<p>Just coming into mention University of Montana’s relatively low (just under $25k) COA for out of state kids… [Cost</a> of Attendance Admissions at The University of Montana - Missoula](<a href=“http://admissions.umt.edu/cost.html]Cost”>http://admissions.umt.edu/cost.html) Additionally, they offer WUE scholarships, housing scholarships ($5k a year, renewable, though you may need higher than a 3.3), and “token” merit aid (ranging from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars) to OOS kids. For higher stat kids, there’s the Presidential Leadership Scholarship [The</a> Davidson Honors College :: DHC Scholarships - The Davidson Honors College](<a href=“http://www.dhc.umt.edu/scholarships/dhc.cfm#pls]The”>http://www.dhc.umt.edu/scholarships/dhc.cfm#pls) Four years ago, this was often packaged with the $5k housing scholarship for non-residents, which may still be the case. If so, this brings the COA for OOS recipients of the Gold level award down to $8k-$9k a year. Beautiful campus and area and fairly small for a state school (10k UG, 4k grad).</p>
<p>For the more LAC-minded, I’d recommend Westminster in Salt Lake City, Utah. Very nice campus in what is, IMO, the best party of a great city (SLC is a lot “hipper” than people give it credit for, and the Sugarhouse area is awesome, though off-campus rent may be high). Yearly COA is currently around $33k or so ($26k for tuition and fees and around $7k for room and board–see [Tuition</a> and fees, payment plans, making payments, and financial aid](<a href=“404 Not Found”>404 Not Found) . 3.0-3.3 qualify for merit aid automatically Higher stat students can compete for full tuition (NMFs also receive full tuition). [Financial</a> Aid, College in Utah Westminster College](<a href=“404 Not Found”>404 Not Found)</p>
<p>Westminster has about 2,200 undergrads and 800 grad students. It has a strong reputation locally, especially in business. I’ve heard good things about the bio program as well. Negatives I’ve heard include dorm food and that a good number of wealthy kids go there, a turn-off for some due to perceived “snobbery,” though a lot of people are attracted by the merit aid as well.</p>
<p>Also, I’d like to second the positive comments about UWyoming,</p>
<p>Just when I thought that the list was the list, a couple of priority applications were emailed to my son. He looked them up, applied online and THEN asked me what I thought after the fact! Well, I did want to him to own the process, I guess… </p>
<p>Cal Lutheran is very close to home but out of our price range unless he got substantial financial aid, but being in the 3.0-3.3 range, merit aid seems pretty unlikey. NAU is part of the WUE and would be a financial and academic safety. That is happy-making, plus the fact that it’s not on the other side of the continent. I just never imagined that this kid who has been talking for years about wanting to go to school in or near New York City (or Chicago or Seattle – BIG cities) would ever consider Flagstaff. Full of surprises.</p>
<p>CLU has the Guarantee Scholarship. If the boy can get himself accepted to any of the four UC campuses listed he can attend CLU at a UC price. Maybe applying to a less-subscribed major at one of these schools can get him in, and therefore eligible for the CLU scholarship.</p>
<p>RSBuletz- thank you for that link. The 4 UC’s are UCLA,Berkeley, UCSB and Davis.
4 yrs ago NAU was the first school my son applied to. He applied in late summer and I think heard back by the end of Sept. It was nice knowing he was going to college. It included a nice scholarship.
