I’m just wondering as part of their net costs they list Travel Expenses and Miscellaneous costs as things you’d pay for. Is there any current Rutgers NB students here that would know how much you really spend/pay for those, if you’re commuting?
If you’re commuting it depends on how far away you live
They can probably tell you things like how much the parking pass is, but the gas and maintenance is going to vary by how far you drive and the price of gas that week.
And with RU NB plan on some parking tickets as well. RU updates their tuition in July like a lot of state schools as well. IIRC my D paid about $300 bucks for a parking pass when she lived there.
How about Miscellaneous costs? those are just personal expenses you’ll incur while going to school, correct? Not a set amount to pay Rutgers?
Yes miscellaneous are personal expenses.
Isn’t the primary purpose of these soft, indirect costs to trigger financial need for borderline EFC? As an example, if tuition and other direct costs = $30,000, and one’s EFC is $32,000, there is no need. Adding $5,000 in"expected" indirect costs results in $3,000 need, possible enough to convert ~ 1/2 of student loan to subsidized. Albeit on a smaller scale, this is similar to the game private schools play w/ sticker prices nobody pays but are intended to maximize financial aid ( and make students feel they are getting a deal).
@NJFather i didn’t think of that before. Thanks for sharing this perspective.
@NJFather I think the indirect costs are a way for people to have a better idea of what some costs would be . In Rutgers case as in many other schools they do not really care what the EFC is, they are not need blind nor are the full need met. My family EFC is about 20K RU will be charging me 30K , as is TCNJ. There are very few schools that say they will meet your finical need 100%.
For private schools folks do pay full sticker , mostly in how they set up ED.
I was not suggesting Rutgers, or any other school ,use this to give one more. from their own pockets. Subsidized loans are federal subsidies- not from the institution
@NJFather - I did not think about that side of it.