Ok I currently live with my parents but will be transferring to another state for college. My grandmother lives there and has offered me and my boyfriend her condo to stay in while attending college for $100/m each. I just received a scholarship that will pay for my tuition for the first 2 years but I would have to live on campus in a dorm. I have heard great things about meeting life long friemds I’m dorms but I really have no interest in sharing my space, my food, or my privacy with someone I don’t know. The cheapest housing is $6,000/yr and I wouldn’t be able to live with my boyfriend of 4 years. My parents can’t help with anything so I will be paying for everything on my own. My question is where should I live? The crazy expensive dorm away from what I want but with 2 years of tuition paid. Or the nice, private condo with my boyfriend while getting 90% tuition reimbursement from my work. Please post your thoughts!
I just wanted to clarify. You received a scholarship that’s only for tuition right? Can you talk to whoever provided the scholarship and tell them it’s a financial hardship for you to live on campus?
Can you afford the remaining 10% of tuition plus rent for the two years? Is that cost less than the cost of living in the dorms? What are the GPA requirements for both options. Usually when taking course paid by your employer there will be a minimum GPA per course for reimbursement. You will likely be required to pay upfront and get your money back after the final grade is in. Can you afford that? What happens if you drop the course or get below the minimum grade? Can you afford that? A school scholarship usually has an overall GPA requirement that would be easier to maintain since a good grade could offset a poor grade. You could also have the option to drop or withdraw a course without losing the scholarship. What happens if you lose the job or find that you need to quit or cut hours in order to keep up with your schoolwork? What if you get sick and need to drop courses or stop working? What happens if you break up with the boyfriend (yes, it happens even to true love). These are all common situations.
Studies have shown that students who live on campus adjust better to college and do better overall. They connect better with campus life. However, millions of students can’t afford that option and do just fine.
I get that living in a nice condo would be nice compare to a cramped dorm room. However it can also be isolating and will add to your time demands. Commuting and dealing with traffic and finding parking can be time consuming. Then there is the cost of commuting which can be expensive. Add the stress of knowing you are locked into a job regardless of what happens because that is now the only way to pay for school.
My take, is take the scholarship if you can afford the dorm. You are not require to physically live in the dorm. You are just required to pay for it. Is that an option? Maybe the boyfriend can pay more to make that option work.
@noname87 I’m betting that’s for first time freshman though. I can tell you right now as a 22 yr old transfer student I’d do way better living on my own than in a cramped dorm. I’ve had nice apartments with roommates and a girlfriend since I moved out in 2012 
That study was for first students in which I assumed (which I should not have) this student was.
I guess my point was that in addition to the perks the likely negatives have to be considered. On one hand is a guaranteed scholarship and on the other hand is a tuition reimbursement based on employment. Both have pros and cons. Since none of the cons of the condo was mentioned, I was just giving thoughts/cons that should be considered.
Given a choice, I suspect most students would opt for an apartment over a dorm. It just that for the OP that means giving up a scholarship and relaying on an tuition reimbursement plan. That might be a better option but we don’t know all the facts.
OP, does getting the 90% require you to work full time? Will you be a full time student for both options? Will living in the condo require more time to graduate or will both options allow you to graduate in the same time? What is the total debt load for both options?