Average Cost of College Tuition... AFTER Scholarships...

[mefordis]

The cost of a wedding pretty much equals another year of college. We wrote the last tuition check with such a feeling of relief-didn’t last very long.

You are really generous. My husband and I paid 100% for our wedding.

 

[okeydokey]

Both my kids receive scholarships that exceed the cost of tuition. Both attend a large public university in state. My daughter earned full tuition plus about 2000 each semester toward other costs. My son is getting a full cost of attendance scholarship.

Cost of attendance is around 21,000 for everything, tuition alone is about 7000 a year.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Good luck to your son. Law is a very tough field these days. I know plenty of lawyers lamenting their student loans. It's just hard. Tell him to work as hard as he possibly can. The top 15-20% of each class at a decent school can still do ok, but the rest, not so much.

Thank you ... he’s got a good head on his shoulders and has had LS as a goal for years. Has planned and researched and ultimately At a top School where the starting salaries for top grads are quite impressive.
As I’ve told him... he has the smarts and the passion so Investing in himself is a win in my book.
He’s got his eyes wide open... his cousin is
2 years out, and her particular field of law ...difficult in paying down her debt.
My fingers ( and toes) crossed for him ( and her).

 

[NYCgrrl]

he

I'm just curious because all this college stuff is new to me, & I haven't really been paying attention to any of the college threads... because I've been in denial, honestly.

Anyway, we just paid for DD's 1st semester of college, & I'm trying to decide whether I feel good about the cost or feel like it's still too much money.

She's attending a private, in-state, liberal arts college & received an academic scholarship plus a small state scholarship offered to all high school graduates w/ a qualifying GPA in our state attending an approved in state college.

(Also, after completing all the FAFSA information, she was eligible for an additional $2,000 in loan money, but we turned that money down due to the interest on the loan.)

So, because I've had my head in the proverbial sand when it comes to college, I'm just curious what is considered an average cost per semester after scholarships. And I know there are lots of variables.

Y'all can either help me feel better or worse now. LOL!

As others have said it's kind of impossible to give you a definitive answer because scholarship amounts differ vastly as do college costs.



Here's College Board's breakdown of how tuition has changed by decade, with all figures adjusted to reflect 2017 dollars:

Private nonprofit four-year institution

• Tuition for 1987-1988: $15,160
• Tuition for 1997-1998: $21,020
• Tuition for 2007-2008: $27,520
• Tuition for 2017-2018: $34,740

Public four-year institution

• Tuition for 1987-1988: $3,190
• Tuition for 1997-1998: $4,740
• Tuition for 2007-2008: $7,280
• Tuition for 2017-2018: $9,970

Above are the average costs per year for private and public 4 year colleges. Should you want to figure out if she's receiving an education in cost and quality that is a good value compare similar degree granting programs with the same accreditations. You can take it further as far as percentage of students granted academic scholarships and amounts with a little searching. HTH.

 

[MillauFr]

It’s my responsibility to financially support my daughters for 18years. 19-21 is a bonus. I am NOT paying for weddings.

I am going to try that but my daughter will probably point out that we went to Disneyland 5 times this year plus went on a Disney Cruise. I should tell the Grand Californian they should host my daughter's wedding for free as a thank you for all of the money we are giving Disney.

 

[MillauFr]

You are really generous. My husband and I paid 100% for our wedding.

I'll never get away with that. I will push the Vegas wedding but will probably get talked into a Hawaii wedding.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm just curious because all this college stuff is new to me, & I haven't really been paying attention to any of the college threads... because I've been in denial, honestly.

Anyway, we just paid for DD's 1st semester of college, & I'm trying to decide whether I feel good about the cost or feel like it's still too much money.

She's attending a private, in-state, liberal arts college & received an academic scholarship plus a small state scholarship offered to all high school graduates w/ a qualifying GPA in our state attending an approved in state college.

(Also, after completing all the FAFSA information, she was eligible for an additional $2,000 in loan money, but we turned that money down due to the interest on the loan.)

So, because I've had my head in the proverbial sand when it comes to college, I'm just curious what is considered an average cost per semester after scholarships. And I know there are lots of variables.

Y'all can either help me feel better or worse now. LOL!

Scholarships? What scholarships?

Right... which is why I'm curious what people expect/hope to pay AFTER the scholarships.
My head was soooo far down in the sand that we didn't even finish filling out the FAFSA stuff until a couple of weeks ago.

FAFSA We've had a lot of problems with FAFSA and they are a nightmare to correct.

I also have twins, beginning their junior year, and our picture looks something like mnrose's. Mine have been commuting but those costs add up, too, X2 (gas, parking, food, car upkeep/repair and insurance, etc.). This year DS is renting a home with friends.

Agreed...my DDs as well. Their school's cost is like $43K and they both got like half off in maximum scholarships. When they were looking, most of their picks were around that whether in state with no scholarhips or private with scholarships...most were $16-24K a year.

I saw you say on another thread they aren't playing softball anymore - did that affect their scholarship money?

