The OP was accepted with some merit at UA, and also at UMN. But neither of those schools are still on her list.
Neither of those schools are a good deal anyway, for her.
So, OP, of the two schools presumably left, which do you prefer? And which is cheaper?
Red poodles. I believe both were less costly than NU.
Of the four:
Northwestern
Florida
SUNY Albany
SUNY Stony Brook
OP says NU is more expensive, but Mom is willing to pay (for some reason, who cares why?).
If NU and UF are the two frontrunners, and Mom is okay with that, I’d say:
- pick UF over NU for weather (SNOW near Chicago, UF much more pleasant except for an occasional hurricane scare) and more relaxed student body (wearing shorts will do that to you!)
- pick NU over UF for better academics (YMMV, you may want to double-check for your specific major)
- do NOT care about the money difference between NU and UF if Mom is on board with either - if you are 99.9999% sure that your family has the money, let her spend a bit more if she likes NU
- and distance is pretty much a wash
Both are pretty diverse IMHO, both are excellent (but again, Northwestern does have a better rep).
I think they are excellent choices, and if the two SUNYs just seem too close to home, that’s a fine reason to rule them out. They are much more like “branch” colleges than UF or Northwestern.
Good luck and I hope in the fall this agita is just a bad memory.
I believe the OP was accepted at Medill, one of the top journalism schools in the country…at NU.
But of her final choices…NU is the most costly now…well over $30,000 a year. And when her sibling graduates, the price will be $70,000.
Maybe the vacation money can be used for college, that would be $40,000 in four years? Also I don’t know the situation with the relative the parents are supporting, but could they maybe move into the family home?
If the parents decide for the more expensive schools they might have to put off retirement.
@thumper1 yes, but they aren’t less costly than several of her other schools and they are not discounted enough or prestigious enough that going to them would be worth it for the cost she’d have to pay. NU is a different animal than all of these other schools and can not be put into the same category as UA. It’s the tiger where the others are the common tabby cats. You can get a tabby cat almost anywhere for a nominal fee. The tiger is difficult to procure and expensive to maintain. It’s special. The question is, is it worth it?
Also, why is everyone thinking NU will cost 70K in two years? That simply isn’t so, given her parents WANT TO RETIRE in two years. The cost will likely go DOWN, especially in the 4th year!
No redpoodles, the question is…can and will the family pay for NU.
rhandco, OP said she “overheard a conversation” that led her to believe her parents will now pay for her expensive choices and put NU on her screen homepage or something. That is NOT an indication that the parents will pay. It’s just more wishful thinking. As far as I can tell, there has still not been a “sit down” in which the parents have outlined what they’re willing to do. OP really needs a plan B,C and D with this situation, and I don’t mean hoping parents retire in 2 years and agree to pay for her vs. her sibling. It has the smell of real disaster come May 1.
I also missed the post where mom agreed to pay. Just being ok with going out of state doesn’t add up to willing to pay. All anyone can say is she has x days to find out.
And no one knows that retirement income will drop into finaid land.
Sseamom, I think NU is on her “vision board.” That’s more like a place to peg hopes, a wish list of sorts.
The OP herself posted on her other thread (the one asking if she should ask grandpa for money), that her cost in two years would go up to $70,000. I did not make that up.
I believe we can make UF work, and but my mom really likes NU and so do I, so we are appealing the aid. By her saying it was down to those two schools, I can deduce that at the very least, she is willing to pay for UF. My FA package came in, so she knows exactly how much it costs.
My EFC could be $70,000 in two years but I don’t know that for a fact. Situations change. That’s why I’m meeting with the financial aid office on Monday. There isn’t going to be a “disaster” on May 1st or in 2 years and I’m sorry if I made it seem like it would be. Yes, it is important to plan ahead, but I can only plan for the future once I get a clearer idea of the future after meeting with the FA office.
@albert69 UF is cheaper. They gave me a scholarship. As for preference, if these schools were free, I honestly don’t know where I would go.
Calicash. Just be prepared. The financial aid office is not going to give you a hard and fast number for subsequent years. They might say that your aid will remain the same IF your financial circumstances don’t change.
But they are not going to guarantee you need based aid for subsequent years…because need based aid is applied for annually and is awarded based on the data for that year.
And NU doesn’t give merit aid.
Also, make sure you ask this question. It’s an important one!
“If you adjust my need based aid this year, will you make the same adjustment in subsequent years if I need it.”
Point being…it’s not all that helpful to get a lot of extra money for this coming year of you will never see extra money again.
@thumper1 That’s a very good question to ask. Thanks!
dele
Cali I suggest you make a rough budget for college to share with your parents.
First year:
Sheets (usually x-long)
Comforter or Duvet
Towels
Bath robe
Shower shoes
Shower Caddy
Hamper
Mini Fridge (included, rent, or buy)
Small emergency medical kit (thermometer, band-aids, pain killers, cough syrup, etc)
Ongoing:
Summer storage (we pay $200 but this probably varies by school)
Sport tickets (free at NU for football)
Laundry (we paid $8 per week for self service, again ymmv)
Possible:
Laptop
Storage bins
Fan
Incidentals:
Meals when the dining hall is closed
Greek dues
Fun
It’s possible to minimize some of the first year items if you have extras at home.
I don’t know why I couldn’t find a find a college budget on CC. Maybe someone can help.
^FWIW my D probably spends $10/month on laundry. We bought a minifridge off craigslist and already had half the sheets/blankets. She took old towels from home. Her job (work-study) pay is what she uses for snacks, fun, laundry, toiletries, and books. She has to budget that herself. Last semester it was about $25/week and she managed. The only cost outside the school’s COA was the health insurance. (School budgeted $1900 for books, snacks, fun, laundry, etc.)
Stacey…I was going to write the same thing. All linen shopping happened FIRST in our linen closet.
Re summer storage, our kid shared a storage unit with three friends. Plenty of space for about $60 for the summer. They had to schlep their own stuff, but did so.