Would you pay?

[kiana]

Heck, if experiences are important, go to a school that is $10,000/year and go a world cruise for $20,000 and then pocket the other $10,000.

 

I like this. :D

[creekland]

My undergrad college was $5,000/year and I had a great experience.

 

Out of curiosity, are there any four year schools left with tuition this low (not counting room & board and books, etc)? I don't think there are in PA... not for sticker prices anyway. I know with scholarships and aid things can happen, but that can be true of private or public schools (and is why people should shop around).

 

Edited to add that this is a serious question. I know many of y'all live in places with less expensive Community Colleges than we have, so now I'm wondering about other schools. I'm aware that not being in state can change the equation.

[kiana]

Out of curiosity, are there any four year schools left with tuition this low (not counting room & board and books, etc)? I don't think there are in PA... not for sticker prices anyway. I know with scholarships and aid things can happen, but that can be true of private or public schools (and is why people should shop around).

 

Edited to add that this is a serious question. I know many of y'all live in places with less expensive Community Colleges than we have, so now I'm wondering about other schools. I'm aware that not being in state can change the equation.

 

My undergrad in rural Wisconsin was 5k/yr when I was there. I checked the other day and it's 7.5k now.

[creekland]

My undergrad in rural Wisconsin was 5k/yr when I was there. I checked the other day and it's 7.5k now.

 

Per year or per semester? One thing I noticed is that most places list their prices per semester now. I seem to recall it being per year when I went to school (though my memory may be fuzzy).

[Jane in NC]

Per year or per semester? One thing I noticed is that most places list their prices per semester now. I seem to recall it being per year when I went to school (though my memory may be fuzzy).

 

Another thing is that the $50K per year covers tuition, room, board and fees. Public university tuition at in-state rates with room, board and fees will certainly be cheaper, but I feel that we should be comparing apples to apples.

 

Note the addition of fees into the equation. Some public unis charge almost as much in fees as tuition!

[Jane in NC]

Here is some information from IPEDS, the federal data reporting site, to add to the discussion:

 

The annual cost of Rutgers, a public university in New Jersey, for an instate student is $26K. This covers tuition, room, board and fees.

 

The annual cost of Appalachian State, a public university in North Carolina, is $15K for an instate student and $26K for an out of state student. Again, this covers tuition, room, board and fees.

 

Now you know why the UNC system has so many New Jersey students! Same price, better weather?

 

Parents and students are still looking at a four year total of $60K to $100K for public colleges. Yes, there are ways to make it cheaper, but the same can be said for private schools. College is expensive!

[justamouse]

Here is some information from IPEDS, the federal data reporting site, to add to the discussion:

 

The annual cost of Rutgers, a public university in New Jersey, for an instate student is $26K. This covers tuition, room, board and fees.

 

The annual cost of Appalachian State, a public university in North Carolina, is $15K for an instate student and $26K for an out of state student. Again, this covers tuition, room, board and fees.

Now you know why the UNC system has so many New Jersey students! Same price, better weather?

 

Parents and students are still looking at a four year total of $60K to $100K for public colleges. Yes, there are ways to make it cheaper, but the same can be said for private schools. College is expensive!

 

 

That seems to be the magic number-I'm running into it everywhere I look.

 

I'm not one to count their chickens before they're hatched (aid/scholarships*) so you're still looking at 100,000 for a degree.

 

One of the farm hands is a girl taking a few working years. She was supposed to have a 'full ride' -I forgot what type of scholar she was but it came with $. The College of NJ said yes, she got that much in scholarships. But then Gov Christie took away state aide to colleges, and after she was enrolled, they said, nope, that $ you got is ours, it's not applicable to your supposedly non existent loans. No, she cannot figure out what happened, neither can her parents. The end result is that after two years she got the first bill of the third year and decided not to return. She's already 40k in debt. She was >< that close to getting into Brown, but the admissions officer flat out told her that her parents made too much for aid to be a benefit to them, and they made too little to be benefactors to the school-so her top pick didn't reject her on her merits, they rejected her on finances.

 

She was one of only two kids on her floor paying for school herself.

Edited November 1, 2011 by justamouse

[Storm Bay]

We could never afford this ourselves. If this were my dd, I'd have her apply at those schools as well as at some state schools in case you don't have enough financial aid and/or scholarships. Not everyone pays the sticker price at state schools, either. My dd will most likely have her tuition covered (she did go back to ps, but scored well enough on the state test, the one I abhor with a passion, that she is a shoe in for one of the state 2 tuition scholarships). I know of another girl who didn't get that, but who applied for any scholarship she could and ended up choosing a state university who will graduate with only a $4,000 loan, but she's living at home.

 

The assistant coach on my swim team who is a young teacher went to one of those big sticker schools and he'll be paying off his loans until he's about 35. He has to have this second job because even living cheaply he can barely make ends meet with his student loans.

 

We do have the advantage of living in the land of colleges where there are a number of choices within commuting disatnce, but even if you have to travel you may find it more affordable to live off campus. I know someone whose son is sharing an apartment year round because it's cheaper than the dorm.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Karin

[2squared]

I would not borrow that much for any of my children to go to college.

 

FWIW, I would not marry someone who came with astronomical debt (if the student borrowed it all). That kind of debt would severly restrict future lifestyle choices such as geographical location when buying homes, whether we could afford to have a stay-at-home parent, etc.

