sassenach Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Sue's thread about health insurance was extremely enlightening for me. I had no idea that being automatically opted IN to campus health insurance was a thing. Another friend recently mentioned expenses related to her dd bringing a car to school. Parking passes were not news to me, but the huge increase in insurance costs was something I hadn't thought of (moving from NorCal to the LA area, which my dd will also be doing). Frankly, every day I get more anxious about being able to afford all this. So, tell me, what else have I not thought of yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Textbooks travel cost to come home for break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 If you're not eating at a dorm, having to purchase groceries from whatever stores are on or near campus. Any large and decently-priced grocery stores were a long bus ride away. An environment where going out to eat or for coffee or drinks with friends is part of usual activities. Costs can add up fast. Costs associated with other campus activities—attending sports activities, joining a campus group, buying a yearbook. Costs for particular classes. I had to buy lab goggles and lab notebooks. A drawing class required extensive supplies. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 the huge increase in insurance costs was something I hadn't thought of (moving from NorCal to the LA area, which my dd will also be doing). This depends on where you live and where the college is. Ds did not have an increase. Anyone moving from LA or NYC to Dartmouth would have a huge decrease. I would add: someplace to stay when the DORMS close if he doesn't come home all meals for those days office supplies printer cell phone and data plan more/different/warmer clothes, again dependent on where you live and where the college is OTC drugs and toiletries snacks drinks field trips club activities gym pass (not always included in tuition) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Look carefully at each college website to see additional fees. Some colleges have thousands of dollars of fees per semester in addition to tuition, especially for certain majors. I know one college near us requires each music student to purchase a specific laptop with pre-loaded software. The cost is automatically added to the bill. Engineering also has a heft fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Dorm fees. We got a ridiculous bill for the right to keep stuff in the dorm room over Christmas break. If your child is studying abroad, you might be shocked at the amount of money the host country requires you to provide to the student as part of the residency visa. I was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Dorm fees. We got a ridiculous bill for the right to keep stuff in the dorm room over Christmas break. If your child is studying abroad, you might be shocked at the amount of money the host country requires you to provide to the student as part of the residency visa. I was. Seriously....wow? Wasn't he going back to his dorm room after break? Why on earth couldn't he keep his stuff there? I understand if he was going to be moving to a different building or something, but this is crazy to me. As to the second, yeah. Host country wanted to see 6 months expenses minimum in the account at the time the visa was obtained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Yep, it was crazy to me as well. That was last year. This year, he is off campus which is cheaper overall but still came with its own learning-curve of expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Look carefully at each college website to see additional fees. Some colleges have thousands of dollars of fees per semester in addition to tuition, especially for certain majors. I know one college near us requires each music student to purchase a specific laptop with pre-loaded software. The cost is automatically added to the bill. Engineering also has a heft fee. I would second the suggestion to look at the fee sheets on the college's websites. Many have extra fees for yearbooks and orientation programs. I also saw one school that had an extra $1000 or $1500 fee (can't remember which) for engineering. This fee was not advertised anywhere, and it made me angry because other majors, like Biology, have special lab needs and no extra fee. As others said, special computer needs and/or study abroad costs might add to your bill. One friend of mine's dd was majoring in music, and the college bascially told her that there was a "strongly encouraged" summer program her dd needed to go to that they had to pay for. In addition to the standard "fees" that are charged and added into "tuition & fees", some campuses have a required health center fee that everyone must pay (and it's for the use of the student health center and is separate from health insurance, which is also required). You might also look at whether there is a requirement to live in the dorms or buy a specific meal plan, and, if so, for how long. At oldest's school, the meal plan was very much overpriced, such that buying meals with cash at the "walk-in" price was cheaper than paying for the meal plan. If you knew this, then once you were an upperclassman, you could opt out of the meal plan and just pay cash. That gave you more flexibility to eat off campus when you wanted to as well. Best