<p>Interview with a Geneseo student:</p>
<p>Small</a> School, Big Value: Education Portal Speaks With a Student at SUNY Geneseo</p>
<p>I know the article speaks a lot about the affordability of Geneseo, but according to my friends and myself the average amount of loans that you take out per year is somewhere between 15k-18k. I’m interested in knowing how people wind up with so little debt if they accumulate between 60-80k over the four years that it takes to get a bachelors. Unless the PLUS loan isn’t counted in the final debt amount.</p>
<p>^I got a financial aid letter the other day, and the total amount was just over $20,000 for one year.</p>
<p>SolR,</p>
<p>because top-level privates cost 50K per year…You’d only be taking out 15-18K in loans per year if you were footing the entire cost of tuition/room and board with loans. I have a hard time believing “most people” at Geneseo are going into 60-80K in debt after graduation, and even if this were the case they’d be in 200K debt if they went to a private school. Whether you think Geneseo academics are on par with top private LACs or not, its hard to ignore the fact that it is significantly less expensive for most families.</p>
<p>DS has an offer of 20K from a private school of comparable (to his major) benefits as Geneseo. It really puts the COA of both of them about the same. Of course there are other factors to be considered.</p>
<p>CollegeXC1993, perhaps you’re right but privates typically offer substantial merit-based aid to help bridge that gap. The 60-80k figure was assuming that a person didn’t have any $ saved up and would be repaying everything themselvess. I also didn’t take interest into account. And yeah sylvan8798, one of my friends is in a similar situation with the COA of Fordham University and another SUNY being relatively similar. </p>
<p>Can student loans from undergrad be deferred until past medical school? Assuming interest is paid on them that is. </p>
<p>I’ve heard nothing but great things about Geneseo and the other SUNYs that I’ve been accepted to, but is a sticker price of 80k(the majority being in the form of loans) really worth it for me? That’s what’s truly gnawing at me right now.</p>
<p>I was devastated looking at my financial aid package from Geneseo at first. After finishing my freshman year I will tell you that iit’s totally worth it. Also, you will not need all the loans that they give you. I declined a loan that will save me 10000 over the four years. I have to skimp a little but it’s worth it. Also remember that if your grades drop while you’re at a private school you will lose merit funding and instead of paying 20000 per year on the very outside you may be faced with the decision of transferring or shelling out 50 grand a year.</p>