[kiana]

Per year or per semester? One thing I noticed is that most places list their prices per semester now. I seem to recall it being per year when I went to school (though my memory may be fuzzy).

 

Tuition is 3650/semester so 7300/yr (roughly), including all fees, a meal plan and dorms it's about 13k/yr for in-state. I was only looking at the tuition/though.

[Josie]

I think she could get the same job with a degree from a less expensive school, so I would not do a prestigious school that costs and arm and two legs.

[creekland]

Good question, so I went a-lookin'.

 

My alma mater's website (Texas 4-yr public university) says it is about $200 per credit hour for residents for Fall 2011. Assuming 12 credit hours for a full-time course load, that's $2400 or so for the semester. (Note that there are still fees on top of tuition.) So let's assume fees added in... let's estimate $300 per credit hour. And let's assume a full course load of 18 credit hours. That's still only $5400 for the semester.

 

So to answer your question, yes. :)

 

I just looked up one of our least expensive state schools. The tuition and fees alone run $8856 per year.

 

HOWEVER, I also looked up the average indebtedness after 4 years and it's $24,165 which, incidentally enough, is only slightly less than the $26,202 listed for a Top 50 private LAC my son is considering going to (pending finances like all of his other applications). The tuition and fees alone at the LAC is listed at $39,560.

 

I looked up "a" Texas state school (quite possibly not the same one you mention) and tuition and fees at it are $8232. The average indebtedness is $21,667. It is a little bit less expensive for the average student.

 

A lower level LAC that many nearby students go to lists a sticker cost of $15,880 (tuition and fees again), yet an average indebtedness of $28,851. This one looks less expensive and gives a much lower level of education, but many people think it's a better bargain (still private, but lower cost than a top 50 school).

 

Huge difference in sticker cost - not so huge of a difference in final debt. NOTE though - this doesn't say if the parents took out any loans for the school. I know we didn't for my oldest. I don't expect to for middle son either.

 

This is why my advice to people is always to apply and compare... unless one knows a school doesn't give out merit or need-based aid and that's what one needs to make it affordable.

[J-rap]

Wow, I would never pay $50,000/year, even if I could afford it.

[TravelingChris]

Okay, I see where she doesn't want to go to UNH and the other schools aren't good, plus they are expensive. Why isn't she looking to other state schools in other places? As some people said, even out of state tuition is more affordable than 50K in many cases. I believe that total costs for University of ALabama for out of state are around 25K a year, which is half of what you are looking at. No, I wouldn't pay or finance 50K a year for a teaching degree. The only child I could finance for an expensive degree is my youngest if she was going into engineering and got into one of the top schools. But starting salaries for engineers are much higher than teachers and there is a hierarchy of schools in engineering while there isn't in teaching.

[Jane in NC]

Okay, I see where she doesn't want to go to UNH and the other schools aren't good, plus they are expensive. Why isn't she looking to other state schools in other places? As some people said, even out of state tuition is more affordable than 50K in many cases. I believe that total costs for University of ALabama for out of state are around 25K a year, which is half of what you are looking at. No, I wouldn't pay or finance 50K a year for a teaching degree. The only child I could finance for an expensive degree is my youngest if she was going into engineering and got into one of the top schools. But starting salaries for engineers are much higher than teachers and there is a hierarchy of schools in engineering while there isn't in teaching.

 

Maybe my memory is faulty but I had thought that the OP did say that her daughter was looking at two out of state public universities. Some of those schools can run $40K+ for out of state students!

 

Given the budget woes so many states have now, I don't see public university tuition rates entering a plateau anytime soon.

[ktgrok]

NO. NO way on earth. There is no earthly way a teaching degree is worth that. None. It isn't a good value. Send her to a state school.

[Dana]

NO. NO way on earth. There is no earthly way a teaching degree is worth that. None. It isn't a good value. Send her to a state school.

 

:iagree:

 

And if you read on what people in universities generally think about education degrees... it isn't good.

 

I have a graduate degree where half my courses were in education. They were the largest waste of time. I'm sure that some schools have good education programs. Many many education programs just aren't going to be worth much though.

 

Major in something that there's a shortage of (any STEM field is great). You can teach - and get paid - while getting certified. But get a degree that's going to be worth something. Education really isn't it in my experience.

[Amy in NH]

No.

[kathymuggle]

I think she could get the same job with a degree from a less expensive school, so I would not do a prestigious school that costs and arm and two legs.

 

:iagree:

[StephanieZ]

Not unless I had money to set on fire.

 

Now, if I had money to set on fire, then sure, whatever. That would mean I could pay it without hardship, without any debt for anyone, and without shorting my retirement, etc.

 

That kind of tuition for a career that won't pay peanuts is bonkers. IMHO.

[TravelingChris]

I am well aware that some state schools are very expensive for out of state students. Other states are not. That was what I was trying to convey to the OP. The choices don't have to be 50,000 or commute to local school. There are many choices for an ed major in between and a lot that cost much less than 40 or 50 K.

[Storm Bay]

I am well aware that some state schools are very expensive for out of state students. Other states are not. That was what I was trying to convey to the OP. The choices don't have to be 50,000 or commute to local school. There are many choices for an ed major in between and a lot that cost much less than 40 or 50 K.

I agree. In our case, my kids have dual citizenship, so they can attend Canadian universities at Canadian prices, which helps a lot, too, but ideally my kids will get a lot of scholarships and/or grants, etc, because they are going to have to pay almost all of it themselves because we can't afford it.