<p>I know almost every college information site posts the in state/ out of state tuition cost and cal poly says that it costs an extra $226 per unit but I was wondering if anyone on here is a current cal poly student or knows one and what each quarter costs because it seems that many of those sites are not accurate, and it doesn’t help that Cal Poly has not posted the 2008/2009 costs.</p>
<p>By unit do they mean each class you take or the credits that make up each class that you take?</p>
<p>Financial concerns is the only thing holding me back from hitting the acceptance button, so any insight would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>The credits. The premium on a 4 unit course is (4*226) or $904. 14 unit average load is $3164. Tuition on the other hand seems to be partime/fulltime and is about $2,800 per quarter. Expect a rate hike because California is going broke.</p>
<p>That is correct. You pay the regular tuition quarterly fee (varies per college but something around $2000) PLUS $226 per unit. Most general ed and major classes are 3 or 4 units (or credits). Most kids take four or five classes per quarter. Remember too that there are three quarters per school year.</p>
<p>So.....for out of state students this works out to about $13,000 - $14,000 for tuition per year.</p>
<p>But we were surprised when we went to the out-of-state reception at orientation and they told us how to get in-state residency! It's not easy - lots of hoops and hurdles to get through, but they said that by junior year a lot of out-of-state students have fulfilled the requirements. Why not? It saves about $10,000 a year!</p>
<p>Yes, we too are interested in our S becoming a CA resident. It is unclear what it takes. There is an objective list: perm CA address, bank, CA drivers license, vote, state taxes, etc. They'd like you to be financially independent, but it is not required. Then there is the subjective list: document every time you left the state in the last year. From this they decide your intent. If you live in on campus your freshman year, are you hosed when you have to leave during breaks when they close the dorms? If you leave the state for a summer job after your freshman year, do you lose your chance at residency?</p>
<p>Can I just say that I find it more than a little irritating that oos parents try to figure a way around the system so that they don't have to pay OOS tuition. My taxes and those of my neighbors have been paying for the upkeep, staff, faculty and physical plant of the UC and CSU campuses since they opened. As an OOS student/parent you aren't entitled to the same COA as a a resident because you haven't been paying into the pot. That's all.</p>
<p>Yes, we have a wonderful public university system here and you guys who want to take advantage of it without paying your fair share remind me of the roomates in college who ate my food, used my shampoo then moved out without paying your share for the final utility bill.</p>
<p>Don't assume that just because one comes from OOS that they are trying to game the system. Consider that we might just want to understand the rules and live within them. If an OOS student decides to become a resident in the state where they will be living for 4-5 years of college, pay taxes, vote, be a member of the local community, etc., why shouldn't they be able to? My first job out of college was in CA, but lasted only two years before moving OOS for employment. Was my desire to become a resident any less genuine than my son's? As I recall, I didn't have the choice. When I established a residence, I had to get a CA drivers license, car tabs, pay taxes. I couldn't wait a year to do those things. I was considered a resident much sooner for those purposes than if I had been a college student.</p>
<p>It's been months since I checked this but just thought that I would reply to History MOm's comments about mooching oos students and parents. We're oos and our son is a second year there now (by the way our older son went to college in Boston and now lives and WORKS in the Bay area for a very well known tech company and HE pays lots of CA taxes...but that's beside the point).
Our son applied to a selective major there at CP (as well as at many other OOS colleges). CP was not on the top of the list until we went to open house where he fell in love with the town, beach, and pretty girls :). He was also impressed that the dept actually WANTED him by being pretty persuasive at the open house (he hadn't yet decided). CP was the ONLY school where he was NOT offered a scholarship as well. I thought that paying oOOS tuition (each quarter we pay the fees that you pay PLUS $226 per credit which amounts to about $5000 per quarter) was reasonable - plus room & board of course. We were surprised when CP STAFF talked at an OOS parents about "How to qualify for in-state tuition by meeting in-state residency requirements". They were very open and matter-of-fact about it. We paid OOS tuition all of last year. And we are this year as well. But our HOPE is that by next year, he can qualify for IN-State tuition for his remaining two (or three!) years and here's why:
1) will save us money even though we'll still be paying plenty (duh!)
2) He has a YEAR ROUND LEASE in Mustang Village (required) and so plans to stay through the summer to WORK (and pays CA taxes) and possibly take classes part-time. So we'll be paying that rent whether he's there or here.
3) HIs department is now telling him that it will take him AT LEAST FIVE years to complete the program (this wasn't mentioned at the open house!) which significantly raises our college costs.
4) He loves California and wants to live there now and forever. He wants to live near his brother in the Bay area.
5) **California students CAN ATTEND OUR STATE UNIVERSITIES at a discounted rate because we are a WUE Scholarship state - a bit irritating since most of the UC's and CSU's do not reciprocate with the WUE program for OUR students (including our son!)
6) One of our son's room mates is from Nevada and has ALREADY achieved in state residency by his sophomore year! We were surprised (and feel a bit slacking!) How did he and his family do it so fast?
7) Each quarter we pay $1600 fee PLUS $226 extra PER CREDIT which means that each single class makes a difference. Our son typically takes 14 or 15 credits per quarter - but his CA friends can take up to 22 credits for the same price ($1600 fee). At this rate it will definitely take him an extra year (or more?) to graduate and if he's living there year-round (as leases require) AND working and paying taxes......why should he be able to pay in-state rates??</p>
<p>Just saying.....I understand your frustrations, but we have our's too!</p>