wishes, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Seriously....wow? Wasn't he going back to his dorm room after break? Why on earth couldn't he keep his stuff there? I understand if he was going to be moving to a different building or something, but this is crazy to me. As to the second, yeah. Host country wanted to see 6 months expenses minimum in the account at the time the visa was obtained. Calvin has to move all his stuff out of his room every holiday because the college subsidises accommodation by renting out the rooms for conferences and tourists. They do have free storage though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Haircuts! Not a college cost per se', but the need for these doesn't go away. Though for my ds they now happen less frequently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 While it can be frustrating when fees pile up, before you panic remember many of the things mentioned here are typically included in the budget used to calculate the student's financial need. If your student isn't a candidate for financial aid you may end up paying all of this out of pocket, but for many students some or all of these costs may be included in financial aid or scholarships. Some full rides really are full rides that include books, etc. Some students are really only paying for pocket money type of expenses ( pizza, toothpaste, haircuts, etc.) One thing to watch out for are limitations on scholarships - some will cover only a limited number of meals or particular dorm accommodations. It is important to look carefully room and board choices and be aware costs might vary based on the level of accommodations. Also, I'm a big fan of really talking about budgeting and lifestyle expectations. Sometimes teens are unaware of how fast stuff like Starbucks, bottled water, and movies can add up. There is a lot of entertainment (movies, concerts, etc.) on most campuses available for free and motivated students on a budget can find a lot of ways to cut costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Sue's thread about health insurance was extremely enlightening for me. I had no idea that being automatically opted IN to campus health insurance was a thing. Another friend recently mentioned expenses related to her dd bringing a car to school. Parking passes were not news to me, but the huge increase in insurance costs was something I hadn't thought of (moving from NorCal to the LA area, which my dd will also be doing). Frankly, every day I get more anxious about being able to afford all this. So, tell me, what else have I not thought of yet? We live in NorCA - Sonoma County - and we found that dd's insurance down in Orange County was higher than it would be up here. It was about a $200/year difference, I think. You might be surprised on that point. Have a backup plan for the car if your student is far from home. DH had to fly down and help dd find a car in a weekend when she was in an auto accident. And we upped our AAA membership to premium on a friend's advice...good idea, as her college car has needed a number of tows - bad battery, bad alternator, etc. ETA: DD had to purchase a specific Mac for her art classes, along with a 4-year warranty. And they expect the students will need to replace them @ the end of college - but that will be dd's budget, not mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I just looked at my guy's bill. Here are the charges for one semester: 07/01/2014 TUITION A & S UGRAD FT FALL $23,075.00 07/01/2014 MANDATORY HEALTH FEE $252.00 07/01/2014 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE UG $138.00 07/01/2014 TRANSPORTATION FEE $15.00 07/09/2014 OPTION A DECLINING $2,646.00 07/11/2014 PAY PLAN ADMIN FEE $25.00 07/11/2014 CAMPUS P.O. BOX RENTAL $28.00 07/14/2014 HEALTH INSURANCE $960.00 07/14/2014 HOUSING SOCIAL FEE $7.00 07/14/2014 ROOM RENT $4,173.00 07/16/2014 ENDING BALANCE CURRENT PERIOD $31,319.00 Here's the second semester: 11/11/2014 TUITION SPRING UGRAD F-T A&S $23,075.00 11/11/2014 MANDATORY HEALTH FEE $252.00 11/11/2014 HEALTH INSURANCE $1,344.00 11/11/2014 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE UG $138.00 11/11/2014 TRANSPORTATION FEE $15.00 11/12/2014 PAY PLAN ADMIN FEE $25.00 11/13/2014 OPTION A DINING DECLINING $2,646.00 11/13/2014 CAMPUS P.O. BOX RENTAL $28.00 11/13/2014 HOUSING SOCIAL FEE $7.00 11/13/2014 ROOM RENT $4,173.00 11/17/2014 ENDING BALANCE CURRENT PERIOD $31,703.00 We do have to pay for insurance as our health share doesn't cover self-inflicted injuries and that's non-negotiable. I remind the lad often that he needs to get about $2500 in injuries or issues each year for us to break even. :glare: We keep him on our health share so he can switch back to it when he graduates. That doesn't cost us anything extra. We do the same for youngest. Oldest's college accepted health share in lieu of their insurance. The payment plan is something we choose as we pay out of our income rather than out of our savings. The rest is non-negotiable at his school. They do NOT have to pay extra to keep their things in their dorm rooms over Christmas break. With merit and financial aid, we aren't paying anything close to sticker price + he's an RA so his room is actually free! But if one were paying sticker price, this would be the actual cost for him for this year. Then add textbooks. We pay for those. Then add spending money, but he works for this - first at a work