Don’t worry about ‘prestige’ - if you go to a ABET accredited engineering program and it is affordable for you, that is key. Of course you want to go where you will enjoy the experience too. My DD is an eng student at UA (eng and presidential scholarships) and loves it there. She landed a terrific internship this past summer with a high quality international firm. She is in the honors STEM MBA program. Some wonderful educational opportunities at UA. Looking around UIUC (which may be un-affordable for you, but just to compare) and UA, and decide - visit and be prepared to love UA.
@SOSConcern thanks for your story! I visited and loved UA, and I am applying for the honors college and woukd have presidential scholarship. Just curious: a friend told me if you’re engineering you can easily get an engineering scholarship that takes off of R&B in addition to the full tuition. Is this what happened for your situation?
Since you qualify for UA Presidential, and if you declare engineering or CS, you will get $2500/year for 4 years automatic engineering scholarship, so $1250 a semester will get applied to your account for 8 semesters. The engineering scholarship is automatic just like the Presidential - just have your application in by the scholarships deadline. Do look at the Honors College Catalog and consider one of several different honors programs - some are more selective than others. You don’t have to write up much for HC, but then you do for some of their programs.Like STEM MBA (which is a sizable program), Emerging Scholars (where also is fairly sizable program; one gets involved with research during their first year).
But do understand that there are fees above tuition (at UA and at other schools) - depending on what classes you are in each term. Many, many schools do have these fees. Looking at DD’s current list, they range from the 7 low fees on DD’s current term ($9.50 - $34.50) to two engineering ones ($120 and $150). DD is in Million Dollar Band, and has a $500 scholarship for that and $200 music school band fee (so she is plus $300 on that). Her tuition scholarship covers the 17.5 hours, $5,660. Then she has a line item engineering scholarship with the $1250 credit. She lives off campus now, but first year had the mandatory unlimited dining fee and her housing/dorm fee each semester.
Most schools (like UA) also have ‘dining dollars’ which can be used at various campus food venues, Starbucks, bookstore, etc - and if you don’t use any of it, can get rolled over or refunded at end of year. However most students use it up (it is on their ‘action’ card). $325/semester.
If you are on a budget, save money in student housing by going to traditional dorm. After first year, can save money on food by cooking/packing lunch. DD lives close to campus and eats at apt. Some do like to have one hot meal on campus, and so they buy the plan for that.
I love this website! Thanks for the EXTREMELY useful info! @SOSConcern
Don’t worry about prestige for eng’g. Companies do NOT pay you more based on school. A company who hires a UAH or CSULB grad will pay the same that they pay a Georgia Tech or Purdue or UMich grad.
URoch is a very fine school, but an employer isn’t going to pay those grads more, either.
My Chemical Engineering son went to Bama on the Presidential and Eng’g scholarship.
If you have any questions…
Thanks again @mom2collegekids