With time very clearly ticking until I need to make a decision, I’m torn between Univ of Delaware and Univ. of Miami.
I visited both, and while I liked the atmosphere of Delaware, it didn’t compare to that of UM. I loved everything about the school itself and if finances weren’t an issue I’d have sent in my deposit immediately.
However, I can’t figure out if Miami is worth greater student debt. I recieved a 15k grant to UD, which totals my yearly tuition at about 29k a year. Miami offered me a 14k scholarship, which lowers its cost to 47k a year. My parents are willing to put up an amount from 18k-23k a year, leaving the rest to have to be loaned out. They’d continue to assist me after graduation in paying off the loans, but it’d still be a 60k difference.
From what I’ve read, Miami is a more reputable university than Delaware, and I don’t know how much I should factor that into my decision. I’m going for marketing.
So basically, if I go to Delaware, my loans would be anywhere from 22k to 40k, whereas my loans for Miami would be anywhere from 94k to 108k.
Is it worth the price tag? Will it pay off? I keep getting mixed signals regarding that question.
P.S. To complicate things, my father is most likely going to be getting knee surgery in the next year or two, which according to UMs financial aid calculator would give me about 12k in grants, nearly bridging the gap. Of course, nothing is a gaurantee.