Is it wrong of me not to want to go to college for free?

[Erin_s_Dad]

<p>

I think one reason most of these schools offer a free option is to try to beef up the quality of students that they admit

Any school that offers ANY merit aid is doing this.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>I’m not talking about significantly reduced college. I’m talking about free college. **I already have options for significantly reduced college **whose offers aren’t related to National Merit. This thread is about whether or not I’m wrong for preferring significantly reduced to free when the former group consists almost unequivocally of better schools.</p>

<p>Yes, I think you mentioned that you have a half-tuition scholarship school (which may become full tuition). </p>

<p>however, half tuition can still leave a lot uncovered. Why not apply to some schools where you’d get at LEAST full tuition???</p>

[intparent]

<p>Well, yeah, Erin’s Dad. But if the college offers attendance for free they are probably MORE interested in beefing up their stats than if they offer it for 2/3 the normal price…</p>

[noimagination]

<p>

I’m not talking about significantly reduced college. I’m talking about free college. I already have options for significantly reduced college whose offers aren’t related to National Merit. This thread is about whether or not I’m wrong for preferring significantly reduced to free when the former group consists almost unequivocally of better schools.

I don’t understand why that distinction matters, and I don’t understand what you intend to accomplish with this thread. If College A costs $X and College B costs $Y, then you have to decide whether you / your parents can afford to pay $(X-Y) more for College A and, if so, whether that cost premium is a good use of your / your parents’ money. Setting Y = $0 doesn’t change the nature of that calculation.</p>

<p>That’s a personal choice for you and your parents to make, and I wouldn’t consider either of the choices to be right or wrong. On the other hand, some of the reasoning you presented earlier in this thread was illogical, and you’ve been called out on that.</p>

[emberjed]

<br>

<p>That’s a personal choice for you and your parents to make, and I wouldn’t consider either of the choices to be right or wrong.</p>

<br>

<p>I’ve never said that my parents and I aren’t talking about the subject. In fact, I’ve already mentioned that we are. I just brought this thread up to see the community’s opinions. It’s a supplement, not the final word.</p>

<br>

<p>So you have some options for merit aid that you seem willing to consider, but consider the free rides to somehow be “unearned” and having no value. The ‘free ride’ is only a bigger merit scholarship. You are not making sense…</p>

<br>

<p>The schools that offer significant merit aid that isn’t a complete free ride are, as I said before, generally much better than those that offer free rides. Sure, the ones that offer free rides might be a better “fit,” but so might the ones that don’t. In fact, the ones that don’t are more likely to.</p>

<br>

<p>however, half tuition can still leave a lot uncovered. Why not apply to some schools where you’d get at LEAST full tuition???</p>

<br>

<p>Applying is an option. This thread is about whether I’m wrong for not wanting to GO there. That’s a decision for further down the road.</p>

<br>

<p>On the other hand, some of the reasoning you presented earlier in this thread was illogical, and you’ve been called out on that.</p>

<br>

<p>I’ve tried not to let it come to that. Apparently, in your eyes I’ve failed. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but I don’t really know what you expected from a thread that has “Is it wrong” in the title.</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>Regarding costs at a community college…</p>

<p>

@happymomof1

At the time she attended in-county tuition and fees were approximately $5,000 each year.

</p>

<p>Guess we have it cheap in California, where CC tuition and fees are $36 per semester unit in-state ($1,080 for a 30 unit academic year), $212 per semester unit domestic out-of-state ($6,360 for a 30 unit academic year), and $236 per semester unit international ($7,080 for a 30 unit academic year).</p>

[ucbalumnus]

<p>

@emberjed

They’re closer to Podunk U. I don’t think any of them, for example, crack the U.S. News top 100 (or the list at all).

