Hi all!
I am currently deciding between committing to UIUC for a special education program with a pre-OT track and committing to an in-state for a 5 year bachelor’s in psych and master’s in special education program. Obviously, if I go in state I will be paying significantly cheaper. The last time I visited the in-state school, I wasn’t too interested and realize now that it will be like going to my high school again. I haven’t visited UIUC yet (that’s next month!) and I really like the school and all, but it’s expensive and I have to take the plane to visit home. My parents would rather send me in-state because I won’t have any debt afterward and it’s a good 2 hour drive from home…
Is it worth going to UIUC? How is their special ed program and how easy is it to get jobs there?
How much debt are you talking about? The 5.5k federal loans each year or more?
1° how much can your parents contribute each year (from savings and income)?
2° how much can you contribute from current job, future summer job, college savings?
3° What’s the cost of each option if you calculate (tuition, fees, room, board) - (scholarships, grants) =?
@MYOS1634 The cost of in state would be less than half the tuition for UIUC.
Can you please answer questions 1-3 for all schools you’ve been admitted to? It’s needed to make a value/ roi analysis.
For a degree in special ed, definitely take the lowest cost option.
@MYOS1634 We are only getting 5.5k loans for UIUC. For in state, I am getting a 3k scholarship as well as the same loans. Overall, my parents and I can pay 30-35k per year. The in-state tuition would be around 20k vs UIUC which is around 50k-52k.
So, uiuc is unaffordable. Based on the above that leaves your state school - with enough money for study abroad.
Are those the only two schools you got into?
@MYOS1634 I also got into other schools but did not get any worthy scholarships