TCU:is the 40k a year worth it?

Colleges and Universities A-Z TCU
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<p>Im a middle class hispanic and am going to be a senior this fall in high school.im planning on getting my BSN in nursing and then continuing to become a Nurse Anesthetist. TCU is my dream school i love everything about it except the very high, and still rising, tuition. the lack of diversity and high percentage of greek life(im not interested in joining a sorority)are 2 minor setbacks for me but wouldn't keep me from attending if i were to get a full ride to attend.
But if i dont get enough financial aid, i want to know if its really worth taking out loans and possibly being in debt for a few years after college? or am i better off going to Texas Tech or UT Arlington because its a more commonly known and good brand name university as well? </p>

<p>Also, is TCU seriously doing anything to improve its diversity or am i, being a majority, going to be an outcast and find it hard to make friends because of greek rule?</p>

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<p>Unless you get huge scholarships, I’m going to say that TCU (along with just about every school on the planet) is NOT worth it. That is, assuming the bulk of the 40k a year would be debt. You ask if it’s worth taking out loans and being in debt “for a few years after college.” If your loans approach much more than the national average of about 23k TOTAL for your undergrad education, I would strongly advise you to attend elsewhere. Texas Tech and UT Arlington are good bets.</p>

<p>Nothing against TCU.</p>

<p>It’s hard for you to imagine, at your age, what massive debt feels like and how LONG it takes to pay it off. It feels really bad … and it goes away very, very slowly. It would be MUCH longer than “a few years” before you could pay it off. Really. </p>

<p>Just think – It’s been a long time since I’ve been apartment shopping, but aren’t they around $800 to $1500 a month nowadays, for an average one? If that’s true, that’s an average of 14k a year just for a place to live. Add auto insurance, repairs, and gasoline – maybe another 3k. If you’re making a car payment after you graduate, you can add another 3 or 4k. Food? 3 or 4k if you eat in all the time, and not that well. Clothes, phone bills, cable or satellite if you’re into that, healthcare, entertainment expenses for the occasional date. Take allergy medicine or any other routine medications? Several more k. Seriously … you’re into about 30k just to exist at a fairly low level. And there will be no-notice expenses in addition to those. It will always be tempting to spend more, especially if you come from an upper-middle class family and after living in the nice surroundings of TCU.
All the while, your college debts will be accumulating interest as you work hard to pay them off. And you might not get a job right away – though I’d think you would in any sort of nursing field.</p>

<p>I always advise kids to keep their college debts as low as possible. 23k is about the national average. That’s fair enough.</p>

<p>If it comes down to a choice between attending Tech for, say, 14k a year or TCU for, say, 20k a year (assuming large scholarships, for instance), then you have a real choice to consider. Then the question becomes, “Is TCU worth an additional 6k a year over Texas Tech.” Something like that is worth consideration, but still requires weighing.</p>

<p>One of the most important aspects of your question should be: “How much of your college cost is expected to be debt?”</p>

<p>TCU at 40k a year compared to Tech at (what?) 18k (??) a year is really no contest in this parent’s opinion. In that case, in my opinion, the question is kind of moot – because most people cannot afford 40k a year, and even fewer can afford 160k in DEBT. </p>

<p>Good luck with your decision, SLCoug! It’s hard weighing all the various factors, I know. Try to err on the conservative side and don’t strap yourself with unhappiness and stress (read: debt) early in your life! </p>

<p>(Can’t help you with the diversity part of your question. Sorry.)</p>

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<p>TCU’s Army ROTC offers full-ride scholarships to nurses.</p>

<p>I’m in ROTC at TCU and would STRONGLY recommend it, it’s awesome. I’m not a nursing student, but I know the girls in the AROTC program are getting an amazing deal. </p>

<p>Normally ROTC = full tuition, but if your ACT is above 27 TCU will give you 10,000/year for Room & Board.</p>

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<p>Wow. That’s a really good deal. Do you happen to know what the Army commitment is after college?</p>

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<p>It varies. </p>

<p>The generic is 4 years active duty and 4 years reserve, but there are different paths you can take. </p>

<p>If you want more details, PM me.</p>

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<p>im not in ROTC and i think its too late for me to join since im already a senior but i am in track, cross country and raised 2 animals for county fair as part of the FFA organization and im a B average student, any scholarship opportunities for me?</p>

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<p>maiz should consider that not everyone has a dream of being a military officer… it is really not a good idea at all to look at ROTC as a way to get a free tuition at college… sort of putting the cart before the horse.</p>

<p>ROTC ONLY makes sense if a person already has a goal of serving in the military, and also would like to attend college. Both desires must be in place… not just a need for money.</p>

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<p>@SLC - I never did ROTC in high school, ROTC in high school is almost meaningless for college ROTC. </p>

<p>@DunninLA - I understand that, and I wouldn’t say it is my “dream” either, but I definitely am a good personality fit for that role. But if you say to yourself “maybe the military would be alright” and you want free school at TCU, then ROTC is an incredible opportunity and something to look into. Also, you can drop the scholarship after 1 year and have your first year paid for and no commitment, that way you can “get your feet wet” (and get a free year of school) before any commitments are made.</p>