<p>For the person who said that students shouldn't apply to Out of State Schools, because of the Out of State Tuition fees, I disagree.</p>
<p>In the end, for my college, in terms of price...the cheapest in order for me are:</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Texas - Austin (About $7,000 a year)</li>
<li>University of Missouri - Columbia (About $17,000)</li>
<li>University of Wisconsin - Madison* (About $18,000)</li>
<li>Northwestern University (About $30,000)</li>
</ol>
<p>*State School</p>
<p>That is horrible advice. I'm a good student, but not outstanding. (3.86 GPA and 29 ACT). Good students should be able to get all sorts of Merit based aid at these universities.</p>
<p>cbulla21,
It also depends a great deal upon state and collegiate policies regarding student aid. One aspect of the whole mess that college financial aid offices do not like discussed is how some are allowing private companies such as SM or NN to 'administer' the initial financial aid applications to a given school.
If you're in one of the states where this is a common practice, it may not be to your advantage to attend that particular state's universities. Simply because, in those schools who are allowing this type of financial cronyism, its not uncommon for students not to be effectively or ethically told about other methods (and programs) for funding their education beyond privately held loans. Because of that type of manipulation, in some cases it might actually be more affordable (and advisable) to go to school in a state where these activities are being constrained. Simply because, as a student, one would be better advised on funding alternatives, which in itself could mitigate the problems of higher out of state tuition.
New York State now seems to be expecting their state schools to actually advise students fairly of scholarships and other funding arrangments beyond the corporate loans. In the case of NYS it was because the scandals broke and their SAG and Senator stepped in to try to clean up a developing disaster. Ironically, despite making a agreement with the NYS attorney general to cease 'providing services' to university financial aid offices, SM is still trying to keep that 'insiders track'.
So, in the near future, there may be much more to consider than simply the enhanced cost of out of state tuition. Another factor may be to what extent, a given state allows the effective control of college financial aid offices by private corporations. From a student view, those states which permit this type of corruption, will be places where the cost of college will exact a much higher, but now barely hidden, cost.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the promise of education is now being rapidly overborne by the costs. And because almost the entire system has been co-opted by financial profiteers, alas it may not get better.
As far as the promise of an education being the safe route to the entry level of the middle class, no longer. In many cases education has become a pit door opening into lifelong debt and second class citizen status. In the case of many of my generation, despite that fact some of us hold professional positions, all our education (and its costs) have led to little but financial travails and the endless rapture of being harassed by the SL people in all their abusive glories. And ironically I write this as a college professor, and do have the ethical dilemma of whether it's still right to advise students to proceed with their educations.
Obviously it doesn't have to be like this, but the change needed will have to occur from both the grassroots and from our representatives and it will literally have to come to forcing these financial entities out of US collegiate education. For those who'd claim that the costs would be too high, idiocy. The social and economic costs of having our best and most ambitious, in thrall to a collection of profiteers is much, much higher. Society doesn't benefit by having our smartest, most creative, and ambituous have to direct their most productive years and income, to paying off the outrageous demands of these cabals. Other countries know this, which is why they've found more equitable means to educate their people. And often they view our system with bemused horror.
Of course the only means to reform this mess, is to ensure education is properly funded, to the extent there is no opening for companies like SM or NN and those in that industry to come in and 'fill a need'. And the colleges will have to wean themselves from the funds and outright kickbacks that these companies have provided.
Simply put, one generation has been damned for seeking their education, there should not be another subjected to these conditions, which benefit no one except for some predatory corporations and their CEO's.</p>