I’ve Applied To These Schools:
-Montclair State University
-Eastern Nazarene College (Accepted, $18,000 scholarship per year)
-Providence College
-Catholic University of America
I didn’t send my scores to any of these schools. Montclair is a safety. Catholic University is a high match, and Providence is a bit of a reach. I’ll attend for social work.
My family is low-income. I’ll definitely be getting into some debt, but I’m trying to keep it to a minimum. Providence & Catholic University are great schools, but they’re very expensive. I visited Montclair, it’s an okay school, and I loved it. But, Eastern Nazarene estimates are less than those of Montclair. Eastern Nazarene isn’t a good school, though.
Billed costs: $29,880 commuter, $38,830 resident.
Other costs: $3,460.
Total costs: $33,340 commuter, $42,290 resident.
Net after scholarship: $15,340 commuter, $24,290 resident.
If you will commute, ENC’s cost is barely affordable, if you get the full Pell grant of $5,775, take a federal direct loan of $5,500, and work during the summer and part time during the school year to earn a few thousand dollars. It is too expensive if you cannot commute.
Realistically, your maximum net price, if you get the full Pell grant of $5,775, is about $10,000 after need-based financial aid (which includes consideration of the Pell grant), or about $15,000 after only merit scholarships that allow stacking of Pell grant on top (of course, lower is better). Do you think (from net price calculator runs and scholarship listings) that any of your other schools will give you a net price in this range?
@ucbalumnus I can’t commute, I live in New Jersey.
For me, the NPC says: Total estimated costs: $43,415. I’d receive the $18,000 scholarship, and they estimated I’d get $2,925 from the Pell Grant. Other estimated gift aid is $7,475, which leaves $15,015. I’m not sure where this “other gift aid” would come from. Eastern Nazarene is my last choice school, though.
My other NPCS have been about 25K. My dad has to pay half of my tuition, my parents are divorced. He’s not low-income, so I’m concerned about academics more than price. I’m still trying to find an affordable option, though. I’ll be working during college, at any school.
How is “half of your tuition” defined for what your father has to pay? I.e. is it half of the list price tuition at the college (before deducting any financial aid or scholarships), or half of the tuition remaining after financial aid or scholarships (so if you get a full tuition scholarship, he pays nothing, but you still have to pay room and board)?
Remember, you can only borrow $5,500 in frosh year, increasing to $7,500 in junior and senior years. Realistic part time work earnings during the school year are probably a few thousand dollars. So ENC is too expensive.
What does the net price calculator of an in-state public university in commuting range say?
@ucbalumnus I’m not sure exactly what it says. He made it sound as if it’s list price tuition.
Yes, I know. I’d prefer a bigger school, so it’s probably a good decision.
Montclair is in commuting distance, but I would dorm, at least for 2 years. I really want the college experience (I know, cliche). My mom has approved this decision. I don’t have a car, either, and insurance is extremely high here.
Estimated costs are $25,655. I’d receive $9,197 in scholarships/grants. With the $5,500 loan, $10,958 remains.
In-state on-campus costs are $25,727 tuition + fees + room + board, plus $4,467 books + travel + misc for a total of $30,194. Let’s assume frugality and only include about $2,000 for books + misc, for a total of $27,727. Subtracting $9,197 scholarships + grants (including Pell grant?) gives $18,530. If your father pays $4,256 (half of the $8,513 list price tuition), that leaves $14,274. If you take a federal direct loan of $5,500, that still leaves $8,773, which is a lot of hours to work, which may impact your study time and limit the social benefit of living on campus.
If you commute from home, costs would probably be about $6,000 to $8,000 less (even after counting the $4,284 cost of food, utilities, etc. at home that is estimated, plus additional commuting costs), which would make the costs much more affordable.
Living on campus in frosh year is generally desirable, but its unaffordability to you may override that. Montclair State frosh are about 60% on campus, 40% presumably commuter.
Providence would be the obvious choice, but I’m sorry to say that you’re looking at a denial there. Out of the remaining universities, I would pick Montclair. Okay school, maybe better than mediocre, lacking in school spirit, but the campus isn’t bad at all.
@ucbalumnus My mom told me he’ll actually be paying for half of everything (tuition, R&B, fees). So, he’d actually be paying $9,215. After the $5500, this would only leave $3,715.
My mom would take out loans for me. I doubt she’ll be eligible for large loans, but she should be able to get $3,715. She’ll also be working as much as possible to assist me, since I’m an only child.
@LBad96 I agree. I’ll be shocked if I get into Providence. Hopefully being low-income and a bit Hispanic will help me.
ENC actually only has a 58% acceptance rate, so I was surprised I got accepted.
$3,715 is more reasonable for you to earn from your own part time (during the school year) and summer work earnings. Try to minimize the money your mother has to borrow, since it is obvious she does not really have the money (otherwise, she would use it to help you). However, if you live on-campus, she may save a few thousand on whatever food and utilities that you currently consume at home, so she may be able to help from that savings.
