<p>Which school should I choose to attend. I'm a shoo-in to get in (even the admission officers told me so) but I don't think I'm a shoo-n for scholarships, I'd say I'm on the line, and only on that line because I'm AA and qualify for less rigorous scholarships otherwise I'd be screwed. (Good grades, not amazing) My parents have over a six figure income combined, but struggle financially at the moment and can't even help my sister in cc pay so she takes out loans to cover it all. I'm not expecting FA to help me in anyway.</p>
<p>School A
Will be dorming because it's 7 hours away. It is in-state so it will cost me around 16k every year to attend. Times 4 + a few thousand to factor inflation and nonsense spending It will be close to 70k.</p>
<p>School B
It is an hour/45 minutes away from my house so I could commute and it is in-state so it would cost me around 7k a year to attend, so around 30k in the end.</p>
<p>I will be an Computer Engineering Major at both schools who are academically equivalent and strong engineering schools.</p>
<p>I would really want to go to school A. Though I see the 40k price tag, I'd really hate to commute (driving) for an hour (2 counting back/forth) and I plan to do a lot on campus (Marching Band, Sports, Workout) and I believe school A would benefit me MUCH better than B.</p>
<p>Coming from those schools and the data they supply, I would probably graduate into a job that paid in the 5x,000k range out of school.</p>
<p>I would really want to go to school A. Though I see the 40k price tag,</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>What do you mean…$40k price tag. Are you saying $40k more than the other school? The cost is really $70k since you have NO money to go towards any school.</p>
<p>You have to look at total cost for either school. It sounds like your parents won’t contribute anything, so are you thinking of borrowing for either school?</p>
<p>If your parents are in financial trouble, how are going to co-sign your loans? And, won’t they refuse anyway?</p>
<p>Since both are state schools, you may not get much (if any) need based aid except for loans. You might get some merit scholarships (from which school)?</p>
<p>If you have to solely fund your education thru loans and some merit money, how can you afford school A? You won’t be able to borrow enough.</p>
<p>To borrow without parent co-signers, you are limited to the following amounts…</p>
<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>If all YOU can borrow is $5500 for your freshman year, how will you come up with the $16k+ each year to go there? Will you get $10k in merit each year?</p>
<p>You also need to determine if school B will allow you to commute from that distance. Many schools require first year students to live on campus and only allow waivers if you are living with a relative, or living at home and only if you are within a certain radius. 45 minutes to an hour does not seem likely to get a waiver from living on campus.</p>
<p>Blizz…please discuss your options with your parents. They may actually agree that School A is a good choice and are willing and able to help with the costs. OTOH, for financial reasons, they might say that School B is a better choice (please factor in the costs of a car, and all of that gas to travel back and forth…YES I know it won’t be $10K a year…but it’s worth having in the discussion).</p>
<p>Also factor in the cost to your parents of you still living at home (groceries, hot water, etc.) Again it won’t compare to the cost of a meal plan at school A but still something. Might you be eligible for some need-based aid at school A? Or earn a small scholarship that might help even things out? Consider that you could spend your 10 hours a week of commuting time for school B at a part-time job while at school A and possibly earn a little of the difference also. Good luck sorting it out!</p>
<p>Also factor in the cost to your parents of you still living at home (groceries, hot water, etc.)</p>
<p>I realize that those are “some” costs, but many parents really do not get a big savings when their kids are away. </p>
<p>Meal plans are running about $7-9 per meal; parents aren’t paying anywhere near that for an extra plate at the dinner table. Laundry just gets added to the rest of the family laundry. Dorms are running $5k-10k per year; it doesn’t cost that much to have your child sleep in his own bedroom at home and shower in the bathroom.</p>
<p>Plus, the same parents who accept the idea of providing a bed and food at home, are not always the same parents who will give the same amount for a child to live elsewhere. </p>