study job, now as a TA and a research lab job. We also occasionally send him care packages with some of the basics included (deodorant, etc). Buying everything needed for his dorm room freshman year added up too - and he didn't require much. Nonetheless, he needed sheets, towels, and assorted "living" things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 We live in NorCA - Sonoma County - and we found that dd's insurance down in Orange County was higher than it would be up here. It was about a $200/year difference, I think. You might be surprised on that point. We're just south of you, and dd will be living with my mom in OC, so that's exactly the increase that my friend was warning me about, though their insurance went up significantly more than $200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I just looked at my guy's bill. Here are the charges for one semester: 07/01/2014 TUITION A & S UGRAD FT FALL $23,075.00 07/01/2014 MANDATORY HEALTH FEE $252.00 07/01/2014 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE UG $138.00 07/01/2014 TRANSPORTATION FEE $15.00 07/09/2014 OPTION A DECLINING $2,646.00 07/11/2014 PAY PLAN ADMIN FEE $25.00 07/11/2014 CAMPUS P.O. BOX RENTAL $28.00 07/14/2014 HEALTH INSURANCE $960.00 07/14/2014 HOUSING SOCIAL FEE $7.00 07/14/2014 ROOM RENT $4,173.00 07/16/2014 ENDING BALANCE CURRENT PERIOD $31,319.00 Here's the second semester: 11/11/2014 TUITION SPRING UGRAD F-T A&S $23,075.00 11/11/2014 MANDATORY HEALTH FEE $252.00 11/11/2014 HEALTH INSURANCE $1,344.00 11/11/2014 STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE UG $138.00 11/11/2014 TRANSPORTATION FEE $15.00 11/12/2014 PAY PLAN ADMIN FEE $25.00 11/13/2014 OPTION A DINING DECLINING $2,646.00 11/13/2014 CAMPUS P.O. BOX RENTAL $28.00 11/13/2014 HOUSING SOCIAL FEE $7.00 11/13/2014 ROOM RENT $4,173.00 11/17/2014 ENDING BALANCE CURRENT PERIOD $31,703.00 We do have to pay for insurance as our health share doesn't cover self-inflicted injuries and that's non-negotiable. I remind the lad often that he needs to get about $2500 in injuries or issues each year for us to break even. :glare: We keep him on our health share so he can switch back to it when he graduates. That doesn't cost us anything extra. We do the same for youngest. Oldest's college accepted health share in lieu of their insurance. The payment plan is something we choose as we pay out of our income rather than out of our savings. The rest is non-negotiable at his school. They do NOT have to pay extra to keep their things in their dorm rooms over Christmas break. With merit and financial aid, we aren't paying anything close to sticker price + he's an RA so his room is actually free! But if one were paying sticker price, this would be the actual cost for him for this year. Then add textbooks. We pay for those. Then add spending money, but he works for this - first at a work study job, now as a TA and a research lab job. We also occasionally send him care packages with some of the basics included (deodorant, etc). Buying everything needed for his dorm room freshman year added up too - and he didn't require much. Nonetheless, he needed sheets, towels, and assorted "living" things. So what's up with the mandatory health fee on top of the insurance cost? DD's #1 has specific waiver requirements. I'll need to figure out if we meet them. We're still waiting on acceptances, so I guess that's step 1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 So what's up with the mandatory health fee on top of the insurance cost? DD's #1 has specific waiver requirements. I'll need to figure out if we meet them. We're still waiting on acceptances, so I guess that's step 1! The Health Fee is for the clinic they can go to at any time. It provides flu shots (or other immunizations) and basic care for basic things (like sprained ankles). The health insurance covers typical health insurance stuff - if they break a bone or get into some sort of accident or whatever. The policy this school makes us buy has no deductible for the student, so it's all free for them (assuming they stay in network). Our health share will cover anything anywhere (except for what it doesn't cover like self-inflicted wounds), so my guy can have anything happen to him and we'll owe nothing. However, for now, it's mainly a REALLY expensive flu shot every year. He has also used it to get some out of country immunizations, but a couple he needed for Cote D'Ivoire and Haiti were still not covered. :glare: I wish we could opt out of the insurance to be honest (no one gets to opt out of the health fee). Our health share is enough coverage for us and it would save us a ton of $$. But he loves the school and it's not negotiable since health share won't cover self-inflicted deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Creekland did they even mention those costs when they sent their financial aid offers? That's 63K before books, transportation and personal expenses. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Creekland did they even mention those costs when they sent their financial aid offers? That's 63K before books, transportation and personal expenses. :svengo:I think the total is pretty typical for many privates. You can google the name of the school followed by "cost of attendance" to see expected costs. These types of "fees" are not usually itemized with as much detail as is on the bill, but a pretty accurate total is usually listed. Where it can get tricky is when they put in things like "estimated" for books and travel. This amount can vary widely from semester to semester (or quarter to quarter) and is also dependent on proximity to the school. Often they just insert the word "varies," with NO number at all. So, you have to be careful because the bottom line that is presented doesn't include everything. ETA: Here is the link for Stanford's published cost of attendance: http://financialaid.stanford.edu/undergrad/budget/ You can click on the little question marks to see what is included in each category. The personal expenses include dorm fees, PO Box rental, etc. The bill is more detailed than this. As you can see, for transportation, it has "varies." I think this is probably true! But if you aren't paying attention you might not realize that nothing is included in that bottom line total. ETA, again. Obviously transportation wouldn't be on the university bill! It does appear that they factor in some sort of standard allowance for two trips home when calculating financial aid. And, it also appears that there is a way to get that "upped," for FA purposes by submitting something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I think the total is pretty typical for many privates. You can google the name of the school followed by "cost of attendance" to see expected costs. These types of "fees" are not usually itemized with as much detail as is on the bill, but a pretty accurate total is usually listed. Where it can get tricky is when they put in things like "estimated" for books and travel. This amount can vary widely from semester to semester (or quarter to quarter) and is also dependent on proximity to the school. Often they just insert the word "varies," with NO number at all. So, you have to be careful because the bottom line that is presented doesn't include everything. It's on the high end even for the elites. Harvard is 58.6K for tuition, fees and room and board. Costs for books, travel and personal expenses would bring it to about the same as UR with not including those variable costs. Here's UR's estimated costs for 2014-2015 and it comes too 63.2K including some allowance for books travel and expenses. http://enrollment.rochester.edu/financial-aid/undergrads/ I believe that UR's costs this year have taken a considerable jump from last year, or it could be that I was unaware of the extra costs outlined in Creekland's bill. I thoroughly agree that you have to be careful that the bottom line is all inclusive when comparing college costs. In order to compare more apples to apples, I took off any costs for books, travel expenses and personal expenses as the colleges all estimated varying amounts. It did make it confusing when comparing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 It's on the high end even for the elites. Harvard is 58.6K for tuition, fees and room and board. Costs for books, travel and personal expenses would bring it to about the same as UR with not including those variable costs. I believe that UR's costs this year have taken a considerable jump from last year, or it could be that I was unaware of the extra costs outlined in Creekland's bill. I thoroughly agree that you have to be careful that the bottom line is all inclusive when comparing college costs. In order to compare more apples to apples, I took off any costs for books, travel expenses and personal expenses as the colleges all estimated varying amounts. It did make it confusing when comparing. That is exactly what we did. Those items (books, travel, and personal expenses) for us are basically "off the books." We really don't include them in our budgeting for college costs. It's too variable. As an example, we have no idea if ds will come home for Spring Break or not. He's to let us know three weeks ahead of time if he is. I have to wonder if some of the higher end schools that have higher costs is a result of lower endowments. Although, they are ALL high! I mean, what's $3,000 or so when you are in the $65,000 range! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Try thinking that process through for 8 kids. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I also think one needs to take just a comparison of room, board, and fees bottom line and then compare that with the average student loan cost per annum and total which is available at college factual .com You would be surprised what you see, and sometimes that confuses things even more. The average student loan cost for U of Michigan Ann Arbor is only slightly lower than Alma College though Alma is more expensive which means that likely Alma students are getting more generous merit aid packages or have more lower income students who are getting substantial federal and state grant aid or are local students and not living on campus. But, it's not a huge difference, and frankly, it wasn't a staggering number, at least by our estimations. My nephew is looking at a mid-priced sedan and it will cost more than that number and the payments will be lower if the student takes the full 10 years to pay it back. But, the average student loan bill is MUCH higher for U of MI on the Flint campus though tuition is cheaper and even room and board for the small number of students who stay - this is largely a commuter campus. The reason for the skewed number is that they have a lot of part time students. Part timers pay a higher tuition rate