Heather in Neverland Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 The pieces of the puzzle: My ds has 5 years until college. We are US citizens living and working in Malaysia. He goes to school half a day and homeschools half a day. Due to the economic down-turn, we lost our business and our investments which sucked up most of our savings. By Malaysian standards we are quite well off. By US standards, not so much...a family of 5 and last year we made $47k. Not poverty-level but not wealthy enough to pay for college. We are thinking about our choices for paying for college. Choice #1- continue living and working in Malaysia and pray that our low-ish income qualifies ds for need-based scholarships or grants (also hopefully subsidized by merit-based scholarships and grants). I have no idea how low income has to be for a family 5 in this situation. Choice #2- leave Malaysia for better paying jobs (this is an option...most secular international schools pay quite well...ours does not because it is a christian missionary school) and save enough money over the next 5 years to pay for his college (along with merit-based scholarships hopefully). Which would you choose? Are there any other choices I have not considered? Really, the biggest thing we are trying to decide is whether to stay here (we love it, we are all happy with our lives, our jobs, our health, our friends, etc.) and stay low-income or go to more financially greener pastures so we can save money (but potentially be miserable). hmmmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'd stay where you love it. Don't forget that your son will have an experience kudo in his favor by living in Malaysia. Colleges like geographical diversity and Malaysia is not common. With decent grades and test scores coupled with your income, I suspect he'd be wanted by quite a few colleges, both Christian and secular, and I suspect they'd back that up with a nice financial package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'd stay where you love it. Don't forget that your son will have an experience kudo in his favor by living in Malaysia. Colleges like geographical diversity and Malaysia is not common. With decent grades and test scores coupled with your income, I suspect he'd be wanted by quite a few colleges, both Christian and secular, and I suspect they'd back that up with a nice financial package. I agree, and even if he can't get a good financial package, it won't hurt him to have to pay for part/all of his college himself. Dh and I both had to pay for college and although we had to take out loans and work through college, it worked out fine and also made us evaluate what we really wanted to do, since it was our hard work that was paying for it and not someone else's money. And at this point, it doesn't look like we'll be able to offer our kids a whole lot for college, either. . . But I think being in a place you love, with a job you love outweighs the possibility of making more money someplace else that you might end up hating just so you could pay for your son's college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Yeah. What they said. :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 How will your son feel about the idea that the whole family moved away from the place they loved and considered home in order to help him to go to college? This isn't like living in a smaller house or driving one old car to save money. It is more far-reaching than that. -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jld Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 We're planning to send our kids back to the U.S. for school, but I wish we didn't have to. Have you looked into National University of Singapore? I only glanced at its site once, but dd said no, and I haven't looked at it since. Foreign universities seem cheaper than American ones. I'd really love to have her just a two hour flight away, and not a 22 hour one.:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tullia Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I saw the promo video of your school, and it sounds like you're in a wonderful place. I've known expats who made choices based on money; some of them were miserable and all were lonely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Our boys had never lived in the West, however, so we felt that it would be a big move for them to go to university on the other side of the world - too much culture shock. We did also have in mind that if we didn't live in the UK for three years before university, the boys would have to pay foreigners' fees, which were three times local fees at the time. In addition we had reached a point when we were happy to stop living overseas after decades away - so not the same as your family. It's a hard one. Another option is that some UK universities have started satellite campuses in Asia, where you can study for UK degrees and they rotate the lecturers through both campuses. The University of Nottingham has a campus in China - it might be a lot cheaper, but I don't know. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Don't forget that your son will have an experience kudo in his favor by living in Malaysia. Colleges like geographical diversity and Malaysia is not common. I had not thought of that. So even though ds is American, the fact that he spent 7 years in Malaysia would be attractive to colleges? Very interesting! How will your son feel about the idea that the whole family moved away from the place they loved and considered home in order to help him to go to college? This isn't like living in a smaller house or driving one old car to save money. It is more far-reaching than that.