<p>I have a dilemma. I paid my $200 deposit for tuition and i paid for orientation and yesterday USF gave me 11k in grants and scholarship money whereas UCF only gave me 2,400. If I go to USF it will be a full ride because of bright futures and pell grant. Im trying to visit Tampa but im not sure when i can. I would like opinions on what i should do. help please? :(</p>
<p>Take two aspirin today, enjoy the rest of high school, show up for orientation at USF.</p>
<p>My son is in the same boat only it’s UF vs USF. Last week USF came in with almost a free ride for my son. He would not need to take any student loans and I would only need to fork out about 3K per year for USF. UF has not notified us yet about financial aid but my son has not been offered any scholarships from UF and when I did the early financial aid estimator, it said that he is eligible for $2200 in grants and the rest in loans less what I can contribute which is betweenn 5-6K. If, and I state, IF he gets the $2200 grant from UF and with what I can contribute - he is looking at $7000+ in student loans a year.</p>
<p>I keep reading here that USF is still a commuter campus and that everyone goes home on the weekend. We live 3 hours away so my son would be staying on campus. He is not into sports or partying and really just keeps to himself and studies.</p>
<p>My heart says UF but my mind says USF. I am not sleeping at night…</p>
<p>Listen to your wallet too.</p>
<p>I don’t go home on weekends.</p>
<p>Hi JenaS62,
My son is also considering USF (we live in Pasco county) and he would live on campus. While he could come home on weekends, I don’t believe that would be his choice although he is not into partying or drinking. He just wants a complete college experience - not a commuter. He choose to apply to USF and not UF (although he has been accepted at New College as well). So, there may be other “like-minded” students as USF. :)</p>
<p>To comment on the UF vs USF situation…</p>
<p>The “commuter school” label which seems to be thrusted onto USF is misguided. While people seem to believe that the majority of students go back home to their parent’s house on the weekends, this in fact can be falsely interpreted. As defined, “commuters” are students who do not live on campus, but that does not mean they commute from home. As an off-campus student, I live close to USF in a college apartment complex, as do many students who decide to select this alternative to the expensive rates of on campus dorm-living. In fact, freshman who do not originate from the surrounding counties are required to live on campus due, thus further shedding USF’s misconstrued “commuter-school” label. In actuality, many Bulls stick around Tampa because of how vibrant and active the city is, and the great thing about Tampa is that unlike smaller college towns, such as Gainesville, where the only form of entertainment seems to be monopolized around excessive partying, Tampa provides healthier and more diverse alternatives such as theme parks and beaches. From an academic standpoint, USF is JUST as competitive as UF. From the perspective of northern college students, degrees from UF are no more superior than degrees from FSU, and USF is now even more competitive than FSU.</p>