and receive pretty much zilch for merit and financial aid. They tend to be full pay students who are working full time, and for many of them, that means a lot of loans. Given that that tuition is roughly $9500.00 and the average annual loan bill is $9700.00, that says a lot. I had to call to get the numbers for full time students and for that, the vast majority are loaning out $5500.00 or less which means subsidized low interest loans...easy to pay back. It is important to not just know the numbers, but also what they mean which can be just wildly different between similarly priced institutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Yes I think that the endowments have a lot to do with the costs and obviously with financial aid. I think that the ones with the highest endowments tend to be more inclusive in their costs or in what's included in their financial aid. 8, I can't even imagine looking at those costs for eight. You're doing a great job looking at each of your students individually and finding programs that are great for them and work financially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Creekland did they even mention those costs when they sent their financial aid offers? That's 63K before books, transportation and personal expenses. :svengo: Honestly, I don't remember. However, I can tell you that UR - as expensive as it is - came out the lowest for us to pay out of pocket financially. By comparison, Furman wanted us to pay 33K more per year. My guy has high stats and the hooks of homeschooling plus a rural zip code, so some is merit aid. The rest is because they meet EFC (as per the CSS profile). Our EFC is affordable for us (and we've always had two in college when middle son has been going). It's a significant part of our income, but we're willing to pay it. Other schools came close (Pitt was just 1K more - UAlabama was 2K more even with their significant merit aid), but UR was the lowest. The fact that my guy also loved them the best was a bonus. We'd have paid for Pitt or UA if he'd have preferred them. Furman was out with their "package." There are places this son could have gone to for free (based upon peers with lower scores), but they were generally schools below his capability. We feel we're getting what we're paying for. His opportunities have been awesome - and he's the type to take advantage of them while still getting a high GPA for his future med school desires. It's not the right path for all students (even my other two), but it's the right path for him. When looking for colleges, it's important to know whether you can pay your EFC or not. If so, then looking at colleges that are good with financial aid is well worth it. For PA (a state without low cost public flagships), privates can cost equal or less regardless of sticker price. We only looked at privates that we expected to be competitive cost-wise with Pitt/UA. They still had to fit him in other ways too, of course - like challenge. UR is quite well-known for challenge. We can confirm that based upon tests from peer and other private schools. The details of how they get to that cost? I don't think it matters when they come down to your EFC. It only matters for those paying full fare or just depending upon merit aid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 FWIW, Pitt is more expensive than many privates for med school too. :glare: It will cost us less if he were to get into Johns Hopkins. Way to go PA! Hubby's suggested moving to NC... or one of many other states who actually give decent in state options (financially) for med school. It's all wishful thinking though. We're pretty entrenched here with his business. We have considered the Caribbean med schools though. It would make visits quite enjoyable! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 UR is an amazing school! I remember their costs as being about the same as others so that's why I was surprised to see it higher with all the fees included. They do offer great merit aid. You're right that the details don't matter as long as those incidentals are included somewhere in the financial aid package so there are no surprises during the school year. I was thinking of another very highly regarded school with a surprisingly low endowment, and known for not meeting need and imposing additional charges for many things during the school year. I think that if they took better care of them as students, they'd have more loyal and generous alumni as they graduate with incredible salaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 FWIW, Pitt is more expensive than many privates for med school too. :glare: It will cost us less if he were to get into Johns Hopkins. Way to go PA! Hubby's suggested moving to NC... or one of many other states who actually give decent in state options (financially) for med school. It's all wishful thinking though. We're pretty entrenched here with his business. We have considered the Caribbean med schools though. It would make visits quite enjoyable! ;) I knew a guy who was waitlisted at every med school stateside that he applied to so he went as a freshman to a med school in Grenada for one year, and then came back as a transfer student. I have no idea why, but no waitlist! Really, some of this stuff I just do not understand, but my guess is that a certain number of students enter med school, last one year, decide that is not for them, and leave spots open