I am from California and I was recently admitted into the Biomed Engineering major at UT. UT has been a top choice of mine and after I received my admission, I was ecstatic. However, after looking at the tuition rates for out-of-state students, I’m beginning to question if UT is worth the loans I would definitely have to take out if I were to attend. My parents unfortunately can’t pay for the OOS tuition and if I’d really like to keep myself loan-free. That being said, is there anyone willing to share their experiences as an OOS student attending UT and tell me if UT was worth the cost?
Wow talk about an embarrassment of riches! You have the best university system in the country but were admitted to UT-another amazing system. Wow! I don’t know if it is worth it to turn down the California system but Austin is amazing too. You can see why NYers might be envious!
Just because you dislike the SUNY system, lostaccount, it doesn’t mean that all New Yorkers do.
@inglebert, Congratulations on your acceptance. However, you should be aware that you can only borrow ~$5500/year. If your parents can’t afford the net cost of an OOS college, attend a school in California. Did you apply to any affordable options?
Biomed is not exactly engineering, and it is still more research and less mass production, so it often requires graduate school. It is changing slowly, but most likely will still be more research in 4 years.
Consider money spent on graduate school.
@lostaccount Believe me, the UC system is even higher a priority than UT but I’ve been researching UT for the past few months and I’ve fell in love with the culture, the location, and the school as a whole.
@austinmshauri Thank you! Yes, I have applied to a ton of more affordable schools, but I really want to keep UT as an option. Do you know if UT gives any financial aid to OOS applicants?
You can pay in-state tuition(except for the first semester; maybe the 2nd semester if u choose to be ignorant…lol) if you help the Professor with stuff, or if u file a waiver or something… But I am sure there is provision to allow you to pay in-state tuition as long as you do SOMETHING(in-state, so I forgot) with the professor(I know it’s like a job or something)…
Well UT’s campus is in the downtown; when I went there for the Turing Reception a week ago, I was attracted to Austin’s life… You’ll probably love it!
@inglebert, I thought there was a scholarship (~$1,000) that came with an OOS tuition waiver. Maybe I’m confusing which school offers it, so check the college website to verify it.
@peanut10, that is NOT accurate. It is VERY HARD to get in-state tuition as an OOS student. My son did it back in 2011, after a LOT of work on our part, but they have tightened up the rules. Back then, he just needed his name on real estate title, and we had relatives who were willing to put him on their deed. But now you have to LIVE in the property. The OP could contact the residency people at UT for details. They are willing to help - they don’t mind if it people try for in-state tuition. But it’s a long shot now.
I believe that other schools in the Texas system WILL give you a waiver if you get more than a $1,000 scholarship from the school. That DOES NOT APPLY to UT-Austin.
I was told that Cockrell has 7 or 8 tuition waivers for EVERYONE, freshmen through seniors. You’d have to be one of the very best students in the country to get one.
@inglebert Are you also aware that the great state of Texas will permit concealed weapons on campus – in classrooms and other public spaces – at Texas public colleges including UT beginning this summer? I’m not a fan of SUNY either, but students, staff and visitors with concealed weapons at least aren’t welcome!
@MaineLonghorn I did call UT and yes, you’re correct in that they have very few tuition waivers available for students. Furthermore,( @austinmshauri ) I learned that to be eligible for an OOS tuition waiver, you must have earned at least $1,000 in scholarships specifically from UT.
@GMTplus7 I’m aware of the fact that biomed isn’t the best engineering major so I have been thinking about switching to chemE.
Yes, I am aware of that @higheredmom and it does raise my eyebrows but does not worry me very much.
you can in state tuition after one year if you have an off campus job 20 hours a week, get a drivers license, establish residency, and a few other hoops. Or you can buy a house…Many students do it, the office of residency is very helpful, and with a little creativity it is done with frequency
Peanut, you are correct. 4 Kids from our town have done it in last three years. While it was easier when Maine longhorns child went there(My daughter got it in the same era), it is still very doable today. It got a little harder to buy a house. The job loophole is doable. Many kids don’t even work. Parents hire a temp agency and have their kids employed thru agency for 20 hours a week. They pay them 20 hours at 10 dollars an hour. The agency charges about 30 dollars a week to process the payroll. Since there is no state income, it yields most of your money back…Then you use that money from payroll agency to lay instate tuition. The kid shows he is supporting 50% of his costs, and you get instate. They don’t even live there in the summer. Just have payroll processed…It is the best deal in education if you get instate…
It depends how easy is engineering for you.
Job on campus is much better option than off campus. UT goes around your schedule and you can do homework in the office. http://www.hirealonghorn.org/
Concealed carry will only make the campus safer, so don’t let that worry you at all. The ‘active shooter’ situations exist because the bad guys know they will have no opposition. If someone really wanted to shoot someone, why would a law against carrying the gun stop them.
The ‘job’ loophole above is not legal. Do it at your own peril. Just because some people get away with speeding, doesn’t mean you will not get caught. It is a form of fraud and a felony.
As a resident Texan, I am not a big fan of UT, per se, but they do have a great school. In your case, the UC system is probably better given the financials. UCB and UCLA are really the only UC schools that are in the same league with UT academically…though some others are getting better. If either of those schools accepted you, go for them.
Some kids would just like to change the vibe and not go to school in their own state. UT and Austin are fabulous places to do that for ambitious students who like tech and music, and whatever else they can imagine. The city itself is a destination city, one of the top places to work, live and play in the USA. If the COA is similar to in-state or you can get some scholarship, it’s not why. Rather…why not?