@BeeDAre <<<
A good friend of mine has a son at UMass-Lowell on a full tuition scholarship, he only has to pay room and board.<<<
If that student only has to pay room and board, then he has a LOT more than just a “full tuition scholarship”.
At the UMass schools, a “full tuition scholarship” is a joke…only worth about $1500 per year. Tuition is very low (state law), so the schools skirt the law by charging super-high fees (over $10,000 per year for fees)…and the “full tuition award” doesn’t cover that.
So, either your friend is paying for those fees, or has a different scholarship. Many MA families are thrilled to learn that their child has been given a “free tuition scholarship,” but then are later shocked to find out that it only covers $750 a semester, and they have to pay $25k per year for fees, room and board and books…
http://www.uml.edu/thesolutioncenter/bill/tuition-fees/Undergraduate/default.aspx
This student only has the full tuition scholarship (called something like John and Abigail Adams scholarship). He would have to pay a lot more than just room and board and books.