for the sophomore year. My GP had rather large student loan bills for med school. He took advantage of a loan forgiveness program with the government whereby he was posted to American Samoa for two or three years and came back with nearly all of it forgiven. He wasn't making money while there, but his housing was provided plus plenty of stipend to get along with and the added advantage was that his wife applied to a teaching program since her master's degree was in English with certification for ESL. She had ALL of her student loans forgiven this way. They really enjoyed their Samoa years. It's something to consider. One has to take whatever postings are available, but if the young doctor has a sense of adventure it could be a great opportunity. Oh, and a BSRN I know was in a similar program and worked for two years in Appalachia as a traveling nurse in poverty stricken areas. All of her student loans were forgiven as well. I don't know how much of this if for government subsidized loans, and if any private loans are included. Hmm...worth checking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 FWIW, Pitt is more expensive than many privates for med school too. :glare: It will cost us less if he were to get into Johns Hopkins. Way to go PA! Hubby's suggested moving to NC... or one of many other states who actually give decent in state options (financially) for med school. It's all wishful thinking though. We're pretty entrenched here with his business. We have considered the Caribbean med schools though. It would make visits quite enjoyable! ;) I suspect you are mostly kidding, however, if your son is seriously considering attending a non LCME institution for medical school, I would encourage him to really look at all of the angles and understand exactly what he is truly paying for. Admittedly, I do think that US citizen FMGs do sometimes have a bit of an easier time matching into US residency programs than their non-citizen counterparts but it is definitely an uphill battle for both groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I suspect you are mostly kidding, however, if your son is seriously considering attending a non LCME institution for medical school, I would encourage him to really look at all of the angles and understand exactly what he is truly paying for. Admittedly, I do think that US citizen FMGs do sometimes have a bit of an easier time matching into US residency programs than their non-citizen counterparts but it is definitely an uphill battle for both groups. Yes, I was mainly kidding. The lad actually has his sights (hopes?) set quite high (there's a reason I know Hopkins and Pitt's costs - and Harvard's and...), but as with anyone, it will depend upon actual acceptances. It's still a couple of years off yet as he plans to either do the Take 5 program at UR (free tuition) or take a gap year doing "something" medical in a clinic somewhere either stateside or perhaps back in Africa. If the latter convinces him he wants to work permanently in Africa (or similar), then the cost of the Caribbean becomes quite tempting. Otherwise, we'll know more about his odds after he has his MCAT score (plans on taking it this summer). At our house over these past couple of weeks we've been talking about all sorts of different paths. It will depend upon what he wants for his final destination. And through it all, I run the finances, so have been pondering the "what ifs" with hubby (who mainly earns the finances). For the potential of large financial needs, I need to be planning early (not that a couple of years is early!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Snow shovel! :D If you student is attending Michigan Tech, it's on the suggested packing list. The students often go to local homes and shovel for the elderly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Snow shovel! :D If you student is attending Michigan Tech, it's on the suggested packing list. The students often go to local homes and shovel for the elderly. This is a new one for me. Granted, neither my GA nor FL kid had it on their list for some strange reason :D , but it also wasn't to be seen on my UR kid's list and snow is certainly a regular there. It just goes to show, one should always check with the college - our motto on this board! It sounds like a great tradition to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 One hidden "cost" I was totally unaware of was summer internships. Some internships pay. Some pay expenses but nothing above that. And some are purely volunteer. In dd's field (art conservation), students are expected to acquire hundreds of hours of internship experience. We always thought summers were for earning money, not spending it! Thankfully, some colleges (hers included) have VERY generous programs that not only cover the costs associated with interesting internships but actually PAY the student for doing an interesting experience. Thanks to grant programs through the college, dd1 spent a summer in Holland at a volunteer high-prestige internship at big art conservation facility and it only cost her $1000 (which, given the cost of living in Amsterdam, is saying something! Her studio apartment cost nearly $2000 per month!). Dd1 spent another summer doing a volunteer internship at the Smithsonian, and, thanks to her generous grant from the college, she actually made some money that summer! Dd2 is still in the application process for