<p>I LOVED U of A when I visited last week but I’m not sure I will receive enough financial aid to go there. I’m from Indiana, my GPA is 4.3 weighted and I got a 1950 on the SAT. 560 CR 630 WR and 760 MA. My family can only afford to pay about 10,000 per year and I’m worried that, because U of A is a state school, I won’t get enough FA or merit scholarship to receive enough. What do you think?</p>
<p>You will probably get a decent scholarship, but I’m not sure if you would be able to attend cost free. If your parents are able to pay that much out of pocket, it is somewhat likely that you will not get grants. However, I’d imagine that you would be eligible to apply for outside scholarships such as the ones on the U of A’s scholarship universe site. Not only are many of the scholarships open to incoming freshman, many are available to students at the U of A, so applying for those would be a shrewd move. Additionally, despite your parents’ income, you would also probably be able to get federal work study. Though you would initially be put on a waitlist, you would be taken off of it if you found an on-campus job. These jobs are typically pretty cushy, affording you ample time to complete homework, so you won’t have to do as much later in the day. Finally loans are available up to the cost of attendance, with some having more odious terms than others. Of course there are other things you would need to do to decrease the cost of attendance, such as getting an apartment instead of living in the dorms. </p>
<p>But if the cost is too high (and even if it isn’t), it may be a better decision not to attend the U of A. As a U of A student, I feel that the U of A has it pluses (e.g. sports, weather, girls), but it also has its cons (e.g. low quality of students, rapidly increasing costs). If you could attend a similar institution in your home state such as Indiana University, it may be better in the long run because of the cost. I know more than one OOS person who wishes that they would have done that despite being ardent Wildcats.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!!</p>
<p>What walteral1990 said is pretty accurate. And I further agree with his bit about not going here OOS if it’s a real stretch.</p>
<p>I agree with the other two. You have to consider the value in an undergraduate diploma. Is the debt really worth it? Chances are, the answer is “no.” And that’s not a knock on the UA or any “third tier” public schools. These days, going in-state to those institutions is the wisest decision (speaking from personal experience here).</p>
<p>UA is nice school, with a decent reputation but IU is a very good school, as is Purdue for the Engineering and tech fields. Other than weather, what would attract you to UA when you have two wonderful, and in most majors probably academically equal or better, in-state options for $15,000 a year cheaper? </p>
<p>Also, if weather is the driving force for you, with your academic credentials, you may want to look at ASU’s Barrett Honors College and get the best of both worlds.</p>