Recession forces 1 in 6 HS seniors to change college plans, surveys find

Parents Forum
1

<p>From today's Chronicle of Higher Education, a report on two new survey of HS seniors and guidance counselors found that the ailing economy had caused 1 in 6 collegebound seniors to change their college plans, with more opting for public universities, community colleges, and commuter schools close to home:</p>

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Will the Economy Really Change Students' College Plans? Early Signs Say Yes</p>

<p>By BECKIE SUPIANO and ERIC HOOVER</p>

<p>High-school seniors have only until May 1 to decide where they will go to college. While it is still too soon to tell if widespread predictions that seniors will flock to lower-cost institutions were accurate, two new surveys and conversations with guidance counselors suggest that the economic situation is indeed playing a large role in students' decisions.
A new student survey found that the recession has caused one in six collegebound students to change their college plans. The effects were most pronounced among lower-income students: Twenty-nine percent of students from families with household incomes of $40,000 or less said their college plans had changed, compared with 16 percent of those from middle-income families (between $40,000 and $100,000) and 10 percent of high-income families (more than $100,000).</p>

<p>The survey, conducted by the College Board and the Art & Science Group, a higher-education consulting firm, was based on the responses of a random national sample of high-school seniors who registered for the SAT. A total of 971 students responded to the survey between February 11 and March 3.</p>

<p>As a result of the tough economy, 41 percent of the respondents said they were more seriously considering a public university or college close to home.</p>

<p>A number of high-school counselors say that more of their students applied to public institutions. "Throughout the year, I have seen more high-ability students seriously looking at public universities, rather than 'I just want this as my backup just in case,'" said Scott R. Anderson, director of college guidance at St. George's Independent School, in Collierville, Tenn.</p>

<p>Lawrence V. Fisher, director of guidance at East Grand Rapids High School, a public school in Michigan, said that about 35 percent to 38 percent of his students usually go to college out of state. He expects that to drop to about 30 percent to 32 percent this year as families focus on affordability.</p>

<p>Other high schools have long seen most of their students apply to at least one public institution, and many plan on attending one all along. Minnetonka High School, a public school in Minnesota, has always sent many of its students to public institutions, and its college counselor, Phil Trout, doesn't expect to see a big change.</p>

<p>The Lure of Lower-Cost Options</p>

<p>Students are pursuing other lower-cost alternatives as well. Fifteen percent of survey respondents said they had given much more thought to attending a community college or other two-year institution. Mr. Fisher, in hard-hit Michigan, has seen the proportion of his students choosing community colleges grow for years. Before 2002, no more than 10 percent of seniors enrolled in community colleges, but in the years since, that proportion has grown into the midteens.</p>

<p>About 21 percent of survey respondents said they were thinking much more seriously about living at home and commuting to college. And 28 percent said they were giving much more thought to colleges with reputations for granting large financial-aid awards.

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2

<p>Really? Well, i guess thats just showing the times that the economy is in.</p>

3

<p>We were considering all of these 2 years before recession. Did not see reason to spend much $$ on UG.</p>

4

<p>I’m surprised it’s only 1 in 6. I really thought it would be more. Frankly, I think if the recession continues (as I expect it to), kids who didn’t change their plans this year might find themselves changing them mid-stream, which is unfortunate.</p>

<p>My D (who is not a senior and is not choosing a college this year) goes to a top rated public school in an affluent area. She knows a lot of kids who are at the top of the senior class, and most of them did not get into their dream schools. Rather than heading off to the next tier private school, as they might otherwise have done, a lot of these kids are choosing the honors program at the state flagship or an OOS public. I guess that choice is easier to make if your dream school isn’t an option.</p>

5

<p>I have a hunch it is greater than 1 out of 6. I know kids who told their hs GCs that they were matriculating to a 4 year, got their deposit in, and then the bill came. They never showed up. That was 3 and 4 years ago, so before the economic downturn. I think that some people will face the reality of future loans (that keep growing in size) without jobs to pay them off at the end of 4+ years. Reality will set in for more than the 1 out of 6.</p>

6

<p>UMass got so many applications this year that as of yesterday (April 19) some kids STILL had not heard whether they were being admitted or not. Supposedly they got over 40,000 applications. A mom I’m friends with told me she called UMass admissions Friday (4/17) and was told a bunch of letters were going out and the website was being updated this weekend, but her son’s status was still “Under Review” as of Sunday.</p>

<p>And yet decisions are still due May 1…</p>

<p>I would say this is definitely related to the economy. A lot of families who would never have considered public univs are taking a hard look at costs and benefits, and I think it’s very reasonable. I also think a lot of mid-level kids who assumed they were shoo-ins for State U probably got a shock when the rejection notice arrived, courtesy of all the high achievers who decided to downsize their tuition bills.</p>

7

<p>A parent of senior at our HS said the local community college has closed admissions, THAT has never happened.</p>

<p>Bet is way more than one in six. The other 3-4 out of six had already made the decision not to swallow the loan hype.</p>

8

<p>Many of my students are seniors, and I know that money is a driving force in their decisions. One student just returned from visiting schools on the West Coast. She liked the schools, but not enough to take out a $20,000 loan each year. She will stay in state. Another girl told me she really wanted to visit a school in the deep south – it was a good fit for her. Again, she is staying in state, because the private school that offered her admission also gave some scholarship money. One young man told me that he and his parents agreed to the loans, but he really does not like taking out $22,000 a year. But the engineering program that interests him the most is not available in our state, so he must go elsewhere. My son got into six schools – two with full tuition and three others with nice scholarship offers. He decided on one of those two schools with full tuition and board for four years. There would be little or no debt and that school really has shown so much interest in him with its excellent honors program.</p>

<p>So, maybe their numbers are off – at least from my world.</p>

9

<p>^ I think you need to take the 1 in 6 with a grain of salt. That statistic refers to the percentage of HS seniors who had ALREADY definitely decided to change their plans in light of the economy at the time the survey was taken. But it also says that 41% are “more seriously considering” an in-state public or a college closer to home for financial reasons. Now that they have the acceptances and the FA offers they’re getting out the sharp pencils and deciding what’s realistic in light of today’s economy. I suspect the 1 in 6 will be significantly higher by the time all the dust settles.</p>

10

<p>"She knows a lot of kids who are at the top of the senior class, and most of them did not get into their dream schools. Rather than heading off to the next tier private school, as they might otherwise have done, a lot of these kids are choosing the honors program at the state " - that is exactly what D did 2 years ago. Graduated #1 in her HS class from private HS and is fine, having very challenging classes with tons of opportunities being a star student in her Honors at state public,…and we are paying about 1/3 (including R&B) of what we have been paying for her private HS. People completely underestimate opportunities in these in-state public colleges. D never applied to any elite schools and got huge Merit scholarships at every school she applied, including one very expensive private.</p>