I have been accepted to both schools. However, I’m not sure where I want to go. I’ve made a pros-cons list, and the biggest factor it boils down to is cost, although flexibility to switch majors is nice. I haven’t received a financial aid offer from Rice and frankly, don’t think it’s going to be great. I’m concerned with cost of attendance, especially since things are very financially uncertain right now. I have about $20,000 in scholarships for UT. I know there is a fixed rate tuition option at UT, while at Rice financial aid may not necessarily be guaranteed (that’s my impression, at least). Does anyone have any advice? I live in Texas btw.
First, congratulations! You’ve got two excellent choices!
Is your $20k in scholarships per year, or spread out over 4 years for UT Austin?
For Rice, do you qualify for the Rice Investment initiative?
* family incomes under $130,000 will not pay tuition.
* family incomes below $65,000 will also receive grant aid to cover school fees and room and board
My son just turned down Rice without financial aid, for UT with 50k of scholarship money. Just a note about the Rice Investment - those numbers aren’t solely based on family income, they also calculate assets in their equation. As it’s financial aid based on FAFSA and not a scholarship, the Rice Investment amount is reassessed annually.
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The $20,000 is actually for my first year at UT. I think I’d have about $5,000 next year for UT. I belive I qualify for free tuition at Rice, but I’m not sure what impact our assets will have on my aid.
@nomatter Something that I’m mildly concerned about is a potential lack of things to do in Houston along with a slightly lower ranked cs program if I do stay in cs, although I don’t think the rankings are 100% accurate.
@“British TX Parent” Rice gave you no aid? I’m worried that due to current issues, my aid from Rice may not be very good the next 3 years and go up a lot, while UT’s cost may stay relatively low. If it’s not rude, may I ask if you expected any aid and how much?
blackbelt2.0 - I will DM you
Wow, from a parent with a child going to UT Austin w/ very little aid/scholarship ($1,500/yr), congratulations! I have heard that Rice takes into account assets (assume outside homestead property) when determining aid/scholarship. A friend of a friend’s daughter got into Rice a couple of years ago and they had assumed their cost would be lower due to what they had heard - “free tuition if household income is below $130K”. Think due to bank account balances and other assets, it was actually more affordable for the mother to quit or scale down her employment in order for the daughter to get more aid. But I think you need to get the Financial Aid offer from Rice first, to know what numbers you are actually dealing with. The Comp Sci program at UT Austin is top notch so unless you have always wanted to go to Rice or the financial numbers come out far ahead, then my vote would be UT.
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UT is top ten for computer science in the country- Rice is not. anyone accepted to that program should go to it - they have great PAID internships available Starting the first year. Tons of really cool research going on there and Austin is a mini Silicon Valley.
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Attending school at UT-Austin will be a very different experience from attending school at Rice University.
OP, if COA was equal, which school would you prefer ?