</p>

<p>Texas A&M is a rather well respected school. Although its NMF scholarship is not a full ride, the remaining cost of attendance after applying the scholarship is only about $12,500 per year.</p>

[M_s_Mom]

<p>">That’s a personal choice for you and your parents to make, and I wouldn’t consider either of the choices to be right or wrong.</p>

<p>I’ve never said that my parents and I aren’t talking about the subject. In fact, I’ve already mentioned that we are. I just brought this thread up to see the community’s opinions. It’s a supplement, not the final word."</p>

<p>And I never said you weren’t talking to your parents. If you ask for advice from strangers, a little more courtesy would be appreciated.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>It seems that the OP is only talking about lowish schools that offer NMFs “true full rides” (tuition, room, board, books, fees), and isn’t considering other much higher ranked schools that are offering assured full tuition scholarships or more. </p>

<p>At higher ranked schools that give NMF students free tuition or more, he’d find that many of his classmates are his intellectual peers.</p>

<p>I think that’s a mistake. His responses about family finances and getting a lot of FA are confusing. On one hand, he implies that his family is well-off. On the other hand, he says he’ll get a lot of FA. In the end, after a CSS profile school determines what the family should pay, he may find out that it’s more than his family will pay…especially if they’re expecting a lot of FA.</p>

[emberjed]

<br>

<p>isn’t considering other much higher ranked schools that are offering assured full tuition scholarships or more.</p>

<br>

<p>Texas A&M is decent. Where can I find a list of more such schools?</p>

<br>

<p>His responses about family finances and getting a lot of FA are confusing. On one hand, he implies that his family is well-off. On the other hand, he says he’ll get a lot of FA.</p>

<br>

<p>As I said before, my parents have indicated that they think we’re in a Goldilocks zone financially - not too rich to get anything and not too poor to be able to afford it no matter how much we get. They may be wrong. I don’t know.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-34.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-34.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Creekland]

<p>

my parents have indicated that they think we’re in a Goldilocks zone financially - not too rich to get anything and not too poor to be able to afford it no matter how much we get. They may be wrong. I don’t know.

</p>

<p>They may be wrong. You are correct that you do not know. This is exactly why many of us are suggesting having a true financial safety that you are accepted to. There is no harm in turning down that school in the spring if you have other affordable offers for places you like better.</p>

[mom2collegekids]

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Right…and at schools that don’t meet need, there could be large gaps!</p>

<p>Where are you applying?</p>

<p>What are your stats?</p>

[Longhaul]

<p>OP</p>

<p>I think there are 3 major things to take from this thread.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>You do NOT need to name a school on the NM application now. List as “undecided” until spring.</p></li>
<li><p>You do not have a solid grasp on your family’s expected contribution. All college websites now have “NET PRICE CALCULATORS” Sit with your parents and run these for some of the schools you are interested in. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>We are middle class to upper middle class with multiple children. My son had 20 schools he was interested in as of June. The NPC results had a $25,000/year difference from the lowest cost to the highest cost for us. That is HUGE. The last thing you want is to be unpleasantly surprised by finances come spring.</p>

<ol>
<li> There are some great opportunities for NMF. Don’t discount them without checking to see what it covers. To have a Master’s in 4 years and have it paid for with NMF scholarship is worth at a minimum a few hours investigation.</li>
</ol>

<p>It is not wrong to down merit offers; it is wrong to do it without careful research.</p>

[noimagination]

<p>

I’ve tried not to let it come to that. Apparently, in your eyes I’ve failed. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but I don’t really know what you expected from a thread that has “Is it wrong” in the title.

I’m not offended, just trying to help you out. My advice is to avoid judgments about course rigor without solid evidence and to eliminate sunk cost reasoning from your decision. Take it or leave it.</p>

[happymomof1]

<p>emberjed -</p>

<p>Here are two threads from other forums that will help you understand why so many parents encourage students like you to take guaranteed merit-aid offers seriously. In the first thread, the student’s family finances have taken a sudden negative turn, and in the second one, the student is happy enough with his institution, but could have had more options in May had he used a different application strategy.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1397002-financial-problems-merit-money.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1397002-financial-problems-merit-money.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1398043-dont-let-happen.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1398043-dont-let-happen.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;