I was just wondering, if I go out of state for college, what are some ways I can reduce the price of having to pay? I know it’s more pricey, which is why Im hoping for suggestions on how to cut down on the price.
Get outstanding grades and test scores, or find a school that has a reciprocity agreement with your home state. There really isn’t a way to “game the system” to qualify for in-state tuition.
Some states have reciprocity agreements. You can get a big merit aid at some if you qualify. But as @grereninohio said, you will likely pay a lot more than at your in state school, especially if you are aiming for top out of state schools e.g. UCLA, Michigan.
If you live in the Western US, WUE has many western state colleges that will give you reduced tuition. Here is the link: http://www.wiche.edu/wue
Also private schools do not make a distinction between in-state vs OOS applicants for their tuition rates.
Public colleges give in state students a break on tuition because their parents have paid taxes there; they charge OOS students more because their parents haven’t. It would make no sense for them to charge more but then discount that higher rate. They might for a few select students (like those with high SAT scores), but in many cases they don’t. Some colleges give need based aid, but that’s not always a guarantee either.
Try running some of the Net Price Calculators (each college website has one) to get an estimate of how much your family might be expected to pay. If your parents are divorced or own a business they may not be accurate, but otherwise, they’re pretty good. They may show federal grants, college grants, loans, and work study. Students (lower income) who qualify can get roughly $5k/year in federal Pell grants, and undergrads can take out a federal loan each year ($5500, $6500, $7500, $7500). Some schools also give their own grants (based on CR + M SAT scores). Ask your parents how much they can afford to pay per year then start searching for schools within those parameters.
Private schools and select publics don’t charge OOS tuition rates. At some schools, they will reduce the tuition close to or equal to instate tuition for OOS students with exceptional stats, and may or may not give additional scholarships as well. It all depends on the school, so do your research. Also, it’s worth noting that you can avoid OOS tuition by becoming a resident of the state in which you plan to attend college. This is a lengthy process though; you likely have to live and work in the state for one or more years without attending an institution of higher learning. Check individual state laws if you’re interested in that route.
I would highly recommend the reciprocity agreement route if applicable to your situation. I myself will be taking advantage of reciprocity tuition.
Getting residency isn’t as easy as it used to be. Some states require students to have lived there and been self supporting for a year or more. Most teens can’t move to another state, get a job and apartment, and be entirely self supporting, yet that’s what some states require. And living there while you attend school doesn’t count. But check the requirements of each school to be sure because some states are more lenient than others.
Any chance a parent is military or retired/out now? If so you can go the Yellow Ribbon School route and get in state tuition or use obama’s new allowance from the vet bill that passed last Fall. In state tuition at all publics that receive GI Bill money. Starts Fall2015
Look at the pinned threads in the Financial Aid forum for some low price schools (though they tend to be in the white north area). Otherwise you need to have top scores and grades to get any kind of tuition break.
Some states like Missouri, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah make it easy to get in state tuition, especially if you’re willing to defer college for a year and get a full time job in the state. Check the residency requirements. Some regional schools also give in state tuition to almost anyone. For instance, the University of Louisiana - Lafayette gives in state tuition to any applicant with SAT/ACT scores slightly higher than the national average and a 2.5 GPA.
Public colleges tend to be generous with granting credits for AP exams (we found several that give 16 credits for a 5 in a foreign language, and it really pays to shop around as the credits granted by colleges varies greatly) and they usually are great at accepting community college classes … even online classes. Load up on AP classes and take as many community college classes as u can and u can reduce college costs drastically. Beware that some colleges won’t accept comm college classes if they are used for high school credit.
Also , huge out of d at Texas tech, Alabama, Mississippi, West Va U, Suth FloOklahoma State if ur ACT/SAT are decent. Publics in South Dakota and Minnesota are cheap even for out of starters.
Also be a dorm resident assistant after ur first year.
Thank you! I will definitely use the net price calculator. I guess I should’ve mentioned the school I want to go to is Virginia Tech, and I live in MD.
Thank you for your feedback!
Thank you! Im trying to go to Virginia Tech though, and I currently live in MD.
Thank you so much!
I don’t think you will be getting instate tuition to attend Virginia Tech. Perhaps they have some merit awards for OOS students, but that is not going to cover the cost for you to go there.
Do you have excellent SAT or ACT scores, and a great GPA? If so, University of Alabama would give you a decent merit award…and it’s OOS for you.
I do have to ask…what is wrong with UMD-CP? It’s a great school!
Yeah VT offers a lot of scholarships I qualify for (8) and Im hoping that I get some money. My GPA weighted is a 4.1, and a 3.6 unweighted. My SAT wasn’t as great as Id wished. I got a 1500/2400. And UMD CP denied me…so I began looking out of state as VT is my second choice that Im waiting to hear back from. Im also involved in a bunch of extracurriculars and community service programs like National Honor Society, SGA (currently student body secretary), and etc programs/volunteer oppurtunities in my community.