CC or Uni - by the numbers

[BlsdMama]

It's decision time.  DD's ACT scores weren't what we hoped. Truly a good composite and I'm very happy with it, but she missed the cutoff for big auto scholarships from her first choice.  They made a financial aid offer that can't even be considered.  It wouldn't cover 1/3 of tuition, let alone dorms.
With medical expenses, and UPCOMING expenses, scholarships are incredibly important.  Worse, we took a chunk out of 401k that we get to either pay back or claim over the next three years that makes our income look $25k/year higher. 😞 (It was medically necessary.)

Currently we claim (for the purpose of next year) three in college.  DS will graduate.  DD is getting married.  That means 2022-2023, when DD is looking to transfer to a 4 year University, we'll be high on income, two less dependents, and two less in college. Sigh.

Our first choice? Live at home, another year of community college where she currently is as a dual enrolled student.  She has 24 credits currently, which means she could attend next year, but not the year after.

She was offered full tuition in grants and scholarships to a tiny four year university an hour away.  My brother in law and his wonderful wife live there.  My niece goes to school there.  My husband is alum.  Most of the scholarships (the big ones at least) are renewable.  She would need to live in dorms, but the cost of dorms and meal plan is surprisingly low compared to where our son is.  

The downside: She loves staying in her comfort zone - work at the same place, attend the same school, stay in her room.  She's (barely) 17yo.
The upside: I think she'll be more involved if she lives on campus.  It has her major (Biology) and has a specific focus - Medical Research which is perfect for her.  Tiny and cute traditional campus, smaller student body than the CC. Qualifies for work study which could be great - no need to drive which she is not great at.

They're doing a campus visit in early April.  We'll need to make a decision.  Anyone press a child for their own well-being rather than let them stay in their comfort zone? I feel no peace in either of my options.  Sigh.

[MamaSprout]

Yep, I've totally pushed my kids out of their comfort zone. And sometimes bribed them with chocolate to do it. 🙂

If she wants to do medical research, being a little out of her comfort-zone might be a really good thing for her. Only an hour from home still allows plenty of opportunity for support. I would ask her what her reservations are. They might not be related to being in- or out- of her comfort zone.

[chiguirre]

1 hour ago, BlsdMama said:

The downside: She loves staying in her comfort zone - work at the same place, attend the same school, stay in her room.  She's (barely) 17yo.
The upside: I think she'll be more involved if she lives on campus.  It has her major (Biology) and has a specific focus - Medical Research which is perfect for her.  Tiny and cute traditional campus, smaller student body than the CC. Qualifies for work study which could be great - no need to drive which she is not great at.
 

Can you reclassify her as a junior since she's a year younger than her grade peers?

My dd is graduating hs and getting her AA from our local CC through DE. She just turned 18.

If you take this path, she'd have another year to get her ACT score up or try her luck with the SAT to qualify for merit scholarships as a freshman. She might be out of luck with her first choice because she applied this year, but maybe not? Especially if they're a large state school, they might not care that she applied early and decided that she'd rather spend another year in high school.

I've been surprised at how much of a difference I've seen in my dd in this last year. She's shown a newfound ability to chart her own course, do her research and make a well thought out plan. She's suddenly become an adult in a way I didn't anticipate when she turned 17.

[BusyMom5]

I think you've posted before that there was some reason she couldn't be held back- bc that would have been my first choice.  I think your best option is the 4 year near your ILs.  Its possible she could get a transfer scholarship next year after the CC, but that would be rolling the dice again.  

[8filltheheart]

I agree.  I'd reclassify her.  Let her DE next yr at the CC just as if she had graduated but it will give her a great opportynity to bring up her test score.  It will also give an opportunity to actually see what FA numbers will look like for sure with the scenario of only 1 in college.

[Frances]

Is her first choice a large university? What makes it her first choice compared to the tiny one an hour away? While the small, four year sounds tempting, for me it would really depend on the particular school and her goals. What exactly does an emphasis on medical research mean at the small university? There are so many small schools to choose from in your state (where I grew up), but some would give me pause even if almost free, while several others are excellent.

[RootAnn]

I remember you saying you wouldn't reclassify her. If that is still the case, I'd definitely push the small Uni an hour away as long as the visit went well. That's close enough for support but will likely end up being the extra push she'll need to get involved. (I have a comfort zone kid that needs a nudge (shove) & then support along the way.)

Edited March 26, 2021 by RootAnn

[SanDiegoMom]

I have often pushed all three of my kids outside their comfort zone, no question.  It's not a four year commitment -- if it doesn't work out she can always transfer, but the message she gets that it's ok to always stay in the comfort zone is not necessarily a good one. She will never know what she is capable of during times when she is outside her comfort zone.  Pushing the edges of the envelope is important.  

 

[chiguirre]

I went and read the other post about her being a senior this year. The PSAT doesn't matter unless she was a National Merit Finalist or won a National Recognition Program award. The public school DE program might be a problem, but they might be flexible since she's young. I'd emphasize that she isn't comfortable moving away yet and needs more time to mature to fully participate in university life. Alternatively, is your DE available to home schoolers that are not enrolled in a public program? Ours is, but the rules vary in every CC. Another option is to privately home school her for another year and issue the diploma yourself. That might mean paying for the CC classes if they don't subsidize DE homeschoolers and you'd have to make sure the public program doesn't issue a diploma. If you can work this out, I think this is your best option.

If you can't stop the public program from graduating her, another option is for her to take a gap year and apply as a freshman again next year. If you choose this route, she should find a good volunteer gig in her area of interest and, perhaps, self study a language and plan a trip or take up a new hobby or do a computer certification, something to keep her academically active but not earning college credit. She could retake the ACT and try out the SAT to see if she can qualify for better scholarships at her first choice or other schools of interest. The only thing she cannot do under any circumstance is take a college class or she may be considered a transfer. 

If neither of these options work out, I'd opt for the affordable small 4 year an hour away. It seems to be your only realistic option if she needs to ensure that she can afford to finish the degree.