-Nan He will be devastated if we move. He loves it here too. We're planning to send our kids back to the U.S. for school, but I wish we didn't have to. Have you looked into National University of Singapore? I only glanced at its site once, but dd said no, and I haven't looked at it since. Foreign universities seem cheaper than American ones. I'd really love to have her just a two hour flight away, and not a 22 hour one.:eek: At this point we are all planning to move back to the US when ds goes to college because I can't imagine being on the other side of the world from him. I thought about colleges in this area but it worries me... sometimes degrees from foreign universities are not accepted in the US. But I don't know how to predict which ones??? We did also have in mind that if we didn't live in the UK for three years before university, the boys would have to pay foreigners' fees, which were three times local fees at the time. It's a hard one. Another option is that some UK universities have started satellite campuses in Asia, where you can study for UK degrees and they rotate the lecturers through both campuses. Laura Uh-oh. I hadn't thought about that. I wonder if it is the same for US colleges. I guess I didn't really consider us "foreigners" since we are US citizens. I wonder if we would have to pay exorbitant fees for that too? I also heard through the grapevine that Johns Hopkins is starting a satellite in Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps others will follow suit? These are AWESOME answers and giving me a lot to think about. I hate the idea of leaving the country and our lives just to save money for college especially when the experience here is so beneficial for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Stay where you love it. Don't move just for the money. There will be ways for him to go to college. Later, or with a job on the side, or by winning a scholarship. you moving won't be the only way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I had not thought of that. So even though ds is American, the fact that he spent 7 years in Malaysia would be attractive to colleges? Very interesting! It will absolutely be interesting to them. Extensive travel interests them too (more than just Disney or the beaches/mountains). Travel and living somewhere is a great kudo to have on an application. I wonder if it is the same for US colleges. I guess I didn't really consider us "foreigners" since we are US citizens. I wonder if we would have to pay exorbitant fees for that too? This will only come into play if you are looking at state colleges. State colleges often have in-state and out-of-state tuition costs. State residents usually get a break because their folks pay taxes in the state. However, some state schools give nice merit aid based on high scores, so that's an option. Also, private schools often offer better aid than state schools, so consider those. It's costing less for my oldest to go to a private 4 year school than it would have for him to have gone to a state school. Middle son may very likely end up at a state school due to having high enough scores for it to be free - and it might NOT be our in-state option as it's tougher for in-state students to get free rides than out-of-state students! It's that diversity thingy again... Of course, middle son is also going to be applying to private schools and could end up at one of them if they match the state schools. Time will tell. He's a junior, so will be applying next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I also heard through the grapevine that Johns Hopkins is starting a satellite in Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps others will follow suit? Carnegie Mellon has a satellite campus in Dubai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Uh-oh. I hadn't thought about that. I wonder if it is the same for US colleges. I guess I didn't really consider us "foreigners" since we are US citizens. I wonder if we would have to pay exorbitant fees for that too? You might certainly find difficulty proving residence for local fees at state universities, if that applies to you. The reason that the UK demands residence is that there are a lot of Brits (and probably a lot of Americans) who have the passport but have mostly lived overseas. There used to be, for example, lots of Australians, South Africans etc. who had British passports by parentage but no other connection to the UK (never paid taxes, etc.) but would be able to pay local UK fees. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 This will only come into play if you are looking at state colleges. State colleges often have in-state and out-of-state tuition costs. State residents usually get a break because their folks pay taxes in the state. However, some state schools give nice merit aid based on high scores, so that's an option. Heather -- Creekland brings up a good point. In order for you to understand the cost of US college better, you will probably want to investigate the idea of residence and find out whether you would still be considered a resident of the state you used to live in to see if you'd qualify for in-state tuition there. I really have no idea, so I'd suggest checking with a couple of the state colleges in your last home state to see what their policies are. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I agree with everyone that residency is going to be hard to prove for state-school purposes. Most colleges will not accept just an address. Kids quite often try to use a relative's address in order to get the cheaper tuition rate and so colleges have cracked down on this. It's possible you will be asked to show a copy of your federal and state income taxes. If you don't pay state income taxes, that's a huge red flag. The fact that your federal is going to show you as expats is going to alert them to the fact that you don't physically reside in the state. Sending him home to a relative for six months to live might be an option if he can graduate early so that he can spend at least six months living with that relative. In Michigan, out-of-state tuition at universities is high. But, I also agree that his overseas living and travel experiences are going to make him a likely candidate to be courted by admission's departments. Being courted is a good thing. There is a difference between being admitted and being courted. The students the college REALLY wants, tend to get far more scholarships. You'd be surprised by what corner colleges will scrape money from to get the handful of students they are desperate to add to their campus. I was one of those students and I told my college of choice that unless they came up with another $1500.00 per semester in scholarship money, I'd be attending college B because the financial aid package was better. I showed them the financial aid awards from the other college. They met my challenge within three days! So, I really think that staying put makes sense because it makes him a far more interesting potential collegian. The caveat I see is that if you choose to move home during his college years and your income goes up because of this, he could lose need based aid. So make sure you build that change in aid into your plan. Need based aid is reviewed annually. I like the idea of a good foreign university as well. Above all, be happy. If you love where you are and your children do too, then that is worth far more than money. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 I agree with everyone that residency is going to be hard to prove for state-school purposes. Most colleges will not accept just an address. Kids quite often try to use a relative's address in order to get the cheaper tuition rate and so colleges have cracked down on this. It's possible you will be asked to show a copy of your federal and state income taxes. If you don't pay state income taxes, that's a huge red flag. The fact that your federal is going to show you as expats is going to alert them to the fact that you don't physically reside in the state. Sending him home to a relative for six months to live might be an option if he can graduate early so that he can spend at least six months living with that relative. In Michigan, out-of-state tuition at universities is high. But, I also agree that his overseas living and travel experiences are going to make him a likely candidate to be courted by admission's departments. Being courted is a good thing. There is a difference between being admitted and being courted. The students the college REALLY wants, tend to get far more scholarships. You'd be surprised by what corner colleges will scrape money from to get the handful of students they are desperate to add to their campus. I was one of those students and I told my college of choice that unless they came up with another $1500.00 per semester in scholarship money, I'd be attending college B because the financial aid package was better. I showed them the financial aid awards from the other college. They met my challenge within three days! So, I really think that staying put makes sense because it makes him a far more interesting potential collegian. The caveat I see is that if you choose to move home during his college years and your income goes up because of this, he could lose need based aid. So make sure you build that change in aid into your plan. Need based aid is reviewed annually. I like the idea of a good foreign university as well. Above all, be happy. If you love where you are and your children do too, then that is worth far more than money. Faith wow. There is so much to think about! Ok, well what we know so far is that the preference is for a small-ish Christian college and not a state university so I don't know how that affects residency issues? But your point about us moving back affecting any need-based aid is a good one... another thing I hadn't thought of. Boy, this college thing is tricky! As soon as I think I have one angle figured out another pops up! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 wow. There is so much to think about! Ok, well what we know so far is that the preference is for a small-ish Christian college and not a state university so I don't know how that affects residency issues? There will be no residency issues at all if you're looking at private colleges (Christian or otherwise). Your location (Malaysia) is likely to be a plus. Look for colleges on this list (Colleges that go the extra mile to make it financially possible to attend). NOT all are Christian, but all are well known for aid. It doesn't mean all will give your particular student(s) aid, but it's a good place to start. The college my oldest attends makes the list and we've used it to look for middle son as well. http://www.insidecollege.com/reno/The-Experts-Choice-Colleges-that-Go-the-Extra-Mile-to-Make-It-Financially-Possible-to-Attend/352/list.do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Creekland is right, if you are looking at Christian Colleges, living in Malaysia could be a real plus. My sister's alma mater gave a 50% scholarship for both tuition and romm/board for children of expats working in Christian ministry. Since your international school fits that description, this could be HUGE for him. Additionally, by staying in Malaysia and keeping your income down, his need based aid will hopefully be decent. Add to that any scholarships for merit, fitting a specific niche (I had music scholarships right from the beginning - dh had a math department scholarship) etc. and you might find that he won't have much of a bill left and he does, a campus job might take care of it. