<p>Is it worth it to attend USC if it means having to be 200k in debt? Just weighing my options about the future since I'm considering USC still, but the UC's are significantly cheaper =</p>
<p>200k is quite a lot =(</p>
<p>Ron,</p>
<p>The cost of a private university education is expensive. I do not know if you are a California resident, but the U.C system was designed to serve the residents of California and is subsidized by the taxpayers of that state. </p>
<p>If you were to attend UCLA as a resident the cost, from the UCLA website, would be $30,476 for the 2011-2012 year. For a student from another state it would be $53,354.</p>
<p>USC has financial aid programs. Roughly 60% of students at the university receive USC determined financial aid. Another 20%+ receive aid through merit scholarships. Some receive both. USC financial aid is determined using both the FAFSA and the CSS profile.</p>
<p>Assuming an increase in the U.C’s expenses the projected cost of four years at UCLA would be roughly $130,500. So wherever you decide to attend it will not be inexpensive.</p>
<p>Please read alamemom’s thread on USC’s financial aid programs. She has suggested a book to study which will assist you in the financial aid process.</p>
<p>If you do not live that far away from SC, it might be possible to make an appointment at the financial aid office and discuss your options with them in advance of your application.</p>
<p>Q: Is it worth it to attend USC if it means having to be 200k in debt? </p>
<p>A: NO!</p>
<p>In my opinion, nothing is worth being $200k in debt. I don’t care if you’re going to USC, Harvard, the moon, a time machine, whatever. It’s not worth it.</p>
<p>Apply to USC anyway, but don’t go unless you’re offered a significant amount of grant/scholarship money. That means fill out the FAFSA, apply for several scholarships, and keep your fingers crossed.</p>
<p>You should definitely try to apply for some USC scholarships, outside scholarships and financial aid. It’s highly unlikely you’d receive no funding at all.</p>
<p>Bu honestly – it’s up to you. You’ll be the one paying your loans after you graduate (I assume), so if you like USC or whichever school you choose, then who really has a say? If you think you can manage $200k, then that’s your choice.</p>
<p>But, again, I must stress that, even if you get no aid/scholarships in your first year DOES NOT mean you won’t get any in your second. My sister doesn’t go to USC, but her college gave her NO financial aid (scholarships, grants or loans) for her freshman year. She just got her aid report for her sophomore year and they’re covering all of her tuition and fees through grants and loans. </p>
<p>I think it’s really unlikely a student can go through USC applying for scholarships/aid and get none over all 4 years.</p>
<p>You know, I might not be the best person to take advice from (because I am just starting at USC myself), but my answer to this would be: it depends.</p>
<p>I got little non-loan based aid from USC, even though I’ve done everything I possibly could to appeal and state my case to the best of my ability. The financial situation I am in is unfortunate, because I am tied to my parents who have an upper-middle class income but have made some unwise financial decisions in the past that make paying for my education outright impossible. It sucks. I’ve applied for every outside scholarship I could, and I am doubtful that I will receive ANYTHING, but as Zelda said, I am very, VERY confident in my ability to get money for the next three years. If you do well, work hard and associate with the right groups/people, eventually someone is going to give you something. </p>
<p>But anyway, I would argue “it depends” based on a few things. Do you plan to go to grad school? If not, is this bachelors degree going to get you into a high enough paying job eventually? I’m going into entertainment, which while not guaranteed by any means, can involve high pay without a graduate degree (again, not guaranteed by ANY means. Just want to stress this so nobody accuses me of anything foul). In my situation, I am willing and able to take this risk. My parents are pulling out the PLUS loan and have the resources to help me during and after school. Worst case scenario for myself: I live with my parents for a few years after graduation while I work off my debt. They don’t mind and neither do I.</p>
<p>So really, it depends. What outside help do you have at your disposal? What will your career be? </p>
<p>But really, compared to the advice with others on this forum, take mine with a grain of salt. My situation is my situation and I just felt the need to throw it out there for anyone else who might be able to relate. I don’t want anyone taking what I said to heart otherwise.</p>
<p>i would say it depends on what your major, and job prospects are. Is USC worth 200k for a liberal arts major? absolutely not. SCA? i’d say so.</p>
<p>if you plan on going to grad school afterwards, then i’d say go to a cheaper school because it won’t really matter what undergrad you go to as long as you have a good GPA. If you plan on jumping directly into the job market after you graduate, and USC’s really good for your major, i’d say go there. </p>
<p>you’ll probably get some financial aid through USC, it probably won’t end up being that big of a deal. Maybe at worst case scanario you’ll be in some debt, but it’ll just be like paying off a nice car, which, after you’re done paying it off, you’ll have plenty of money for other things :)</p>
<p>We chose USC over UVA where we were instate and had the pre-paid tuition plan because he was accepted to SCA. Otherwise he probably would have gone to UVA or to UNC where even at the OOS rates it was considerably cheaper.</p>