Hello! I’m a bit new to this site but I am looking for any advice. I was accepted to both ramapo and rutgers, and they seem to be the biggest contenders currently for a number of circumstances.
I recently got my financial aid letter back from rutgers. the cost would be abt 30k per year. Ramapo gave the presidential scholarship which would cover the tuition and all other expenses for all four years. I like both schools academically, but it does concern me that ramapo is considered to have less of a reputation. not that reps matter much to me, i still love ramapo and find it a respectable school, but i’ve heard that a degree from rutgers makes it easier to get a job as they are more reputable and well-known. however, going to rutgers will leave me in considerable debt. my parents r not financially stable and cannot afford to support me much, leaving most of the cost on me.
if anybody could help me in helping me understand my financial situation right now, it would be much appreciated. i would rlly appreciate any further advice!!
TCNJ is also a huge contender, i did get accepted, but i am still waiting to hear back about financial aid.
boost !
It depends to some extent on what you think you’ll major in. Ramapo has great nursing, social work and teaching programs but I think they only have engineering physics, not a full scale engineering program. They also have smaller classes and a more cohesive campus. But, Rutgers has more name recognition and programs, such as supply chain management, that Ramapo doesn’t offer.
But, the bigger issue is that there is pretty much no way you can pay $30k per year by yourself. You can only borrow $5500 per year (to start). Where will the rest of the money come from?
i would wait for tcnj and if that is around half of what rutgers is, I would go with that
@samphil098 @HMom16 thanks for ur input! i am undecided major-wise btw, and was accepted rutgers new brunswick school of arts and sciences
I would take Ramapo for free. If TCNJ comes back with an awesome deal, I would consider them. You would need a co-signer to borrow enough for Rutgers, and I don’t believe it’s worth taking on $120k in debt when you have a free option. If you plan to stay around NJ, Ramapo has a fine reputation.
TCNJ and Ramapo are also night and day compared to Rutgers with its buses and lecture hall classes. If you’re undecided, there’s also the prospect of potential grad school. Save your money.
What would your major be?
When do you hear from TCNJ wrt financial aid?
It sounds like Ramapo would be the most affordable. Would you need to take any loan? The Federal loans?