I applied to both Rowan and TCNJ and I am expected, between financial aid and scholarships, to be fully paid for. The only difference is, I will actually get about 8k back per year from Rowan, for gas and housing, however I get free housing from my parents so I will basically be able to use that for whatever I need. At TCNJ I will only get about 3k back. Now, is it worth it to give up an extra 5k back to go to TCNJ? I know it is ranked a better school but is it worth that much more.
P.S. Please keep in mind that my education at both schools are fully paid for and the difference is the amount of money I will GET BACK, also I am applying for Marketing.
@TCNJApp Are you sure you will be getting money back? You might not be able to stack financial aid and scholarships to the extent you think you can…
Which awards are you getting back?
If you don’t need to take the federal loans- then don’t.
Yes, they will give me 24k after financial aid, take 14k out for tuition, then give me the rest for books and transport. But transport and books won’t be 10k, so I will have some leftover for extra transport like cars, or really whatever I “need”.
@TCNJApp I am having a hard time following your reasoning. How do you go from getting a 10K merit scholarship (which is what you posted in other threads) to receiving 24K from the school(s)? I am afraid that you are assuming that you will be able to stack a 10K merit scholarship on top of 14K of financial aid even though it is unlikely that you will be able to do so. Have you gotten a written financial offer from the school(s)?
I’d go to TCNJ and experience living on my own. You don’t want to be living znd living on your own for the first time when you finish college. Why make yourself handling both when you don’t have to?
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Does Rowan even allow incoming full-time frosh to commute? And, even if they do, won’t that affect the award?
The Room&board award is only for students who live on campus.
I will say that Marketing sounds like a good fit. Marketers are great at spending OPM.
I am going into marketing to own my own business, not spend others money. Also, yes, I will receive 24k after financial aid, 14 of which will go to tuition than they will give me the rest for books transport etc. Commuting, within 40 miles, has no effect on merit.
@TCNJApp I wish you the best but I am still afraid that you are misunderstanding something. What do you mean by “I will receive 24K after financial aid”? Are you getting 24K in merit rather than 10K as you posted in other threads? If you are getting 14K off the tuition due to need, and 10K in merit, it is unlikely that you will be able to stack. In other words, the most likely outcome is that the 10K merit will be applied first, and then only an extra need-based 4K will be added to that, still topping at 14K.
Until you clarify how you end up with the numbers you posted, I find it hard to make a recommendation.
I do not believe TCNJ awards any merit scholarship (in-state or out) in the amount of $24,000. The average in-state merit award is $2,000.
Can you post what your financial aid package looks like?
I wouldn’t recommend a 40mn commute I you have enough aid to live on campus.
When you are accepted to Rowan, they give you a personalized payment plan, showing all of the money you will receive. It shows the cost of attendance for me, a non-commuter, 28k per year. It says that after my NJTAG and Federal pell grant and 10k or Rowan merit, I will have to pay 4k, or I have 24k of merit and aid. However, at the bottom of the plan, it says, after paying the tuition, I am responsible for paying everything else, house, transport, etc. So after they charge the 14k tuition, they transfer the remaining money to me, so I can pay for those things. So, I will get 10k back for my transport, books, and housing. They estimate high for these things, they say their cost of attendance is 28k, so they will give me the full 24k. I have a cousin who gets a check from TCNJ for 8k at the end of the semester.
The Rowan website seems to suggest that submitting a Mandatory Housing Waiver would change your status from non-commuter to commuter isn’t it?
https://sites.rowan.edu/housing/rates/mandatoryhousingpolicy.html
Can you really get financial assistance computed assuming a non-commuter status if you submit the housing waiver? If yes then I now understand your logic (also assuming you get the max Pell grant and NJTAG award possible for Rowan, and can stack them with your merit). But I would not count on the answer being yes without double-checking with the financial department… Also assume 50 cents per mile for your commuting cost to see if you would really save that much… That adds up quickly.
Clarify with the college.
NJ TAG might only be able to be applied towards tuition.
Pell can cover housing.
If you have $6,000 in Pell, $4,000 in NJTAG, and $14,000 merit, is the merit a tuition scholarship?
They might have to reduce some of the aid, but you might be refunded the Pell Grant if living off campus.
On the FAFSA you need to choose on campus or off campus living, based on what you plan on doing.
Your financial aid award might change based on your living situation.
COA is estimated at around $36,000 at Rowan for 2020/21.
https://sites.rowan.edu/financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/annual-coa-2021.html
I’m guessing that the tuition/fees of around $14,000
will be covered by the TAG and merit, and unless the merit can cover non tuition/fee expenses, you will get refunded about $3k Pell Grant per semester.
I called Rowan they said after the tuition and fees they send you the rest of the money. I said “All of it”, and they confirmed.
But did you tell them you will be a commuting student? That will lower your COA. I had to fill out a housing waiver for my son to live off campus; commuting students have to do the same. Once I did that, my son’s COA was much lower (they did include off campus expenses, but yours would be even lower if you live at home, which is the only other option for freshman and sophomores) and he lost the subsidized portion of the Stafford loan. I think once Rowan knows you are living at home, it will impact the financial aid package you got.
I have already submitted my common app as well as FAFSA that I will be at home.