He also applied to Redlands and Willamette and UPS. He got in all 3. Only Redlands offered him any money.</p>
<p>I have to give a big “thank you” for this thread and all the great info here. My son is a senior, 3.2 uw gpa, (3.95 weighted) and 1950 SAT, so the schools listed here gave him a great list of realistic schools to look at. I also never knew about the WUE program, so that was great information.</p>
<p>This is a great thread for us as my S fits smack in the middle of this group.</p>
<p>S is considering some of the smaller state schools on this list: U of Montana, Montana State, U of Idaho. These schools are all around 10k in undergrad population. We don’t have a feel for the level of support given to a student at a school like this. D goes to a LAC with around 3k kids. Easy to navigate the system, get courses, find solid academic guidance. What can a student expect at the schools liste above. with 10k kids do you get to know the professors in your major pretty well? Do you have an academic advosir who has the time to assist you in your academic planning?</p>
<p>My daughter is in her freshman year at the University of Idaho and is positively thrilled, getting better grades than highschool, interested, motivated. The number of underclassmen is in the 9000 range, a number she seems very happy with (not too big, not too small). Her advisor is a professor in her department. Last spring she emailed and talked to him personally on the phone to sign up for classes. Right now she is hoping to be a double major and he replies promptly to all her questions. They are already setting up advising appointments for next semester with peer advisors, but he has offered to help if she needs extra advice. We received an email from the University President a quarter of the way through the first semester stating they have reviewed the current grades for students and will be visiting students who seem to be struggling with their classes at their dorms, sororities, and fraternities with advisors to help them find solutions to whatever problems they seem to be having! My daughter’s sorority has assigned study hours, and allow the members to invite a professor to dinner to reduce their requirement, and to my surprise my daughter has already had her favorite professor to dinner - who actually brought gifts! I cannot believe it, and am keeping my fingers crossed that things continue to go so well.</p>
<p>Actually, we’re from a large city in California with much culture. After she visited Idaho in February, when it is at its worst, and came home and proclaimed that was where she wanted to go, I was a little wary. So far, she really loves it. She thinks the people are the nicest she has ever met. There are frequent weekend trips to Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, about an hour and a half away. The college is less than 10 miles from Washington State University, so between the two schools there seems to be a lot of musical, athletic, and cultural events. Yesterday was the first time she mentioned our city, and said she would love to see it again when she’s back, but feels she’ll be home often enough to get her fill. I do question her in a round-about way about what you mention because she is such a city girl, but all she says is that she’s never been happier. I should also mention though that she also loves the outdoors, which probably helps. She’s enjoying experiencing the new cultures up there, like rodeos and barn dances. Again, I hope it lasts!</p>
<p>We’re similar. Orange County is home. My son says he wants someplace with trees and snow. He’s got his eyes trained on Northern Arizona U and Utah State. I’d superficially looked at UofI, but let it pass because I figured was probably too far away for his mother’s liking. Getting transported from there to here looks like an ordeal.</p>
<p>Well, it takes 2 hours by plane to get to Spokane from here, and then it’s about 1 hour 20 minute drive which goes by very fast. You can get web fares for about $100 each way. There is a shuttle service from the airport that stops at the University that runs every day and costs $45, but so far my daughter has been able to catch a ride to Spokane. Or you can fly into Pullman Washington, 8 miles away from campus. The fares are about the same, the only problem is they fly through Seattle first so it takes about 4-5 hours.</p>
<p>I wanted to celebrate with you, my western 3.x people! </p>
<p>NAU called last night to tell my son he had been accepted. Now, I don’t know that he’ll actually go there, but he is very excited and I am massively relieved that this early in the game we have one acceptance under our belts. Flagstaff looks lovely and NAU’s website makes it seem like a good school. Getting there and back does not look straightforward, coming from SoCal, but all things considered, S and Mom and Dad would be fine with having him attend. And, of course, he’d take his snowboard. </p>
<p>The CLU deal where they’ll match the UC tuition for those four schools is great if you have the stats. Calv1nson doesn’t, and his 529 account is not in that league.</p>
<p>I’ve looked into the transport to/from Flagstaff. The Amtrak Southwest Chief goes from Fullerton to Flagstaff once a day for about $60 one way. You can also take out of LA for slightly more. The station in Flagstaff is like two blocks off campus. What would be cooler than taking the train to college. So east coast.</p>
<p>Traveling to UIdaho. In addition to flying into/out-of Spokane and taking the Wheatland Express bus to campus. There is the Pullman-Moscow airport (PUW) which is about 7 miles to the campus. Currently there are 3 flights/day (Horizon/Alaska) inbound and 3 flights/day outbound to Seattle. </p>
<p>There is also the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport (LWS) about 35 miles from campus in Lewiston, Idaho it has the same flights as PUW. Depending on the time of year the flights will stop in Lewiston first and 10 minutes later land in Pullman or the reverse. LWS also has 2 flights/day (Skywest/Delta) inbound and 2 flights/day outbound to Salt Lake City. If your child will have access to a car the LWS airport has free parking and unlike GEG or PUW is never fogged in.</p>
<p>My D has been looking at University of Idaho for a year and found out today they have revised their scholarship info for 2011. They have drop or renamed the WUE and now have a Go Idaho with a min 3.6. GPA. My daughter has a 3.55 we were hoping for the drop in tuition but looks like it will be full tuition for her. She still loves the college so we will leave it on the list for now.</p>
<p>Looks like U of Idaho participation in WUE is now for “selected National Merit Scholarship Finalists and members U of I Honor’s program”.
Given the financial straits of many, if not all, of the States, I wonder how long the discounting will continue or if they will simply increase the requirements across the board for the better schools.</p>