I am confused by what you just wrote. How much will your parents contribute each year for college?
$6000?
Check out Ohio University. A definite college town with an ABET accredited engineering program where you would be in the upper quarter of their entering class. In addition to comparitively low OOS tuition, they offer OOS scholarships, school scholarships and Russ Engineering scholarships. They definitely have a reputation as a party school (though the school would rather it not have that reputation). It’s quintessential college campus and students who graduate from OU talk about how much they love their time there.
If your parents can pay only $6k/year how are you getting to a $15k/year budget just for tuition? The ~$5500/year federal student loan + $6k from your parents is only $11k. Where’s the other $4k coming from?
If you can raise $15k between your parents, the federal loan, and summer work earnings you still need a college where you can get a grant to cover room and board. Your total budget seems to be about $11k TOTAL, not just for tuition. If that’s true, you need colleges whose total costs (with grants) brings the cost down to $11k. And be careful that the aid packages don’t include the federal loan. That’s already accounted for in the $11k.
Do you know your FAFSA EFC?
I can take out my student loans and private loans under my parents’ names. I just want to keep the amounts down.
So if some school was $15k tuition and $10k room and board then that works for me. That would be $100k for my BS minus $24k from my parents gift. So I would end up with $76k in loans myself.
I was also given the max student loan amount on the FAFSA.
Everyone gets the max student loan on FAFSA ($5500).
Look at Wyoming. You’d pay 150% of instate tuition (about $7k plus fees). R&B is about $8500. You might get other scholarships from the engineering dept. You’d be very close to your $15k for everything.
It gets a B- on Niche.
Remember that more than 50% of kids that start in eng, don’t end with an eng degree. Make sure your uni offers options allow for a change of major without it being a major financial hit. Don’t borrow money against that risk.
The federal student loans are only ~$27k, so you’re talking ~$50k in PLUS loans? The balance will be much more than $50k after you graduate – closer to $110k, not $76k. So your total debt would be ~$143k.
Monthly payments will be over $900/ month just for that loan, and you’ll still have the federal student loan payment to make. What happens if you change majors as many ME majors do? Borrowing your way thru college is risky. How would your parents repay the loan if you can’t? If they can only pay $6k/year for you to attend college, how would they come up with $13k/year to repay a parent loan?
If you can get your ACT to a 31 you may get the OOS tuition waiver from FSU, which would bring your cost down to less than $20,000.
University of Mane at Orono has in-state flagship matches for tuition for OOS students – it has a party scene, the engineering has a coop program and has 11 ABET accredited programs – https://engineering.umaine.edu/
Also orono is a sister city with Bangor, which has an international airport-- that makes it easier to get to.
Where does this stat come from? Every kid I’ve ever known except one (who went to school for 9 credits), from my own school days to now when my kids are in school, who started as engineers graduated as engineers. At my daughter’s STEM school, something like 65% of the graduates are engineers. Some schools don’t even allow students to declare as engineering majors until soph or jr year, so I’d imagine there are fewer ‘drop outs’ at those schools.
I visited both USU and U of U. Utah state won out for me as it is a much less commuter feel school, but I am worried about one thing.
What is the party scene like at USU?
I know they have the Howl, but on the weekends, do they have parties? I do want to party in college but I’m not sure if the heavy LDS influence stops that on and off campus. Obviously it won’t be anything like Tulane.
Thanks for the help!
Texas State has been known as one of the country’s premier party schools. If you get the Presidential scholarship, they will give you a 90-100% tuition scholarship. This includes an in-state tuition waiver if you’re a nonresident. Also check out Alabama and LSU.
The OP wants to major in ME. Texas State does not offer that degree.
As stated earlier, Bama and LSU would be ideal locations for what you are looking for.
And U of Maine at Orono @maroon79
U Mississippi (A+ party score) would probably fit that budget.
But OP wants parties, merit, and mountains. U Utah (A- party score) is probably the best combination of all 3 if he qualifies for merit. If not Wyoming (B+ party score) is a safety.