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 You might certainly find difficulty proving residence for local fees at state universities, if that applies to you. The reason that the UK demands residence is that there are a lot of Brits (and probably a lot of Americans) who have the passport but have mostly lived overseas. There used to be, for example, lots of Australians, South Africans etc. who had British passports by parentage but no other connection to the UK (never paid taxes, etc.) but would be able to pay local UK fees. Laura Residency is not an issue at all for private colleges. For state universities, the residency requirement would be an issue, but it is an issue if I want to send my son to the university in the next state over. Some state universities give some merit aid to highly desirable students, but it is much more likely to get it from private colleges. Since we are not looking at the Ivies, my son is in the running for half to full-tuition scholarships at some small private colleges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 There will be no residency issues at all if you're looking at private colleges (Christian or otherwise). Your location (Malaysia) is likely to be a plus. Look for colleges on this list (Colleges that go the extra mile to make it financially possible to attend). NOT all are Christian, but all are well known for aid. It doesn't mean all will give your particular student(s) aid, but it's a good place to start. The college my oldest attends makes the list and we've used it to look for middle son as well. http://www.insidecollege.com/reno/The-Experts-Choice-Colleges-that-Go-the-Extra-Mile-to-Make-It-Financially-Possible-to-Attend/352/list.do Thank you so much for this list!!! Creekland is right, if you are looking at Christian Colleges, living in Malaysia could be a real plus. My sister's alma mater gave a 50% scholarship for both tuition and romm/board for children of expats working in Christian ministry. Since your international school fits that description, this could be HUGE for him. Additionally, by staying in Malaysia and keeping your income down, his need based aid will hopefully be decent. Add to that any scholarships for merit, fitting a specific niche (I had music scholarships right from the beginning - dh had a math department scholarship) etc. and you might find that he won't have much of a bill left and he does, a campus job might take care of it. Faith It is definitely something that makes my stomach upset... the idea of us being 10,000 miles away while he goes to college. I wasn't planning on living next door but gosh that is far! But it might be the best thing for him in regards to paying for college. I had zero help and ended up with a boat-load of student loans. I don't want that for him. Thank you all for this awesome advice!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 You can check the FAFSA4caster and see where you fall on the financial aide scale. Then the trick is finding schools that are more likely to find grant/scholarship than loan opportunities. The money fafsa things you can pay is what they think the parents can pay. They expect the student to come up with some money too. This is how I understand it anyway. I have missionary friends with plenty of money and the school their child went to still found a chunk of scholarship for them so you may be in good shape at a christian school. I think under $60,000 with with a pack of kids should put you in good shape. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Thank you so much for this list!!! You can click on any college on that list and see what other lists they are on to get an idea about the school. On that site you can also type in any college and see what lists they are on. It has been quite useful for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I agree with the poster who aid check out the calculators. I will make some points that some others haven't made. Malaysia may not be all the unusual country for admittance. Lots of Asians are coming over to the US to go to school. I am not sure that simply being an expat living in Asia will necessarily be such a boost since they get plenty of applications from actual Asians living in Asia. Second, one you find what your EFC might be, consider how likely your son is to make high ACT scores. THere are a number of state schools that give full rides with certain scores (usually scores like 32 and above)> Now I know your son probably hasn't taken the ACT but you can guess where he might lie based on a normal standarized test like Iowa or Stanford. If his composite has been Those are only certain schools. Unfortunately, even if your EFC is low, and my guess with your income is probably about 10K, the only federal aid unless the EFC is less than about 6K are subsidized loans and those are only for 5k your child's freshman year. So what you need to find are institutions that give great merit aid and then apply to many schools. I would first figure out the EFC and then start looking at college websites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Would your family be considered a "missionary family" because you teach at a missionary school overseas? I know some colleges will give missionary kids free rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Would your family be considered a "missionary family" because you teach at a missionary school overseas? I know some colleges will give missionary kids free rides. I'm not sure? We do work at a missionary school but we do get paid a small salary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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