a grant for this summer that would pay her a generous hourly rate for doing an activity that is not only in her field but that if money were no object she would spend the summer doing! :001_smile: So do check and see if your college offers summer grants for motivated students. Depending on your financial situation, it can make the difference between doing amazing internships and spending the summer as a lifeguard or waiter. It was a benefit that I neither knew existed nor understood the need for it before my dd's stay in Holland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 More hidden costs: new clothes! Blazers, suits, dress shirts, belts and dress shoes add up quickly. Add in new running shoes every semester or so... My Mines kid and WY kid have had to expand their wardrobes for jobs and interviews. If your kid is headed to a different climate, you may be ponying up for some new duds. I'm glad my kids already have heavy winter stuff. There was one job DH had, where he rode a lot of public transportation and also walked a great deal (both around the city center and to and from bus stops). He found that he wore through both shoes and pants at a much faster rate than had been normal for him. I think that college students might find themselves in a similar, walking more than driving, situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 One other hidden cost -- summer orientation! At the college dd accepted last spring (but is not attending), summer orientation was MANDATORY and students had to pay $250 each to attend. Of course, parents were also required to attend, and since it was an overnight affair this involved a night in a hotel (plus an additional night in a hotel since we live 8 hours away so arriving at 9 a.m. required a hotel stay). Two nights in a hotel Three dinners two lunches gas for the nearly 1,000 mile drive there and back $250 for the student to attend totals to a not insignificant amount of money -- and we had NO idea that this was going to happen until we received an email about it after she accepted. Yes, we could afford it, but that's enough money that I assume it was a huge issue for some families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Mandatory Computer lab - one hour a week - teaching assistant monitors while students complete required assignments on computers with special software loaded - an extra $125 fee per semester Core creative arts class - also required - not only an extra fee for scripts used in class lessons but also a required $75 outside class trip to see a professional play pro-click - $75 so students can answer questions in class and professor sees results immediately tabulated on his computer as well as used to take attendance (crazy - as the class had a limit of 15 students!) and the pro-click was only used in this one class!! Dorm and room damage charges - okay...I see the students should pay for their damage but the Freshman hallway/bathroom charges for my son's first year divided among the entire freshman dorm was over $100 each!!!!! And $7 for his room charge for a wobbly wooden desk chair! Myra ETA - atheletic uniforms - my son gets one tank top, shorts, long sleeve shirt provided by college - but if he wants a second (gotta wash sometime - right) for daily practices and away regettas must purchase them - $130 ETA - orientation and parent's weekend - money gobblers galore - luckily, I stayed at a local campground for orientation and met a few other parents doing the same (we still keep in touch!) and my son had an away regatta for parents' weekend so I lucked out of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 One other hidden cost -- summer orientation! At the college dd accepted last spring (but is not attending), summer orientation was MANDATORY and students had to pay $250 each to attend. Of course, parents were also required to attend, and since it was an overnight affair this involved a night in a hotel (plus an additional night in a hotel since we live 8 hours away so arriving at 9 a.m. required a hotel stay). Two nights in a hotel Three dinners two lunches gas for the nearly 1,000 mile drive there and back $250 for the student to attend totals to a not insignificant amount of money -- and we had NO idea that this was going to happen until we received an email about it after she accepted. Yes, we could afford it, but that's enough money that I assume it was a huge issue for some families. We have a friend in the same boat. Her daughter was accepted to NMU, got a decent scholarship, and decided to go. Well, they got an email that orientation and registration was the first week of June. Freshman are not on campus until the last week of August. Seven hours each way, and it's a two day thing and mandatory too. So about 14 total hours driving, 770 miles round trip, only $60.00 in gas now with the price drop but it always goes up in summer so figure more, two nights at the hotel and the room rates have been jacked up because the few motels in Marquette know the parents are required to be there plus it's peak tourist season and that is a very touristy area, thus well over $225.00 for something like a Comfort Inn or Best Western for two nights, meals...and then they'll turn around and do it all over again in August. There appears to be some assumption of higher education representatives that all parents everywhere are swimming in extra cash or have a tree in the yard that