I just want to Pay this Forward. Someone here posted it several years back and I found it really helpful. It's not for everybody, but Zac offers a lot of good insights into the whole college process including things that aren't always talked about. (And he's pretty funny!) Even if you're not aiming for debt free, hearing what he has to say is worthwhile, imho.

https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Free-Outstanding-Education-Scholarships-Mooching/dp/1591842980

Good luck, everyone!

 

[Christine]

The only scholarship my son got was through my husband's union-$1250 per semester.

He went to a state school where Tuition and Fees ran me $5300 per semester. I paid cash for the remaining value. We then paid cash for his meal plan and dorm/apartment rental.

I felt the costs were fairly reasonable and I was not interested in him going into debt for this. Both my husband and I worked and we managed to pay for daycare many years ago FOR YEARS so it was kind of the same thing.

 

[goofy4tink]

Dd graduated from a private university in 2016. She was lucky in that when she was there, costs were never raised...they were the same when she graduated as when she started. However, her grant money went down each year. The total, tuition/room/board was about $37,000 a year, not including books. She had about $7000 a year in loans (through financial aid) and an average of about $4500 in grant money...started at $8000, went down to $3000 by senior year. So, that had us funding about $26,000 yearly!!!
In her senior year, when she got home from study abroad, she told me that maybe she should have gone to a state school!!! Yeah, right...a little late for that sweetie!!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

I just checked, ds’s in state tuition is 16,571, room and board almost 14,000 (public school, this is the norm). Our state pays for CC if you graduate in the top 10%, that’s the only college program here.

 

[cabanafrau]

When we found out we were having a girl, I told DH, instead of a college fund for her, I wanted a wedding fund. LOL!

College fund is priority for a son, but not a daughter?

 

[barkley]

I just checked, ds’s in state tuition is 16,571, room and board almost 14,000 (public school, this is the norm). Our state pays for CC if you graduate in the top 10%, that’s the only college program here.

OUCH. here a student can get 2 years of college free if they opt to do their high school junior and senior years in the 'running start' program. they take college classes that meet the traditional freshman/sophomore general ed requirements and have been approved to meet their high school requirements as well. when they graduate from high school they've whacked out 2 years of college BUT still qualify as 'incoming freshman' for scholarship and grant opportunities. only cost during the program is books. used to be that just the kids who wanted college degrees benefited from it but in recent years some districts have established incredible trade schools with 1-2 year programs the kids can do in their junior and senior years and graduate w/trade certifications in some really well paying fields.

 

[sk!mom]

The only scholarship my son got was through my husband's union-$1250 per semester.

He went to a state school where Tuition and Fees ran me $5300 per semester. I paid cash for the remaining value. We then paid cash for his meal plan and dorm/apartment rental.

I felt the costs were fairly reasonable and I was not interested in him going into debt for this. Both my husband and I worked and we managed to pay for daycare many years ago FOR YEARS so it was kind of the same thing.

My DD22 graduated in May. Her tuition was locked in Freshman year provided she finished in 4. We also got rebated her final semester (again because she was finishing in 4) so it was free since she had applied for graduation. She also received a $1000 rebate from the state for finishing in 4. We let her have that as a starter emergency fund. Finishing in 4 is a big push here and she benefitted.

She had scholarships that paid 50-75%. It varied over the years because her top 10% scholarship from the state varied depending upon the amount allocated by the legislature every year and the size of the pool of qualified students. The scholarship from the University paid 50%. Room and board added about 12K per year. All in (remaining tuition, books, fees, supplies, R&B) we spent about 20K per year - 80K total which was what we had planned.

I quoted the above because we had a similar philosophy. We did not want her going into debt so we tightened our belts and reduced travel for the 4 years of school. I also picked up teaching summer school for those years. This summer off felt like a reward for me! We paid day care years ago. Then used the free public education years to beef up savings and pay off our mortgage so that we could cash flow college. Basically, I worked the last 4 years for health care and college.

We know feel so glad to have it done and her launched with no debt. I'm working for us now. We're getting a new patio and planning a trip to Italy.

 

[Hikergirl]

My dd just transferred from a local CC to an out of area State U. Tuition, fees, room and board are around $12K a semester with a small transfer scholarship.
My ds is going to the local CC, tuition and fees are $2200 a semester.

 

[barkley]

She also received a $1000 rebate from the state for finishing in 4. We let her have that as a starter emergency fund.

we budgeted each of dd's financial aid/scholarships/work study income at college on a 12 month calendar vs. an academic year basis so as a result when she graduated this past june she had some breathing room and knew her basic needs were covered for several more months in the event it took some time for her to find employment not to mention get her first full paycheck. thankfully it only took about a month so she's got that reserve as an emergency fund which i know she's thankful for b/c so many of her friends who graduated with her would spend every dime each quarter and be left struggling or racking up credit card debt until their next disbursement-well now there's no future disbursements for them and they are in a world of hurt.

