Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
Folks, you are wrong if you believe that state universities and community colleges are cheaper. If a student can get into the top schools they will end up paying a lot less. Studies show that the most expensive places also give the most money. For example, I think every Ivy League school is basically free if your family income is below about $60,000. A lot of second-tier colleges also offer much more grant money than state schools. It pays to try to get into the best school you are qualified for, not to mention that it also pays off over the course of your life in increased income every year. Don't just look at the upfront price--look at what the financial aid package is.
YMMV.
My sister went into Pharmacy, and from what I understand, there are (or at least were at the time), 2 schools per state, one public and one private, that awarded Pharmacy degrees. In Indiana, those schools were Purdue and Butler. My sister graduated in the top 10 of her HS class, took all the advanced courses and got excellent grades in them, and all Butler could find for her was a $500 scholarship that they couldn't even guarantee would be extended past the first year. Their tuition cost double what Purdue's cost, so the decision was a no-brainer.
Folks, you are wrong if you believe that state universities and community colleges are cheaper. If a student can get into the top schools they will end up paying a lot less. Studies show that the most expensive places also give the most money. For example, I think every Ivy League school is basically free if your family income is below about $60,000. A lot of second-tier colleges also offer much more grant money than state schools. It pays to try to get into the best school you are qualified for, not to mention that it also pays off over the course of your life in increased income every year. Don't just look at the upfront price--look at what the financial aid package is.
YMMV.
My sister went into Pharmacy, and from what I understand, there are (or at least were at the time), 2 schools per state, one public and one private, that awarded Pharmacy degrees. In Indiana, those schools were Purdue and Butler. My sister graduated in the top 10 of her HS class, took all the advanced courses and got excellent grades in them, and all Butler could find for her was a $500 scholarship that they couldn't even guarantee would be extended past the first year. Their tuition cost double what Purdue's cost, so the decision was a no-brainer.