<p>Freshman retention rate at Maryland is very high. Something like 95% come back after their freshman year. I’m sorry to see that your daughter is not coming back. I know several women who have been on campus for years without any problems at all. I certainly can understand the money issues. OOS public colleges tend not to be so generous.</p>
<p>Well, if you love Maryland . . . .there is also the option of preparing yourself to apply for in-state residency. I did that as a graduate student. I also lived off-campus, using a valid street address and got a PO Box. But you would have to live in Maryland for at least a year I think, to show a Maryland address on a tax return.</p>
<p>Here are the requirements for getting yourself classified as an in-state resident:
[UM</a> Residency Classification Office | Policy](<a href=“http://www.testudo.umd.edu/rco/policy.html]UM”>http://www.testudo.umd.edu/rco/policy.html)</p>
<p>Thank you all for your comments. They are greatly appreciated. I was just at the admitted students day on Friday and fell more in love with the school. I had no clue that the school was so large. I felt really at home because everyone there was part of the school. I loved their engineering school and computer science school. It was very colonial on the outside but very innovative and technological on the inside, which was just really nice. I talked to professors and people currently attending the school and they told that it was not very competitive, but they did give you a lot of work which makes the classes very time consuming. I am now thinking about switching my major to computer engineering but will probably keep my math major. I am rambling now but I really want to go to this school lol.</p>
<p>Financially it will probably not happen, meaning I will be attending Rutgers in the fall. I could go to Rutgers for two years and Maryland for two, but that is starting to make me really depressed. I worked so hard and may not even go, I not trying to blame someone, I just feel like I could have done something more. I already have a job and am eligible for a work study at UMD. I am working as much as I can, but I will probably not be able to pay for the school. I should have started in 9th grade lol. For the people that were out of state and decided to attend UMD, how did you deal with the tuition?</p>
<p>umdhopeful - I understand completely. My daughter is in the same situation as you are.
Out of state, really wants to go UMD however it is more than we can afford over 4 years. She has her mind set on UMD & not the competitive college in state which has offered a nice scholarship over 4 years.
She will pay more than 100K back in student loans attending UMD.
Good Luck.</p>