 

[sk!mom]

we budgeted each of dd's financial aid/scholarships/work study income at college on a 12 month calendar vs. an academic year basis so as a result when she graduated this past june she had some breathing room and knew her basic needs were covered for several more months in the event it took some time for her to find employment not to mention get her first full paycheck. thankfully it only took about a month so she's got that reserve as an emergency fund which i know she's thankful for b/c so many of her friends who graduated with her would spend every dime each quarter and be left struggling or racking up credit card debt until their next disbursement-well now there's no future disbursements for them and they are in a world of hurt.

My DD worked throughout college to cover her own gas and spending money. She's a hard worker and a saver so she had moving money and the first couple of months of living saved for similar reasons. Luckily she started a job in June but it was July 1st before she got her first full paycheck. Due to the rebate and her savings she's got a bit of breathing room.

 

[Christine]

My DD22 graduated in May. Her tuition was locked in Freshman year provided she finished in 4. We also got rebated her final semester (again because she was finishing in 4) so it was free since she had applied for graduation. She also received a $1000 rebate from the state for finishing in 4. We let her have that as a starter emergency fund. Finishing in 4 is a big push here and she benefitted.

She had scholarships that paid 50-75%. It varied over the years because her top 10% scholarship from the state varied depending upon the amount allocated by the legislature every year and the size of the pool of qualified students. The scholarship from the University paid 50%. Room and board added about 12K per year. All in (remaining tuition, books, fees, supplies, R&B) we spent about 20K per year - 80K total which was what we had planned.

I quoted the above because we had a similar philosophy. We did not want her going into debt so we tightened our belts and reduced travel for the 4 years of school. I also picked up teaching summer school for those years. This summer off felt like a reward for me! We paid day care years ago. Then used the free public education years to beef up savings and pay off our mortgage so that we could cash flow college. Basically, I worked the last 4 years for health care and college.

We know feel so glad to have it done and her launched with no debt. I'm working for us now. We're getting a new patio and planning a trip to Italy.

I just took a trip to WDW (1st in about 6 years!!). I had not vacationed since 2012.

That's great that your state does so much. As far as I know, Virginia has no scholarships for being a certain percentage of your class, doesn't pay for community college, nor does any of the other things other states do.

I will say, though, that I think Virginia's public universities have kept tuition costs pretty reasonable. I believe my son's was just under $10,000 per year (tuition only).

 

[ahutton]

DD is starting her first semester of community college in 10 days. Tuition for a full load was about $1,000, and books another $600. We offered the kids to cover community college for two years while they live at home in exchange for paying in state, public tuition for the 3-4th year while they either live at home or support their own room/board costs. They can chose to graduate debt free by living at home where groceries and super fast internet are part of the package. As we have 4 universities within 30-40 minutes commute, it is very possible for them to live at home and finish a bachelors degree debt free.

 

[JB097]

I'm just curious because all this college stuff is new to me, & I haven't really been paying attention to any of the college threads... because I've been in denial, honestly.

Anyway, we just paid for DD's 1st semester of college, & I'm trying to decide whether I feel good about the cost or feel like it's still too much money.

She's attending a private, in-state, liberal arts college & received an academic scholarship plus a small state scholarship offered to all high school graduates w/ a qualifying GPA in our state attending an approved in state college.

(Also, after completing all the FAFSA information, she was eligible for an additional $2,000 in loan money, but we turned that money down due to the interest on the loan.)

So, because I've had my head in the proverbial sand when it comes to college, I'm just curious what is considered an average cost per semester after scholarships. And I know there are lots of variables.

Y'all can either help me feel better or worse now. LOL!

After scholarships and financial aid I had to pay $18,000/semester.

Note:not including room and board, books, etc.

 

[lovin'fl]

I saw you say on another thread they aren't playing softball anymore - did that affect their scholarship money?

It didn't. All their scholarships are academic. And the girls will have more time now to focus on school and maybe have some fun too. More normal college experience.

I was surprised at how big a chunk room and board was. And then they didn't use anywhere near all their credits for the dining hall and we were constantly giving them money for groceries. What a waste but they make you get a big plan for Freshman. This year, they selected the smallest plan. That saved a little but then they chose a more expensive dorm. Next year they will get an off campus apartment which will be cheaper even still.

Weddings...we will pay. We are traditionalists. We don't buy cars (kids paid), nor did we throw big fancy sweet 16 parties like many kids they knew got, we don't luxury up their dorm rooms to look like something out of a home interior magazine like many kids they know. But we pay all college costs and will pay for weddings for the girls and whatever parts the groom covers for DS. Most of their friends pay their own college but they had big sweet 16s, they got their rooms redecorated in their teen years, they got cars, and fancy top notch prom fixings and they have their dorms set up super sweet. But they have loans for college and I am betting they will also be on the hook for their own weddings....and then they'll have to live at home until they are 30 to save money for a down payment on a house. My kids will start adult life with no debt and they won't have to live with us. Seems like most parents want to pay the cheaper stuff these days and then don't mind having their 'kids' live with them after college. I am more old school and want the little birdies out of the nest.