<p>When I was in college, we were given the choice…live at home for free and commute, or pay for your own room and board elsewhere. I paid for my own room and board.</p>
<p>The OP has already stated that his parents aren’t giving his sister any money towards her CC costs, therefore it’s very doubtful that they’re going to give him anything for his costs. </p>
<p>*You also need to determine if school B will allow you to commute from that distance. *</p>
<p>Yes, some colleges require frosh to live on campus if the student lives XX miles away from campus. Sometimes a waiver can be gotten if economic hardship can be shown…or…if the student will only have classes on a few days per week. I’ve also heard of waivers being granted if the student has a job in his hometown.</p>
<p>My concern is the OP only seems to be looking at the cost difference between the 2 schools. That would be fine IF he already had the money for the cheaper school. Since he has no money for either school, the entire cost of each school has to be considered.</p>
<p>^
That is what I was trying to get across. The OP doesn’t know if he can commute to school B or if he will be required to live on campus. Right now he has no true idea of what his costs will be for either school, so there is no way to determine if he can afford either school. If he can attend school B, with a two hour round trip commute, that doesn’t leave much time to work a job to help pay his commuting costs.</p>
<p>Not to mention the cost of car, gas at $3+/gal, insurance and maintenance of a vehicle. Imho, he’d be better off not commuting and using that time to work 10-15 hours per week. If possible, after the first year he could move off campus and probably save money that way.</p>
<p>Blizz Blazer, most of a school’s COA is actually somewhat controllable. Not tuition and fees, of course, but housing can be cut by requesting a triple/quad if available, meal plan pricing varies by school (it works out to $9.50 -10.50 dollars PER MEAL at my kids’ schools :eek: which is ridic for what they would actually eat for breakfast or lunch if they were using meal swipes) but even freshmen aren’t generally required to take the most expensive option available. My kids take a medium low option and I just add a little to their flex accounts if it seems like they’re going to run out before the end of the semester (come to think of it, that’s only happened once in 4 years). Books, transportation, and personal expenses are well within your control. Used books can be sourced easily via the internet, and you might consider renting vs. buying for those you don’t intend to keep as that can save big money too.</p>
<p>Do you know how much your family can contribute towards your education each year? What your EFC is? It is one thing if your family can afford option A, and something very different if they can’t and your school is unlikely to give you much merit or financial aid. </p>
<p>45 minutes sounds like a very long commute for a freshman, fyi. That is a lot of hours a week.</p>
<p>Sometimes, a mico view helps:
A) 16000-5500 Stafford = 10500 plus trips home, (at the very least, on breaks when the dorms close.) Figure those costs.<br>
B) 7000-5500 Stafford = 1500 plus gas and car mtc; plus any on-campus meals.</p>
<p>All this is rough figuring for commuting 30 weeks: </p>
<p>You may be able to schedule classes 3-4 days a week (my kids have had classes 5x, every semester)- but you’ll want to be there for band rehearsals, games, labs, concerts/lectures/social events, any group projects- and fun. That could mean 6x, some weeks. $15/day x 5d/w = $2250 in gas alone. </p>
<p>Would you pack a lunch (and drinks) every day and be satisfied to eat in some common area? Or, do you envision hanging with friends? At some schools, you can’t get in the cafeteria to sit with them unless you have the meal plan/ID or buy lunch that day. Buy 2-4x/week at $8 = $480-960. More, if the price is higher. </p>
<p>Possible on-campus job at either school - say, 10-15 hrs/week; call it $3-4000 earnings, minus taxes. </p>
<p>SUNY Buffalo is UB, not Buffalo State, but both have a fair number of local students. If UB is his instate option and he’s dorming, $16K is only going to cover tuition, fees, and room/board so I think his estimate is a bit low unless he’s counting on scholarship money. Given the heavy snowfall they get, I sure hope he’s not planning a 45 minute commute in that area…though this year it seems there’s no escaping the weather anywhere.</p>
<p>I don’t think the other would be Binghamton as it’s not 7 hours from Buffalo, but perhaps Albany or another SUNY in the eastern region.</p>