<p>Hey guys, I'd like to get your input on something. I have three colleges that I'm considering, two of which are offering me in-state tuition + $4000, and one that is offering me a full ride. The two schools offering me in-state tuition are still expensive, though, at about $19,000/$21,000 a year.</p>
<p>The schools are:
University of South Carolina
University of Minnesota
Louisiana Tech</p>
<p>My parents have zero money saved up for my college fund and have already taken out high loans for my sister who is a sophomore at an expensive private college. I really do not want to go to the school offering me the full ride (LA Tech), but I know that in the long run coming out of school with no debt is probably the best scenario. </p>
<p>I guess I'm wondering what you guys think about coming out of college with some debt vs no debt. Would it be stupid to turn down the full ride so that I can attend the college that I want? Were any of you in the same situation and did you regret the decision you made? </p>
<p>Are these the only schools you are considering? What is your home state? I am guessing that your stats are reasonable to get some merit aid. You may need to cast a wider net to get better merit aid. If you share more details - home state, academic interests, and your GPA/SAT/ACT, you could get more targeted help from us. </p>
<p>Whether or not to take on debt is not an easy question to answer - it depends on so many factors. As a student, the limit for a direct student loan is around $5500 per year- or something in that ballpark (others here an give the correct figure). The rest comes from other types of loans, usually co-signed by parents. Looks like the in-state tuition discount (I assume you are OOS for both those schools)+ $4000 is about all the merit aid you’ll be able to ferret out of the other schools. </p>
<p>Do you have any idea of your plans for after college? They affect decisions on the wisdom of borrowing money as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>For example, if you have your heart set on a career that tends toward low salaries, such as teaching or social work, avoiding debt would be a very good idea because it would be difficult to pay back the loans. But if you’re planning a career in business or engineering, where salaries are higher, it’s not as much of a problem.</p>
<p>Another question: Where do your parents live, and would they be willing to let you live with them for a few years after college? If your parents live in an area where there are lots of jobs in your field and if living with them is a realistic choice, you can reduce your expenses and pay off a substantial chunk of your loans in the first few years after college. (But don’t just assume that your parents won’t move. They may have plans you know nothing about.)</p>
<p>You might also think about whether you will want any additional education after your bachelor’s degree. Some types of graduate education allow you to be self-supporting (for example, in most PhD programs, you would work as a teaching or research assistant and not have to pay tuition). But you have to pay for others (such as medical school). If you’re thinking about a graduate/professional program that you would have to pay for, that means borrowing money as a graduate student. If you’re likely to be in that situation, it’s particularly nice not to have any undergraduate debt.</p>
<p>it appears that you may have an ACT 32? If so, there are schools that will give you more money (too bad you didn’t write this earlier, Alabama’s deadline was yesterday)</p>
<p>Based on this small information, I don’t see much difference between these schools besides region. Go for the full ride unless something in your gut is screaming no about that school.</p>
<p>My ACT is a 32 and my GPA is 3.8 W and 4.3 UW. I live in Tennessee. I have also applied to UT Knoxville and University of Alabama (have received the Presidential Scholarship from Bama) but both are still about the same cost as SC and Minnesota. I did not mention them because of the five, they are my bottom two choices. Bama was my top choice until I visited it. I didn’t bother applying to colleges that wouldn’t give me a significant amount of merit aid (as we won’t qualify for any financial aid).</p>
<p>I am not completely positive on what I want to do after college, but as of right now my plan is to major in Econ and minor in Environmental Science/Spanish. It is definitely subject to change, but my major will be business related. I do not plan on attending grad school. </p>
<p>I would love to go to South Carolina, but I don’t exactly want the heavy financial burden that will come with it. I know that my parents will cosign the loans and whatnot, and they are even encouraging me to go there, but I’m hesitant to make a decision. I’ve always been pretty fiscally responsible, so I think I’m just using this thread as a way to vent about not getting to go to the college I want. :P</p>
<p>How do you know how much USC is giving you? Although my daughter got her regular acceptance a few weeks ago, Honors College acceptances and merit scholarships/OOS waivers have not came out yet. </p>
<p>I’m either going to get the McKissick or the Cooper based off of my ACT and SC recalculated GPA. I’m obviously hoping for the Cooper, but the McKissick is only $2000 less, so I’d be very happy with it as well.</p>
<p>Hopefully that pans out. My daughter’s stats put her in line for McNair or Horseshoe, but unfortunately they are not automatic. She really just wants to be accepted to the Honors College. </p>
<p>$5,500 in debt is okay - if you get into USC’s Honors College and you can make it work for $5,500 + summer work + a part time job, then I’d take it over Louisiana Tech as it is a truly exceptional Honors College.
Another issue is: where do you want to work? If in the greater Midwest, then UMN- Twin Cities is a good choice - espcially for someone interested in economics (excellent offerings + Fortune 500 companies galore in the Twin Cities). If in the South, then USC is a good choice; if in the LA-TX-OK region, then LA Tech is a good choice.</p>