. They will have to go into tremendous debt if they aren’t concerned about cost and just want to choose what they want.</p>
<p>I can buy a Toyota without taking on big debt. If I were to buy a top Mercedes, I’d need to take on big debt. I don’t HAVE to take on tremendous debt. I don’t lament that it’s shameful that someone has to take on tremendous debt to afford a luxury…and many college selections do become pricey luxuries when there are more affordable options. </p>
<p>Just the “sleep away” college experience is a luxury. </p>
<p>A person can have options that don’t include tremendous debt…they just have to accept that they have a “beer pocketbook”…not a champagne one.</p>
<p>“But at this point she is lucky because she will have some options or she may decided to wait to start school until the fall and apply to some UC’s.”</p>
<p>^^ That would be my STRONG advise! She will have MANY more options if she applies for regular admission. Surely she can find things to do with the additional time she’ll have between HS and College. You sometimes have to be patient and wait, in order to have more opportunities to choose from.</p>
<p>Do her PSAT scores put her in NMF contention [221 for Calif this year]? If so she will have many more options, including colleges that offer 1/2 to full tuition scholarships.</p>
<p>There is NO NEED to go into debt to get a college education. What’s needed is flexibility, a willingness to consider more affordable options and cast a wider net to find them. </p>
<p>As the Rolling Stones lyrics put it so well-
“you cant always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find- you get what you need.”</p>
<p>I second the advise to apply for Fall 2012. My guess is that she can take community college classes for things like general education requirements, and not jeopardize her chances for a great fall package. She can likely delay the date on her diploma and take them as a dual-enrolled student. I have a D who graduated with her AA 2 weeks before she graduated from high school, and there were no problems for her. She was still considered a FTIC (first time in college) “freshman” with advanced “junior” standing. </p>
<p>Even if she wants to graduate in December, CC classes for spring (checking to see what will transfer as far as credit) is not a bad idea.</p>
<p>Make sure though - if she takes CC classes that are not part of a dual credit plan with her high school - that they do not jeopardize her standing as a freshman, and therefore being eligible for those freshmen scholarships which seem to be far plummier than any others. (only the schools to which she is applying, and not the CC itself, can tell her if that is the case or not.) We found that the dual credit classes in high school were fine but had she taken <em>anything</em> once she graduated, it would have blown freshman status, at the schools we looked at.</p>
<p>I heartily agree waiting till fall would be best. Lots of very worthwhile things to do in the meantime…perhaps not the least of which would be to earn some money to help defray some of the cost, because even the most affordable option is seldom completely free.</p>
<p>OP - If it makes your feel better, lots of other parents have gone through lament over college costs. Your feelings are very understandable. My opinion is that you should strongly consider the fall 2012 option - that will provide more opportunities and time to consider pros/cons of various colleges. Either way, best of luck! </p>
<p>PS - You may find some Eastern schools close to airport / public transit more accessible than western schools that are not. Unless you require the ability to drive to school in a pinch (which is a nice feeling), then schools that are a direct flight from home may be logistically easier than some western schools.</p>
<p>OP…I fully agree with you…our students should NOT be placed in the position of having a significant amount of debt when they graduate. It sounds like you are considering all options. Yes…there are schools where freshmen are admitted for the spring term…but really what will that do for your daughter in the long run if the sequences of many courses begin the fall term. Worth checking (as it could cost you money down the road…spending money for a term now that really isn’t going to be all that helpful in fulfilling requirements).</p>
<p>I agree that flexibility is the key. And keeping one’s mind open to many options (which it sounds like you ARE doing).</p>
<p>Do I think students or should amass significant debt for college…absolutely NOT. There are plenty of excellent higher education opportunities out there that can be within financial reach. You are lucky to have some money set aside for college. Add to that the Stafford loans and the potential for merit aid someplace…and there will be choices for your daughter.</p>