@newjerseygirl98 Montclair is the obvious choice for you. Please check for State grants in addition to FA and Pell.
Montclair has the best location of all the NJ state schools by far, with the upscale downtowns in Upper Montclair, nice parks, the largest Iris garden in the world and the funky businesses and clubs along Bloomfield Ave. NYC is 30 mins by bus and they run all day.
Our first house was near the school right off Mountain Ave.
@TurnerT The $9,197 I’d receive includes state grants, such as NJ TAG. I’m eligible for NJ STARS as well, but unfortunately it’s only for CCs. My CC is awful, with only a 15% graduation rate.
It’s definitely a lovely town, and not far from the city! The two train stations on-campus will be great.
The bus is much faster to NY than the train. That train line goes to Hoboken mostly and makes a lot of stops. You can get the bus on Valley Road right to Port Authority.
I’d say Montclair, but your list isn’t very complete (very expensive or unlikely colleges), so you may want to try and apply to a couple more colleges, especially those that are free to apply.
Most of the universities below are even test-optional and ALL are accessible to a B/B+ student. Look them up, I’m sure there are at least 5 or 6 you’d really like… and that would be more affordable than ENC. (All would certainly have better academics!!!) There’s no risk involved, since they’re free to apply (and typically accept test scores on your official transcript).
Albion*
Alma
Augsburg
Capital (OH)
Canisius
Carroll (MT - if you ever wanted to live in a capital city surrounded by the great outdoors!)
Clarkson
Colby-Sawyer
Creighton
Davis&Elkins
DeSales
Earlham*
Elizabethtown*
Elmhurst
Gannon
Guilford
Hiram*
Hobart&WilliamSmith*
Juniata *
Kalamazoo* (ever wanted to study abroad, have an internship, be invited to a professor’s house for dinner?)
Lebanon Valley*
LeMoyne*
Lycoming*
Lesley*
Lewis&Clark(ever wanted to live in cool Portland, Oregon?)
Loras
Loyola New Orleans (ever wanted to live and study in New Orleans?)
Maryville of St Louis
Muskingum
Ohio Wesleyan*
Pacific Lutheran
Point Park
Randolph-Macon
Roanoke
St Edward’s* (ever wanted to sudy in Austin, Texas, and live for football and SouthbySouthwest music?)
Saint Louis University*
Susquehanna* (friendliest people)
Ursinus*
Valparaiso*
Washington&Jefferson
Xavier (OH)
I “*” the ones I consider especially good for your profile and likely to be affordable. Run the Net Price Calculators!
I don’t know if you can still apply, but if you’re low income, look into Berea. It’s a good, residential college in Kentucky; only students who are lower-income can apply and all who are admitted are guaranteed a full-tuition scholarship, plus depending on the situation enough to cover room&board. All students must work (and gain valuable experience).
@MYOS1634 I agree with the recommendations of Loyola New Orleans, Susquehanna, and Valparaiso!! I think they’d all be great options, certainly better than Montclair.
@LBad96 I can’t afford the airfare for somewhere as far as Indiana or New Orleans. My mom doesn’t want me very far, either, at least during my associate’s. I would’ve liked to attend school in CA, if I had the funds.
You can drive to Indiana.
It’d take you a full day but you can drive. You can also see if there’s a Megabus.
You won’t prepare an associate degree, that’s a two-year degree. You’ll prepare a bachelor’s degree.
Check out Elizabethtown in addition to Susquehanna, then Lebanon Valley, Lycoming, Ursinus. I think they’d all be within half a day driving distance.
@MYOS1634 Thank you so much! My mom won’t let me go far away, at least during my first two years.
But I’ll definitely look at the Mid-Atlantic & New England colleges.
Most importantly, your mother may be thinking that you’d do two years nearby, then you can go elsewhere for the last two. Except that then, you’d be a transfer, and transfers get lousy aid (except at their in state, public universities - and even there , transfers get less financial aid than freshmen).
It makes sense for you to apply rather far away for three reasons:
as a freshman, that’s when you get the best financial aid (if you have to transfer, it’s better to transfer from a private into your public flagship or into your instate public, than the reverse, because that minimizes the financial aid issues.) Furthermore, if you do well in smaller classes and a more nurturing environment, and get good grades, you can try and transfer “up” to Rutgers (for instance).
colleges outside t he northeast tend to be cheaper to start with, especially in the Midwest and South.
If you apply to a college 400+miles from home, you get a boost for adding geographical diversity (which helps not only for admission, but also for preferential packaging, ie, better financial aid).
Applying to those colleges is a smart decision financially speaking. You may well.find those are your cheapest options.
We’re talking potentially$10,000 or more in difference.
The colleges are free to apply to . You risk nothing. IF they yield very good value, your mother may reconsider wanting you nearby. If they don’t? You have Montclair.
