<p>I am looking for a college where someone who is on a very tight budget can afford and be commuting from home. Any sizeable city should have that available. $15K is too much tuition to pay. Can’t do it with just a Stafford. Even a PELL and a STafford leaves you empty. It’s really not asking a whole lot, in y opinion. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about the Promise program as I am not in PA. Do student automatically get the funds like Bright Futures or Hope? I do have a friend whose 2 kids went to Pitt, and it was a rough go for them, even commuting. The family was low income but the little bit of PELL and the loans did not come close to covering the costs and they got very little financial aid from Pitt though one was an excellent student who graduated summa cum laude. They commuted, parking at a park and ride some distance from the University because the parking was too expensive in Oakland. It was tough go. They were amazed at how inexpensive NY tuition was. For them, Pitt was the closest state 4 year school–one went to CCAC for classes the first year and transferred, saving some money. Both kids owe maximum Staffords, going to Pitt.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Promise funds are guaranteed to anyone, but there is one other requirement, the student must have attended grades 9-12 at a city school. No moving in after the fact. I think they get $5K per year, but it can go up or down depending on funds. The money comes from UPMC and other corporations.</p>
<p>Anyway, Pitt and Penn State are a rough go for everyone, because they don’t meet need and the in-state rates are high. Pitt has a very very few Chancellor scholarships, but most merit aid goes out of state. It sounds like your friends really wanted to go to Pitt. I must tell you that Robert Morris and Carlow, both local private colleges, offer generous aid to excellent students and the cost would have been less than Pitt. But some local high school students turn up their nose; fine, their choice. Also, many city kids go to a state-owned school like Cal U or IUP, and they are more affordable than Pitt if you look at the whole picture. Pitt is not really a “state school” it is “state related”.</p>
<p>They were not merit aid material. They applied to a number of schools and even with a bit of aid and merit, the travel, living at the school, OOS charges, private school premium, made Pitt the cheapest option for a 4 year degree. If there were a 4 year state school within the same distance or any college that made the cost lower, they would have taken it. </p>
<p>When one lives out in the boonies, it is a risk that there are no state colleges or any colleges around. When you live a a major US city, you kinda think there would be. </p>
<p>I don’t know if Pittsburgh is the only city that has that issue. I know Boston, Chicago, , Cleveland, NYC have inexpensive options to get a bachelor’s degree. I don’t know about Philly. Is Temple the only 4 years state school game in town? Hard to believe since Philly is a major, major US city, but I can’t come up with any affordable PA state schools in Philly other than Temple.</p>
<p>Temple is a state-related school, and costs are in line with Pitt and Penn State. If you don’t consider Pitt affordable, Temple would not be affordable.</p>