<p>Do you consider the Midwest schools in Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Wisconsin, etc, to be too far? You mentioned East coast schools being too far but those are a long way from the East coast. Most of them are easily accessible from CA via Southwest Airlines.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t sound like you’ve been advised well. Even if you qualified for aid, an OOS public is not going to give you much beyond federal aid of Pell and student loans.” mom2collegekids - that depends on the school. Lots of them are like you say, but we did find MERIT aid (not need based) at these schools and some was pretty sweet.</p>
<p>*“It doesn’t sound like you’ve been advised well. Even if you qualified for aid, an OOS public is not going to give you much beyond federal aid of Pell and student loans.” </p>
<p>mom2collegekids - that depends on the school. Lots of them are like you say, but we did find MERIT aid (not need based) at these schools and some was pretty sweet. *</p>
<p>I was talking about need-based aid in response to the OP’s mentioning about qualifying for need-based aid. I certainly know about merit based aid. From this person’s previous posts, I don’t think her D will qualify for merit aid.</p>
<p>You are right, OP, that the cost of a college education has gotten out of hand. Some colleges say it is affordable if the parents save a third of the cost, pay a third from their paycheck and borrow a third. I have a hard time buying into this formula. </p>
<p>Is it worth it? So many nonspecific words. Is (presumably) the cost of an educaiton worth what? What is “it”? (I sound so Clintonesque.) If “it” is a lifetime of crushing student loan payments, I’d have to say so no. The cost of college is not worth a lifetime, or twenty years, or even ten years of crushing debt payments. </p>
<p>Does the value of an education justify the high cost. That’s another question entirely as there are a variety of educaitonal options at different price points. If a family has the money, I can’t think of a better way to spend it. If a family doesn’t have the money, as others have pointed out, options include in-state non-flagships, community colleges, regional LACs never mentioned on CC that offer significant merit aid. Yes, education is worth paying for, even borrowing for if one can stay within the Stafford limits.</p>
<p>Finally, is it a shame that our children all can’t go to any school to which they gain acceptance. Not really. Guess I never bought inot the whole “dream school” or “best” school concept. Sort of the whole brand concept taken to the extreme, and I’m not buying.</p>
<p>We also found great merit aid at an OOS public university (which my kid didn’t subsequently attend…but that’s another whole thread). HOWEVER…these very generous merit awards are given to incoming freshmen who enroll during the FALL term. Spring admits will very often find that merit money either has already been used up…or is only awarded to fall admits.</p>
<p>Any price sensitive family should go for the cheapest option. The rest is up to a kid. Hard working kid will do extremely well everywhere. And CC might not be the cheapest because there are limited resources at CC. My D. applied only to UG’s that were known for great Merit awards (we are very far from being eligible for any need based). While she got some Merits at OOS, it was nowhere close to what she got at IS publics and private. Having additional contribution from state itself for ranking #1 in her HS has also helped (about $2.5k additional Merit award). She was on full tuition+ at state public, was recognized there with multiple awards/medals and successfully applied to Med. Schools. She has chosen the one where she is surrounded with many from Ivy’s and other Elite UG’s. Lots of them are taking loans now, and she does not have to> We are in position to pay for Med. School since we did not pay for UG.</p>
<p>Well, at the end of her life, where she went to school will make much less difference than who she is and what her strengths are. The concept that certain schools are “better” is a false construct. Certain schools are better fits, but nobody is guaranteeing jobs and every school has its successes and failures. Don’t feel badly. She can be proud she gets in, but feel secure in going to another place that will allow her to graduate debt-free or nearly so, which makes the next phase of her life (and yours) so much simpler. There is more than just college to come! Imagine the horror of the perfect job offer at a miserable salary when she has $100K of debt! But yes, it’s too bad that brains and talent and dedication isn’t enough.</p>
<p>I often make the analogy to buying cars… some families have the funds and desire to splurge. But where finances are a concern, low cost is important. Loans should be avoided or minimized.</p>
<p>My advice would be for her to find something worthwhile to do this spring and start whatever college in the fall. Lots of bonding happens during orientation and the first week or two of school. </p>
<p>As for the money piece others can advise you better than me, but I am pretty sure that if you do your research the choices aren’t Community College or huge loans.</p>