I understand, but many colleges will see any of his money as potential college money, that’s just how they roll. That’s why Swat didn’t grant the professional judgement request to use the lower cash balance in his account post-overseas payment. My condolences on the loss of your grandfather.
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Thank you. I wish this was easy
I hear you. You are a strong student who can achieve all of your goals from any of your choices.
UF is the safest choice financially, and strong for your interests. I still don’t really understand if the Bowdoin $21K is affordable, even assuming it stays at that level for the following 3 years. If your dad’s income increases, Bowdoin’s price will increase. If your dad keeps sending money overseas, they might not grant professional judgment for that for the following 3 years either. I don’t see USC or Swat as viable options. What does your dad recommend?
He said he would sell the house if it means that I go to a good school… But I just spoke with him and he says that my college savings are depleted, meaning that he would have to spend from his savings
He has 40k in the bank and still has to raise my sister and works daily, I don’t think it’s fair for me to put that much pressure on him
I’m so sorry about your dad’s finances. Financial aid is really complicated and Bowdoin might not “ignore” the money he sends overseas in future years if it is a regular occurence and then you will be really stuck.
Also, he should NOT sell his house for college. Ever. And UF is great school. You are a strong student and mature person – you will thrive anywhere you go.
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UF is a terrific school. It’s not like you’re considering giving up Bowdoin for some obscure commuter school. Your father sounds like a loving person who doesn’t want to say no to you… but also doesn’t want to say no to other family members when they have needs. If you go to UF, your ability to graduate won’t depend on your dad’s financial decisions. Not only are you deciding not to put pressure on him - you’re also deciding on peace of mind for yourself. College is stressful enough, no matter where you go. I don’t think “FOMO” over a school you’re not even 100% sold on is worth the well-founded worry about whether you’ll be able to afford the whole four years. I think you should embrace the opportunity that comes with financial security, and is top-notch academically as well.
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It’s almost midnight East Coast time. Wishing you well as you make your final choice.
I tend to stay away from “you can’t afford it threads.” But I agree about being very careful of “just squeaking by” budget-wise with a private far away from home. There are, as @Lindagaf said, many hidden costs to being away from home. My 3 kids were full pay, it was something I was able to do for them, and still there were times that I thought, “this is adding up.” Flights home. Trips to and from the airport. Our costs in coming to see them. Having to see an out of network doc where they were because that’s all that was practically available. Lots of little things come up that costs money. And when those tuition and housing bills come due, they have to be paid and the money has to be there. You can do installment payments, which can help a little, but it’s the kind of money that you need to be clear about. They’re nice people but they’re not going to let you stay if you don’t pay.
Florida is a good school and Gainesville is a nice college town IMO. It’s not a compromise at all, but I understand your point about wanting to get out. And, Swat and Bowdoin are very different experiences than a large flagship (and USC for that matter). I’m also in the group of people who understands applying to different types of schools, but I have to say these are very different places. Doesn’t get much more different than Brunswick and LA.
FWIW, USC, while a fine school, has done a lot to burnish its academic image over the last couple of decades. And after all, what better place than LA to draw upon talent to help you remake an image. But Bowdoin and Swat have had real academic prestige for much longer. USC is very popular now and is indeed attracting great students. But at least among my crowds, for whatever that’s worth, Bowdoin and Swat would carry at least, and likely more, prestige than SC.
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If you are worried about “prestige”, U Florida is “ranked” at #28 on USNews, while USC is ranked at #27. No real difference.
Also, they are all equivalent for psychology, while, for Marine Science, it’s only Bowdoin or UFL.
I’m not a great believer in rankings, but then again, I’m not a great believer in prestige either, but if prestige is important to you, then UFL has it, and any additional prestige that Bowdoin would have is not worth the financial cost and uncertainty.
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You are young and talented and have every reason to believe in a bright future. However, if your father spends all his money, you may be the one who has to support him heavily in his retirement. He must NOT sell his house to support your college. Your path in psychology likely involves grad school as well. You are perfectly capable of making a great career for yourself and probably would make enough money to support your father and so on. But the key word there is probably. Life is life. Accidents happen, illness happens, unpredictable things happen. If all the family money went to Bowdoin and something didn’t fall quite right afterwards, you and your father could be in big financial trouble. Your family circumstances dictate that you need to be very careful and go with the most prudent option, Florida.
As other posters state, Florida is a fine place and can help you accomplish your goals. Bowdoin has offered you a generous deal for one year, but I would advise you to be realistic and cautious here. That doesn’t mean giving up your dreams, which should be about your future career and life, not the specific “dream school” you want to end up at.
And as others have stated, don’t give a second thought to USC. Unless your dream life involves living in the LA area, it does not carry any particular prestige in comparison to a flagship like Florida. Perhaps the contrary due to Varsity Blues and its persistent nickname.
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I agree that going far away to school means additional costs and can add quite a bit to the cost of school. I do have to wonder if the OP could have called Bowdoin financial aid to get a read on whether the freshman FA package would have continued if Dad had to send money to family for the next three years but it’s too late for that. I don’t usually accept the “some things happen for a reason” premise but, in this case, with FA being complicated and no buffer in savings, UF is the answer. Realistically, even if Bowdoin could have shed some light on FA for the coming years, nothing is for sure and travel expenses would have added more stress to the situation.
Good luck to the OP!
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