blossoms hundred dollar bills the year their child is a senior! I wish they would embrace the fact that this is just not the case for a large percentage of their students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Lab fees Studio Art fees tickets to events for some fine arts/humanities classes "technology" fee accompanist for juries and recitals yes, transportation to and from freshman orientation BUT some colleges run a session just before the semester starts so you might be able to get into that one(all the international students do that) other things: paying tickets for parking in front of fire hydrants (yep -- she just "didn't see it") cleaning fees in the dorms if someone throws a party,makes a mess, but no one can figure out who it was. The whole dorm might have to pay for the clean up If your student doesn't take a car to school but you still want them insured for when they're home on break, the insurance company may reduce your rates (something to check into). However, if your student lives too "close" the ins co may assume they're still driving the car every single weekend (when they come home to do laundry?) and not reduce the rate. One other that I just discovered that's kind of convoluted. We get a property tax break because our income is so low. But way back in 2011, I took a class for which I had a tuition waiver. The state just discovered that, decided it was non taxable income, and reduced our tax break because of it (since our income was "higher"). I now owe the state a couple hundred dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Our ins co has a roadside assistance coverage (or something like that). It's only a few dollars and covers tows. It's a lot cheaper than AAA. And don't forget to see if there's a good student discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 My college had a huge enclosed campus and the primary means of student transport was bicycle. I spent a dumb amount of money getting flat tires fixed. I wish I'd learned more about basic bike repair before I left for college. (This was slightly before every DIY tutorial in the world existed on YouTube.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Meals. Not everyone sleeps in on the weekend. If the dining hall doesnt open till brunch, your child may need to plan in breakfast on his own. And not all college dining halls offer all meals on weekends. One school I attended only offered a late breakfast/early lunch from about 11:00-1:00-after that, it was the fast-food type cafe or find something on your own. So, if you ONLY had the cafeteria meal plan and no flex card money for the fast food stuff or cash to buy groceries or go out, you were kind of stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Another needed item--hard hat! It's a regular occurrence to see a student with a pickax strapped on the backpack, with the hard hat on. At least at Mines it is... Snake-proof waterproof insulated boots are on the supply list for the class my DD is auditing this spring. Fortunately (from my POV, not from hers) due to her age she's not allowed to go on field trips that have risk of venomous species, so she can get by with just the "waterproof" variety and a good pair of socks-which is good, since said boots run about $250/pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 No message... tried to share link but it won't work. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_NC Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Sorority/Fraternity pledge fees and dues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Graduation can be costly at some universities with charges to rent caps and gowns and even to walk in a ceremony. Also many colleges charge for transcripts that graduating job seekers may need to send to potential places of employment. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Transportation to and from the airport for holidays at home. Storage of stuff over the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Sorority/Fraternity pledge fees and dues Add to that the unofficial fees-things like having to have a white formal for pledge presentation, and a black one for events once you become active, dances, t-shirts, big/little gifts, and stuff like that. I don't know if fraternities are as bad about extras as sororities are, but it really adds up fast. Honor society/professional fraternity/sorority fees. At my school, some of them can be almost as bad as the socials as far as lots of little stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3in9th Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Tuition "discounts" at private colleges. This is a gambit designed to pull students in at significantly lower tuition for the first year. Come the rest of the college career, the tuition isn't discounted and the student/parents have to foot the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Tuition "discounts" at private colleges. This is a gambit designed to pull students in at significantly lower tuition for the first year. Come the rest of the college career, the tuition isn't discounted and the student/parents have to foot the bill. Where has this happened? It's a new one for me! I'd like to know more. I know about scholarships and needing to keep a GPA to keep the scholarship, but this doesn't sound like the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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