<p>parking was a nightmare at MSC in 68, MSU in 85, and now. they keep expanding the enrollment without the dorms or parking to cover it. </p>
<p>I could not remove my DD as a driver under our insurance, even though she's driven perhaps 5 times per year for four years. Once was out to Aspen and back but otherwise just quick trips in town when she was home. grrrrr.</p>
<p>You might want to consider investigating another insurance company. We had one insurance company for over 20 years, but we switched when we got our bill after our son was licensed. We nearly fell over. They wanted over 6500/year for 3 licensed drivers with 2 cars! We saved a bundle on premiums by switching.</p>
<p>about the fee increases for various things, northeastmom...I had a parent just yesterday tell me her son graduates from Stockton this May. On top of a $150 gown fee, there's a $400 graduation fee! I think that's an awful lot of money...even my son's expensive private U had no "graduation fee".</p>
<p>
[quote]
$150 gown fee
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Is it cashmere?</p>
<p>janesmom, and it will only get worse. Housing is not affordable in our area for a young family. Mostly the middle aged and elderly are left. There are a few young families moving in, but not many. Illegals are taking a bite out of the system. Also, you are right medicaid is eating up the tax dollar. The elderly need to go somewhere. Nursing home are running more than $250/day. After resources are eaten up, you know who is paying that bill too.</p>
<p>2331, That is ridiculous. So now it costs $550 to shake hands and get a diploma! My son paid $150 for an orientation WEEK at the public he attends OOS. Lets see, $150 for a week (don't recall if meals were included),including a hot shower, organized activities (including giveaways-ie:tshirts, keychains etc.) and paid staff for each day, vs. $550 for an afternoon.....hmmm.....</p>
<p>What I found strange is that last fall Rutgers sent my son (in NY) a mailing offering him 5K a year as an out of state student to attend Rutgers, in which he was not interested. If I recall correctly, this was available to any OOS student with certain (not terribly high, I think it was a B average) stats.</p>
<p>So on the one hand they're trying to attract OOS talent, while on the other they're sticking it to their own residents. Not cool.</p>
<p>I think the dread U.S. News rankings include brownie points for % of oos. So the more they recruit them, the better the ranking.</p>
<p>Whoa, just one moment.
Like many posters here, were are longtime New Jersey middle class residents.
Two public school educated kids, two working adults, an astronomical property tax bill, and a mortgage we MIGHT get to pay off in time for retirement. Not many vacations (fancy or not), just happy when we can pay all our bills.</p>
<p>I agree that compared to other states, NJ publics are expensive. But they are still great choices for many NJ students. Our son's choices included a music conservatory (45K/year, with small scholarship), another conservatory within a U (32K after scholarship) or two NJ schools at full price (about 19K).
He spent two years at TCNJ and will finish at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers. Perhaps he will pursue graduate studies later. For him and us the NJ state schools provide an affordable alternative.
Everyone's mileage will vary.</p>
<p>I realize you all are jumping down my throats about me saying "new jersey is wealthy." Well excuse me, but it is the wealthiest state in the country. I don't mean that everyone in New Jersey is going to aspen.</p>
<p>Also, for those of you complaining about your property taxes you have to think like this. If you live in a town like glen ridge or short hills, and pay 12,000-18,000 in property taxes (i know my parents is in that range), you go to glen ridge high school/milburne high school so you can get into great colleges. Its a waste to live in glen ridge/short hills/milburne, go to the high school, and then end up at rutgers - you could have lived in another town with half the property taxes and gone to rutgers. That $12,000 in property taxes essentially is cheap tuition to attend a PUBLIC high school where you have better college placement than the vast majority of PRIVATE high schools. I know for a fact there are plenty of families who live in those towns (if they can afford it that is) just so their kids can benefit from the school system. once they graduate from high school they move.</p>
<p>Now if you have a problem with that fine - move to a less expensive area. Although I usually find its the people on the upper end of the income spectrum who complain about this type of stuff. I do feel bad for people who live in towns like Irvington and Belleville where they are just getting by. But remember, even if your parents are just public elementary school teachers in Jersey, by the time they have college aged kids, together they're making over $120,000 a year - not exactly doing poorly.</p>
<p>I agree that TCNJ is a great option, but we only had one kid from our HS who could gain admission in my son's graduating class (and as I said, it required additional work from our GC to even get him admitted). I don't find Rutgers to be wonderful choice for many students.</p>
<p>
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That $12,000 in property taxes essentially is cheap tuition to attend a PUBLIC high school where you have better college placement than the vast majority of PRIVATE high schools.
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</p>
<p>Tell that to the taxpayer who is often voting down the school budget. Also, I don't know that a public hs has better college placement than the vast majority of private hss. I think that there are private preps that are feeders for top tier schools though.</p>
<p>jag, $12grand+ in property taxes isn't just for the Glen Ridge quality towns & school systems.</p>
<p>Keep in mind too that you don't stop paying those property taxes when your kids are out of school--and for people who dont' have kids in the system for one reason or another it is a huge tax burden. And as others have noted, $12,000 is nowhere near the upper limits even for towns that are from truly wealthy. </p>
<p>I suspect a nice house in Glen Ridge is going to run a lot more than $12,000 in annual taxes--it certainly would in other Essex County towns such as Montclair and South Orange. Some of the best Essex County districts--Millburn and Livingston--actually get a lot of tax money from their malls, so homeowners get a relatively better deal AND better schools. </p>
<p>There is no way around it; a lot of people in New Jersey are paying a lot for not as much as they would be getting for less elsewhere, but just can't leave at the moment.</p>
<p>Just wanted to mention to everyone that this cut to the OSRP isn't really as significant as last year's. Last year they cut so that they wouldn't offer the full scholarships. However, at least Rutgers and TCNJ are footing the bill now to continue to attract the brightest students (1500 and top 5%), but without the state paying. I don't see Rutgers and TCNJ changing their scholarship programs much because of this. </p>
<p>And for all parents who are saying they don't care so much for Rutgers, I would try to get more facts about it. Mainly only intro classes are large lectures, not any different than any other university... remember, a lecture for 500 students is really just the same as a lecture for 150. Once you start taking upper level classes, class size plummets. If you have any questions about what it's like being at Rutgers (I chose it over places like Hopkins, UVa, and Northwestern because of the full scholarship I was offered), you can ask me. I'm not saying its for everybody, but honestly mostly everyone at Rutgers is happy with it... it offers something for everyone.</p>